Introduction
Table of Contents
Businesses and marketers must have a thorough understanding of consumer behavior. It helps predict how customers will respond to products, services, and marketing strategies. Customer behavior models provide frameworks that explain why people make purchasing decisions and how they interact with brands.
By applying these models, businesses can tailor their marketing efforts to meet customer needs, improve customer satisfaction, and boost sales. In this article, we explore 11 key customer behavior models that are essential for marketing and business success.
1. The Engel-Kollat-Blackwell (EKB) Model
The Engel-Kollat-Blackwell (EKB) model explains customer decision-making as a process influenced by internal and external factors. It consists of five stages:
- Problem Recognition: A need or issue is recognized by the customer.
- Information Search: The customer gathers information about possible solutions.
- Evaluation of Alternatives: Different options are compared based on price, quality, and other attributes.
- Purchase Decision: The consumer makes a final decision and buys the product.
- Post-Purchase Behavior: The consumer evaluates their purchase, which affects future buying decisions.
Marketers can use this model to guide customers through each stage with targeted messaging and promotions.
2. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs suggests that customers make purchasing decisions based on five levels of needs:
- Basic essentials such as food, water, and shelter are referred to as physiological needs.
- Safety Needs: Security and protection, such as insurance or home alarms.
- Social Needs: A sense of belonging and relationships, influencing purchases related to fashion or social media.
- Esteem Needs: self-respect and recognition, leading to the demand for luxury goods and status symbols.
- Self-Actualization Needs: Personal growth, creativity, and self-improvement, influencing education and wellness product choices.
Marketers can use this model to position their products based on the specific needs they fulfill.
3. The Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA)
The Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) states that a person’s behavior is influenced by their attitudes and social norms. It suggests that customers make rational choices based on two factors:
- Attitude: A customer’s sentiments toward a good or service.
- Subjective norms: The influence of family, friends, and society on the buying decision.
This model helps marketers understand how social factors impact consumer choices and allows businesses to use influencer marketing, testimonials, and social proof to shape consumer attitudes.
4. The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB)
An extension of TRA, the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) includes an additional factor: perceived behavioral control (PBC). This refers to a consumer’s belief in their ability to make a purchase decision.
For example, if a person wants to buy a gym membership but believes they don’t have time to work out, they may not proceed with the purchase. Marketers can address this by providing flexible options, discounts, or incentives to increase perceived control.
5. The Pavlovian Model
This model is based on classical conditioning, a concept introduced by Ivan Pavlov. It suggests that customers develop automatic responses to brands through repeated exposure.
For example, a catchy jingle or a brand’s color scheme can create a subconscious connection between the consumer and the brand. Marketers can use this by associating positive emotions with their products through advertising, branding, and customer experiences.
6. The Howard-Sheth Model
The Howard-Sheth Model is a complex approach that explains how customers process information before making a purchase. It identifies three types of consumer decisions:
- Extensive Problem Solving: When customers have little prior knowledge and conduct thorough research .
- Limited Problem Solving: When customers have some knowledge but still need additional information .
- Habitual Buying Behavior: When customers make purchases based on habit and past experiences.
Businesses can use this model to target customers at different stages of decision-making, ensuring they provide the right information at the right time.
7. The Nicosia Model
The Nicosia Model focuses on the interaction between businesses and customers. It suggests that the marketing message influences consumer attitudes, leading to a purchase decision. The process involves four stages:
- Exposure to a Marketing Message: The consumer notices an advertisement.
- Consumer Attitude Formation: The ad shapes their opinion about the brand.
- Purchase Decision: The consumer decides whether to buy or not.
- Feedback to the Business: Post-purchase behavior helps businesses improve future marketing efforts.
Marketers can refine their advertising strategies by ensuring that their messages create positive consumer attitudes.
8. The Stimulus-Response Model
The stimulus-response model suggests that external stimuli (such as advertisements, price changes, and promotions) trigger specific consumer responses. The process follows this pattern:
- Stimulus: The consumer encounters a marketing message.
- Internal Processing: The consumer evaluates the message based on personal experiences and needs.
- Response: The consumer decides whether to purchase or not.
This model highlights the importance of persuasive marketing techniques like emotional appeal, scarcity, and urgency to drive consumer action.
9. The Black Box Model
The Black Box Model describes consumer behavior as a reaction to external stimuli without revealing the internal decision-making process. It consists of:
- Marketing stimuli: product, price, place, and promotion .
- Environmental stimuli: social, cultural, and economic factors.
- Consumer’s Black Box: The internal decision-making process that is not directly observable.
- Response: Purchase or non-purchase.
Since the decision-making process is unknown, marketers rely on data analytics, surveys, and consumer psychology to predict consumer responses.
10. The Sheth Family Decision-Making Model
This model explains how family members influence buying decisions. It identifies different roles in family purchases:
- The initiator proposes the purchase of a product.
- Influencer: Persuades others to buy.
- Decision-Maker: Finalizes the purchase.
- Buyer: Makes the actual purchase.
- User: The one who consumes the product.
Marketers targeting families should create messages that appeal to multiple decision-makers, such as parents and children.
11. The Consumer Involvement Theory
This model classifies purchases into high-involvement and low-involvement decisions:
- High-Involvement Purchases: Require research, such as buying a car or house.
- Low-Involvement Purchases: Routine or impulse buys, like snacks or toiletries.
Marketers must adjust their strategies based on involvement levels—providing detailed information for high-involvement products and eye-catching ads for low-involvement ones.
Conclusion
Understanding consumer behavior is essential for businesses looking to improve their marketing strategies. The 11 models discussed in this article provide valuable insights into how and why customers make purchasing decisions.
By applying these models, businesses can craft more effective marketing campaigns, enhance customer satisfaction, and drive sales. Whether you’re using Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, the Stimulus-Response Model, or the Sheth Family Decision-Making Model, a deep understanding of consumer behavior is the key to business success.
Would you like additional insights on a specific model or need help applying these strategies to your business? Let me know !
