1st Answer

The following will be my decision Making Process for the following products:

1. Healthy, Cold-pressed, Organic Cooking Oil

Need Recognition: Cooking Oil is widely used in all the households as it is used in
frying and baking. It is also used in food preparation and flavouring not involving heat,
such as salad dressings and bread dippings like bread dips. So far, I was using
Saffola oil the healthiest cooking oil, made up of multi seeds technology, which insures
a lower absorption of oil in your food and keep your heart healthy and fit. However,
since now I have become more health-conscious I look for cold-pressed, organic
cooking oil. My need is to stay healthy. However, in order to understand how it will be
beneficial for my health, I would try and look for more information on the health benefits
of cold-pressed, organic cooking oil.

Information Search: This stage is also termed as the search for information. The
consumer starts obtaining information on various products available in the market so as
to make an informed decision about buying. Now we will search about various shakes
available in the market which fulfils our requirements and having good features. I would
seek advice from some of friends, would search on the internet for the best brands of
organic cooking oil, and also visit some exclusive brand stores (for example Patanjali)
Also, I would look for information on how the organic cold-pressed cooking oils are
healthy. On searching for information, i find out various brands of organic cooking oil
that retain healthy antioxidants that are otherwise damaged by being exposed to heat.

Evaluation of Alternatives: Antioxidants help combat free radicals that cause cell
damage in the body. The cold-pressed oils are rich in vitamin E, which has anti-
inflammatory and healing properties. They are also rich sources of oleic acid that help
boost your immune system. Also, I would look for oil that has high amount of Omega-6
and decent amount of Omega-3. I would make sure that the oil has high amounts of
manganese and melatonin, which helps in regulating the body s clock. This oil also
reduces the risk of heart diseases, improving cardiovascular strength and also helps in
maintaining the hormonal levels of the body. After evaluation, I shortlisted three brands

1st Brand: Kama Ayurveda Organic Sesame Oil - It’s a good source of Vitamin E. It is
also known for antioxidant properties.

2nd Brand: Deve Herbes Pure Borage Oil - high amount of Omega-6, but also has a
decent amount of Omega-3

3rd Brand: Borges Olive Oil Extra Light - good source of antioxidants like Vitamin
E.

Purchase decision: This stage is also the stage of the purchase decision. In this stage,
I would purchase the product that meets all the requirements of healthy cooking oil such
as retaining antioxidants, giving the foodstuffs a rich flavor and also rich in Vitamin E.
 Apart from this, the brand image of the product really matters to me. Since I would be
making a buying decision for my daily use, the health of me and my family members
really matters a lot. So, the cooking oil with all the above requirements and a good
brand reputation would be purchased by me. So, I would go with Kama Ayurveda
Organic cooking Oil.

Post-purchase behaviour: Even after the purchase of the product, I may not be
convinced about my decision as there could be some lingering doubts regarding the
product and comparison with competition. This is because I have switched to a new
brand and it may take me and my family members some time to make the adjustment
because it is directly involved with the daily meals that we eat. Once, all my family
members are satisfied about the quality and nature of the product, we become regular
users of the product.

Fitness Band:

Need recognition: I follow a few fitness pages where I get motivated and correct
information about diet and new exercises. However, I also want to know how I can
make sure I am always updated about my workout. I learned that fitness bands and
watches can help me maximize my workout, track and monitor my progress.

Information Search: Once I realized I need a fitness band, I will become more
proactive, and start asking my friends, surfing online on retail websites and searching
for lists of the best fitness bands. I will go to websites of renowned sports brands like
Nike, Rebook and Adidas. As I searched through the options, I wanted the band to have
three things that would guide my decision process and help me make the best choice:

 I wanted it to monitor heart rate

 I wanted it to be waterproof
 I wanted it to count steps
 14-day return policy

At the same time, I wanted the price to be below Rs. 4000/- So, I decided to look for
alternatives.

Evaluation of Alternatives: After evaluation, I picked two contenders.

Garmin Vivofit: Waterproof and an impressive one year battery life. No charging
required. It automatically syncs with Garmin connect companion app to upload all of the
health stats that are fit to track. It even auto-detects your current activity to collect
appropriate data. As I looked at their specification on Amazon, I clicked on another,
suggested activity tracker.

Fit Bit: A second alternative would be this that boasted heart rate monitor and
waterproof qualities. It costs less. Also, it had an Amazon rating of 4 stars.
Purchase Decision: Since I wanted to be absolutely sure that my fitness tracker has a
precise pedometer, heart rate monitor and be waterproof while swimming – with an
effective accompanying app, I’d chose Fitbit.

Post Purchase Decision: After using the fitness band for a week, I would see if it helps
me to easily monitor my fitness progress. Also, I would wear it to my swimming classes
once to see if it is waterproof as it claims. If I feel satisfied and motivated to work out, I
will continue using it with a positive review on Amazon. Otherwise, I would return it with
the help of the brand’s 14-day return policy.

Conclusion: Hence, we can conclude that as a consumer I need to go through the

consumer decision making process in order to choose the best products for myself.
2nd Answer

Introduction: Innovation adoption is the adoption that classifies adopters of innovations

on the basis of their readiness level to accept new ideas. The characteristics of
Innovative adoption are assigned to groups to indicate that all innovations go through a
predictable process before they become widely adopted.

Concept:
The innovation adoption curve categorizes the entry of users into different groups, on
the basis of their willingness to accept new ideas and technology. It is useful to break
down or segregate consumers into five different segments or categories such as
innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority, and laggards.

Generally, the innovators are known as the first group of people to adopt the new idea
or the technology. They comprise of a small percentage of the population, almost 2.5
per cent. This group is young and willing to take risks about the new technology.

The next group is known as the early adopters. It consists of around 13.5 per cent. A
characteristic that differentiates early adopters from the others is that they have exhibit
a high degree of leadership or power to influence. This group contains young individuals
who have the will and ability to take that extra risk.

The third group of individuals adopting an innovation is called as Early Majority (34%). A
significant difference here is that the time to adopt the innovation is slightly longer, but
the percentage is greater than innovators and early adopters. They maintain an above-
average social status, and adapt to changes more quickly than the average.

The fourth group of individuals is known as the Late Majority (34%). The individuals in
this category take considerable amount of time in order to adopt a new idea. They are
the ones who perform research since they are sceptical to innovate. Because of peer
pressure, they adopt the new technology.

Laggards are known as the fifth group of individuals adopting an innovation. They are
reluctant to do any changes. By the time, laggards adopt a new idea it is possible that
the idea has already become obsolete. They are used to past methods or technology for
their daily usage.

The following are the five product features that affect adoption of innovative products:

Relative Advantage: How improved an idea or an innovation is as compared to the

older generation?
For instance, is the new iPad from Apple a much better innovation than the previous
devices such as a laptop or a Microsoft or Amazon product?

Compatibility: Compatibility refers to the degree to which an innovation fits the values
and experiences of potential consumers. It belongs to the characteristics of product that
influencing the rates of adoption because consumers are slow to adopt a product if it
doesn’t become compatible with their mindset. HDTV, for instance, is extremely
compatible with the lifestyles of the new-generation public who watches TV. However, in
the initial years, HDTV wasn’t yet compatible with systems of programming and
broadcasting, which slowed adoption. In the same way, a person would not purchase a
battery-driven car if no chargers were available to charge it. Hence, a person won’t buy
such an automobile if the battery range is 100km but the person’s office is 150km per
day – it simply won’t fit your life. Since, as more and more high-definition programmes
and channels are available, the rate of adopting HDTV has increased at a great speed.

COMPLEXITY: Netflix adopted a very simple concept and became successful by

making it even simpler. This is a common characteristic of a successful innovation:
Take something that others already do and do it even better. The concept of renting
video was known to many people. Netflix made the process very simple: Users would
have to only create a queue of videos online, which Netflix would ship to them in their
order of preference. Once they had watched the videos, then they would return the
videos.

Later, Netflix took this simple process a step further by enabling behavior-based
recommendations to users. The online system would suggest shows, movies and
content based on a user’s ratings of titles they viewed. This positioned Netflix as an
expert in the user’s eyes. Netflix provides content as well as curates and recommends
user-specific content, all from the user’s comfort of home. The users don’t have to leave
their home. Also, they don’t need to pay an additional cost.

Triability: It refers to the degree to which an innovative idea can be experimented with
on a limited basis mostly free of cost or with a minimal charge. It reduces barriers to
entry for consumers, especially the individuals in the group of late majority. Triability
enables to convince the ones who are risk averse and may delay their use of the
technology because they aren’t sure if it will satisfy their requirements or be superior to
the services offered previously. For instance, many telecom service providers render
new services for free during the launch phase, for instance unlimited mobile TV access,
to encourage their subscribers to opt for the service.

Observability: It refers to the extent that an innovation can be seen by others. An

innovation more viewed will lead to communication among that person’s peers and
personal networks. This in turn creates more positive or negative reactions.
For example, the ubiquitous white headphones that geared up the original print
campaign for Apple. It showed off to the world how the person was listening to an iPod.

Conclusion: Hence, we can conclude that the every product innovation needs to
consider the above five factors which will make or break the product.
3rd Answer
3a.

Introduction: Marketers are supposed to understand the criteria consumers use to

make their purchase decisions. This enables brands to compete successfully in the
markets. Once the brands understand the consumer buying behavior, they can
design advertising plans in order to help their product or service become the one that
consumers select, which would surely lead to an increased bottom line for the
organization. Apart from this, once marketers understand what it is to drive
consumption, these brands can also influence purchase decisions, which creates a
demand for a product or service.

Conditioning is a kind of learning that links a sort of a trigger or stimulus that impacts
a human behavior or response.

Classical conditioning is a behavioral learning theory according to which a stimulus is

paired with another stimulus that elicits a known response that serves to produce the
same response when used without any stimulus.

In classical conditioning, the brand attempts to try and get consumers attached to
their product features with the help of a particular feeling or response. This is done
with the motive that the consumer will then purchase the product. For instance, an
advertisement for a fast food restaurant usually makes the food appear delicious and
mouth-watering so that viewers feel hungry when they view the ad and want to go out
and enjoy some of those dishes. Another instance of classical conditioning occurs in
ads where it features people (models) having a good time using a particular product.
Consumers may then start to associate good feelings and having fun with the product
and are more likely to purchase the product.

The use of music in an advertise makes good use of classical conditioning. Music that
is happy and repetitive enables the customers to feel happy when they hear it. It
makes the product more memorable as viewers tend to remember the brand because
of the music. Consumers may then associate the feelings of happiness and are more
likely to purchase the product. Jingles that stick in the mind, such as rhyming jingles,
or tunes of renowned bollywood songs, act as a kind of classical conditioning. Every
time the consumer remembers or hears the song, they unconsciously have the
visuals of the product associated with it in their mind. This makes the consumer more
attracted towards the product.

3b. Operant conditioning

Operant conditioning refers to a learning process whereby deliberate behaviors are
reinforced with the help of certain possible consequences. It is different from classical
conditioning, also known as respondent or Pavlovian conditioning. In this, involuntary
behaviors can be triggered with the help of an external stimulus.
 The core concept of operant conditioning is simple: when a certain deliberate expected
behavior is reinforced, that behavior tends to be more common. Psychology divides
reinforcement into four main groups:

 Positive reinforcement
 Negative reinforcement

Positive Reinforcement: This is a kind of operant conditioning where consumers get

rewarded for purchasing a product or service. The reward acts to reinforce the
expected behavior, which makes the consumer more likely to continue purchasing the
product. For instance, coupons are an example of using operant conditioning by
rewards. Customers use coupons to purchase a product for money off, and then
purchase the product regularly even when the coupons are not available, because
they become conditioned to purchase the product. Many brands use free offers as
operant conditioning. An operant conditioning strategy is to offer consumers a free
sample, then a coupon good for a huge discount, then a coupon for a smaller
discount. After all this, the consumer may be so used to using the product that they
continue to buy it at full price. Offers such as “Buy ten, get one free” are also an
operant conditioning strategy.

Negative Reinforcement: This type of operant conditioning is used to stop

consumers from doing something or compel them to take a buying action out of fear
of losing out on something or to avoid certain problems. For instance, electricity
companies would charge more for electricity used during peak hours. This helps them
to lower the use of electricity by people during peak hours. Salespersons that call at
inconvenient times or pressurize in order to convince you to purchase a product or
service also use negative operant conditioning strategy. The motive is to make you
purchase the product in order to stop the bugging. Another form of negative
conditioning is a threat to void a warranty if the consumer does not use the
company's repair and maintenance products. For example, voiding the warranty of a
printer if you do not use the manufacturer's branded ink cartridges.

Conclusion; Hence, we can conclude that classical conditioning is used through

various creative elements like music, colors, feel, positive appeal whereas operant
conditioning is a direct communication of the possible positive or negative
consequences a consumer would face if he/she purchases or doesn’t purchase a
product