Assignment: Consumer behavior is based on the consumption process (this is what we study). The process is unique to individual consumers and progresses as follows. It starts with a need that turns into a want. An exchange takes place and the consumer weighs the costs and benefits and has some type of reaction. The process ends when the consumer attaches a value to the product or service. We could ask several questions. Why does one consumer consider a product or service a need? What turns a need to a want? Do the costs outweigh the benefits in the mind of the consumer? What will the value be determined as; high, low, or somewhere in between?

For this assignment you will write a paper as follows: choose a product or service and describe in detail the consumption process as described on page 5 of your text book.

Consumption Process of Broadband Internet

The consumption process consists of 6 steps i.e. Need, Want, Exchange, Cost and Benefit, Reaction and Value (Babin & Harris, 2013). This is the process that has also been targeted by the people who want to sell their products to the consumers. They use different techniques that could create a need even if it does not exist. This is usually done with the help of advertisement on TV, Radio and the Internet. There are also many other marketing platforms available to do so. In this assignment I would like to give a practical example about how I confronted such a situation as a consumer and how I travelled through the consumption process described in the text book. The following is an account of me becoming a regular fast food consumer.

Need

I do not claim that the fast food was any of my need at the beginning. I used to take a full breakfast at home in the morning and then have a juice or some other light thing during the day and had a full dinner at night at home again. I used to be against the consumption of fast food as I believed that it is not good for health. What happened is that I used to go to fast food restaurants during the noon time where they would have burgers and other fast food. At the beginning it looked ok to me but with time I realized that I appeared to be out of the group kind of an alien. So gradually I changed my mind with time and with time I thought that fast food is not so bad. I started to need fast food whenever I was with my friends at the fast food restaurant.

Want

My desire for fast food soon converted to a want. I started to think that actually I was wrong about the fast food. I started to eat only fish and chips as I convinced myself that I can have fish and chips as they were not so bad ad I had thought before. So I decided that having a fish and chips a few times a day won’t be a big issue.

Exchange

Fast food was not something I could straight away afford having it often a week. Therefore I made a calculation in my mind. Also I used to watch advertisement by McDonalds and KFC who presented their products to be cheap and healthy. I believe this also influenced my decision to reserve some money for fast food.

Cost

I used to observe the prices of different fast food products on the internet. Even after the choice to buy fish and chips only, I used to compare prices on the internet. I visited different fast food restaurants with my friends and observed their menus. I also searched the internet about the ingredients of the fast food products and the calories that are in taken with the consumption of fast food products. I was not just observing the price, I was also looking at the physical costs like how they impact your health.

Benefits

I also was looking at the benefits of the fast food. The main benefit for me at that time was to identify myself with my friends in my opinion. Other benefits consisted of time saving as fast food can even be eaten on the go.

Reaction

Once I started to have fast food regularly, I would say that I did like it. I did not feel that it was impacting my health in a negative way. The prices were also not out of my reach. I especially like to have McDonalds burger as it I tasty in my opinion.

Value

I do value my decision to start having the burgers by McDonalds. I think that it has created value and I have become a regular consumer of this product.

References

Babin, B. & Harris, E. (2013). CB5. Mason, Ohio: South-Western.