Consumer Behaviour Research. When the holiday decision making plan of 27 Belgian households were analyzed, it was found that Holiday decision making model did not have any fixed sequential stages

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Table of Contents

1.  Introduction3.

2.  Identify and discuss how decision-making, the difference from the traditional problem-solving model of consumer decision-making4.

3. Compare the information search process with the search process for one other product that is laptop9.

4. The implications of the findings presented in this case for managers marketing and promoting holidays12.

5. Conclusion13.

6. Reference14.

1. Introduction

Now more than ever, people are looking to fulfill their main satisfaction in their consumptive role. But how do consumers make their decisions? This question has been at the center of much scrutiny and several marketing theories. If marketers are conjuring up new ways to capitalize on trends, then so are the very people they aim to lure.

This report will show the study in a specific case which relates to the context of going on holiday. There were 27 Belgian households including single, couples, families and groups of friends to be the samples of this research. Over one-year period, authors followed and studied their process when they decided to have holiday. The work was carried out very carefully and the samples were interviewed four times in total: three times before their holiday in summer and once after that. From the result of these interviews, authors found out many signs and findings that can adjust the way people thought about consumer decision-making.

Nowadays, along with the economic development and the increase of living standard, tourism demand becomes higher and higher attracting much effort to research consumer behavior in this field in order to create effective marketing strategies.

2.

A, Holiday decision-making process:

  • First of all, we will identifying the need for a holiday decision making. When the holiday decision making plan of  27 Belgian households were analyzed, it was found that Holiday decision making model did not have any fixed sequential stages, unlike the traditional decision making model. It was observed that in the Holiday decision making model, the administrative factors played a vital role in deciding choice and time of holiday decision making. Apart from this, it was found that unlike in the traditional decision making model, while planning for a holiday, there was no sequential evolution of  holiday plans. The typical factors that influence the need and the decision of holiday decision making process was found to be situational factors, levels of involvement, day dreaming and nostalgia, anticipation.
  • Secondly, searching for an ideal holiday destination. The information search phase in the holiday decision model was found to be unstructured unlike the traditional decision making model .In holiday decision making, information collection was identified to be an ongoing process that still continues even after the holiday has been booked. Information is gathered during and after the holiday experience owing to cognitive dissonance, prolonged involvement/hedonic consumption. Moreover, the information search in holiday decision making is found to be more internal or memory based, than external or stimulus based. However, all the information collected were not always used. The holiday decision makers were also found to be low information searchers. Information accumulated naturally in a non purposive way and they become really important in the last days before a booking is made. There is a shift observed from internal to external source of information and from general to more specific information altogether. Hence in holiday decision making, information search information collection is not a direct predictor of actual choices but helps in strongly pointing out the preferences of a consumer.
  • In the third place, is evaluation of alternative holiday decisions When it came to the evaluation of alternatives in case of holiday decision making, the study conducted brought to light that holiday decision making was an ongoing circular process that began with the making of a decision. Ideally, as one holiday ended, the holidays decision makers involved themselves in making the next plan. It was also observed that the decision makers involved themselves in making a number of plans at the same time. So does the evaluation of alternatives. As they constantly keep gaining information they tend to keep switching their preference for alternatives. And each of the plans that the holiday maker made comprised of different time horizons, different formulas and different types of decision making processes. Another instance in the case , highlighted the fact that holiday decision making was mostly found to be adaptable and opportunistic. In these cases holiday decision makers , though had willingness to go to a particular place for a holiday , they were found to be going only when the opportunity struck. Hence, adaptability and opportunity were found to be the two major criteria’s on which a holiday decision maker was found to evaluating and deciding on the option of a holiday destination. Moreover, these strategies were found to be aligned with situation and to the type of decision making unit in which they were involved. So while evaluating the alternative, the alternative that is more favorable to adapt and to which there was a prevailing opportunity was given more importance than a on e which was not favorable and for which there was no opportunity.
  • Finally, purchase of a holiday plan and its post purchase evaluation. When analyzing the purchase stage of the holiday decision making, it was found that the final decision making was made by consumers in the last minutes. This was mainly done to reduce the risk involved, expectancy, availability, loyalty and personality.
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It is also found from the case that the purchase of the holiday decision making, is done instantaneously depending on momentary moods and emotions. Emotional factors in fact were identified to be a major factor based on which the holiday choices were made. The purchase is also done instantly as the holiday decision makers are consumers whose choices are made suddenly for sudden pleasure. This highlights the fact that affective choice mode is more relevant than traditional information processing mode in Holiday decision making model that in itself is a highly experiential product.

Most of the holiday decision makers tend ...

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