What was your first car?

            Welcome readers! This is officially my first blog post, ever. My name is Emily Dowsett and I am a fourth year Commerce student with a concentration in Marketing and Management. In my free time I love to play soccer, to snowboard, am obsessed with my two golden retrievers and enjoy spending time with my friends. This blog is going to be centered around my own consumer behaviour as well as societies with a specific focus on common purchases. In addition, my own opinions and thoughts about my personal experiences will be provided to give more of an insight into my life. I think this blog gives me a great opportunity to reflect on marketing strategies and common purchase behaviour.
            My first post is called "Conflicting Car Choice" because I officially purchased my very first car. Consumer behaviour can be studied in terms of “when individuals or groups select, purchase, use, or dispose of products, services, ideas or experiences to satisfy needs and desires” (Solomon, White and Dahl 2013, 4). This was extremely relevant when I was deciding what kind of car to purchase. Due to a series of events, I had to research and purchase the car within a short time period of only two weeks. I had moved out to my dad's house in Carp and need a car to be able to drive to school each day. This was an on going, complex process due to the large purchase and multiple competing factors. I was only at the beginning of the process. The first stage is the pre-purchase issue which is when someone decides that they have a need for a specific product. The next stage is the purchase issue which is the actual purchasing of the product (aka my car). A consumer perspective on the ongoing process is much different when comparing it with the perspective of the marketer. A consumer is concerned with functionality, cost and convenience. A marketer will concentrate on the four marketing P's of price, promotion, product and place. For example, during the purchase stage, the marketer is more concerned with the situational environment and making the product as easily accessible to the consumer.

            As you may know, there are hundreds of questions concerning the purchase of a car. The top questions and/or requirements for me were the following: cost, new or used, gas efficiency, safety features (this was my dad's list topper), colour (more me), and length of the warranty.

                             

           



           

              There were so many options to consider and so many different types of cars. From the colour of the cars to the different companies to the costs. It was very overwhelming as a first time consumer with only having a very, very basic knowledge of cars. I began my search online and there was mass amounts of information for me to read through. There were so many advertisements between the different car dealerships which all including features, pictures, promotions, warranties, and much more. In addition to print and online advertisements, there were also multiple commercials that caught my attention when searching online. One of my top choices was the Mazda 3. Below is a recent commercial highlighting all of the product features and showcasing its technological advanced ability. I found it interesting how some car commercials differed in their focuses. Some car commercials focus on humor, others have an emotional appeal (family brands), or even focus on comparisons to other cars.   

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHLROr5awgU

            Academic sources confirm that a “consumers’ decision making is the integration process by which knowledge is combining to evaluate two or more alternative behavior and select one” (Yee, C.J. and N.C. San, 2011). This was extremely relevant during the first week of primary research. After the first week, my father and I had narrowed down the choices to a Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra, or the Mazda 3 as mentioned above. We then needed to make a decision between these three alternatives. In order to have a better feel for the product, we went on three test drives at three different dealerships. Every sales person was very informative and asked personal questions to get a better understanding of my personal needs and wants. As mentioned above, there are many stages in the consumer purchase decisions process. By the end of all three visits at the dealerships, I need to evaluate all of the alternatives and make a purchase decision. After experiencing the steps in consumer purchasing, I able to drive away in my brand new, harbour grey, 2014 Hyundai Elantra. I absolutely love my car and believe I made the best decision that suited me. Something I found interesting from a marketing perspective  was the amount of effort the sales representatives put on after sales service. I think because its such a purchase decision, the sales representatives want to limit cognitive dissonance. They make effort in making sure everything is okay with the car and provide all kinds of service check-up's. So far, after three weeks, I am very happy with my decision and gain a greater understanding of making a large consumer purchase.   

            What was the last big purchase you made? What criteria did you follow in making the purchase decision? Have you ever experienced cognitive dissonance after making a large purchase?  


References

Solomon, Michael, Katherine White, and Darren W. Dahl. 2013. Consumer Behaviour: Buying, Having, Being Sixth Edition. Canada : Pearson.

Yee, C.J. and N.C. San, 2011. Consumers' perceived quality, perceived value and perceived risk towards purchase decision on automobile. Am. J. Econ. Bus. Admin., 3: 47-57.