Intergrated Marketing Communication
Integrated marketing communication (IMC) in modern marketing today has become a major evolution to the success of the organization. Potential opportunities have been identified to improve customer communication channels, hence understanding their decision buying processes. As a result, it is crucial to learn how IMC impacts customer behaviour in terms of buying process. This type of behaviour will be assessed in the areas of consumer market and business transaction.
Customer decision-making process
Belch and Belch et al’s basic model of decision making clearly illustrate the consumer’s decision patterns when it comes to purchasing a product. Problem recognition is considered as a first step in conjunction with the relevant psychological process of motivation (Belch et al., 2012, p.123). Similar to Belch and Belch et al’s basic model, Kotler et al’s model shows the same representative pattern of consumer psychology (Kotler et al., 2001). It suggests examining the consumer’s motivation before targeting the problem recognition.
Back to Belch et al. ’s mode, the problem recognition stage occurs when consumers realize a need as this arises when an awareness of current and ideal state exists within consumer’s future preference. Thus, the communication tools that marketers utilize to create this purposely awareness of need can vary for instance, television, social media or radio, and is determined by the their initial awareness of organization along with the particular product type being marketed. In relation with this model, Maslow’s hierarchy model is well known as motivation analysis for needs based understanding. It reflects what drives the first stage of needs, into motives of the next stage of the decision making process. So, in order to create a perfect marketing campaign in a specific segment, understanding where consumer’s motivation alights into Maslow’s pyramid model is necessary.
Information search and evaluation alternatives are the two important processes Clow & Baack (2014). As consumers recognize their needs to purchase a product, they will immediate conduct an information search process to gather imperative information. This can be done as internal search, whereby consumer will mostly rely on the memory of past experiences and learning of various brand alternatives or an external search, whereby consumers will consult personal or public sources and draw on their personal experiences during the information search processes. Gathering of information can be performed through the influence of society, in-store display and the Internet. In this particular case, the ability, motivation and cost have to be considered in order for this process can work effectively and efficiently. In the end, the one who possesses positive attitude likely to become a high potential buyer. Positive attitude means consumer’s cognition is well understanding and interpreting along with their affection and conative, which refer to consumer’s feeling, emotion and behaviour respectively.
Once consumers have done their information search process as well narrowed down buying possibilities, they will apply everything to make a final set decision based on which product or service is better. Moreover, apart from the alternatives evaluation process, consumers can also consider other characteristics such as performance, attributes and significances before making a final decision
Post- purchase evaluation is a final process in the consumer decision-making model in which consumers can reflect back on their previous decision-making despite of the good or unsatisfied decision. This can refer as the internal psychological process of learning. During this process, the level of product satisfaction is measured by consumers as well as determines consumer’s future decisions.