5.1 Understanding consumer behaviour

Consumer behaviour can be defined as 'those activities directly involved in obtaining, consuming and disposing of products and services, including the decision processes that precede and follow these actions' (Engel et al., 1995). There are environmental influences affecting this behaviour such as ethnicity and culture, social group, regional preferences, as well as food availability and household technology. There are also differences among individuals, not only their age and sex, their education, their standard of living, but also their physiological and psychological make-up. Individuals have their own food choice, which to a greater or lesser extent overrides preferences defined by culture or religion. In the last 30 years, multidisciplinary social science research has increased knowledge of food consumer behaviour and food choice.

Consumer behaviour occurs in sequential stages and at each stage there is a use of knowledge to make decisions. General consumer behaviour has six action stages as shown in Fig. 5.1 (Engel et al., 1995).

Fig. 5.1 General consumer behaviour in buying and consumption (Source: After Engel et al., 1995).

This sequence can be followed by a further divestment stage where, with food products, the consumer chooses between the options of disposal or recycling of the waste and the packaging. Parallel to these seven consumer actions is the information processing conducted by the consumer. When the consumer recognises the need, there is an internal search in their memory and may be an external search of the supermarket shelves, the menu, and information from other people, media or consumer reports. They may also have been exposed to TV advertising or to promotions in the supermarket; or even to the aroma of bacon sizzling or bread baking in the retail outlet. Engel et al. identified five steps in the use of information by the consumer for knowledge building:

    1. Exposure to information, communication, the product.

    2. Attention given to the information.

    3. Comprehension of the information, as it is analysed against the knowledge
        and the attitudes stored in the memory.

    4. Acceptance or rejection of the incoming information.

    5. Retention of the new information in the memory as knowledge.

This knowledge is used to judge the different products; the consumer builds up criteria to judge the products and to compare the different brands and products. These criteria are an important basis for product development. The consumer then decides whether or not to buy the product. After preparing, serving and eating the food there is satisfaction or dissatisfaction, and the decision is made to stay with this product/brand or to look again, as nutrition is a continuing need and the questions for consumers are differential ones related to choice.

Individuals have to be considered in their society: the culture, the social norms, the social structures, and also as part of a group - the family, the home group, the work group, the leisure group. Food eating, even in the case of the individual eating alone, is strongly influenced by other people, indirectly by social influences or directly with the type of foods available. Different cultures and social groups have different values that are recognised in designing products for different markets. Perhaps the reason why American products can be easily accepted internationally is that it is a new country combining many nationalities and food products are designed/promoted so that they are generally accepted by this wide variety of people.

Think Break The core American values have been identified in two textbooks as: (Engel et al., 1995) Material well being Good/bad moralising Work more important than play Time is money Effort and success are related Mastery over nature Egalitarianism Humanitarianism (Peter and Olson, 1999) Achievement and success Activity Efficiency and practicality Progress Material comfort Individualism Freedom External conformity Humanitarianism Youthfulness Fitness and health 1. Study these two versions of American core values, and identify the     values that are similar and those that are different. From this, develop     what you think are your core values. Are your core values different from     these lists? 2. Choose two major markets for your company and identify the core values     of the consumers in these markets. 3. Compare the core values for the two markets and identify the     similarities and differences. 4. For each of these markets set up a core value checklist to be used     throughout future product development projects. 5. Discuss how the differences in the core values could lead to different     strategies for future product development in the two markets.

When buying food, the consumer usually wants to keep the decision process as simple and quick as possible. Food is consumed two or three times a day, and may be bought every day, so the consumer does not want to spend a great deal of time in buying and today even in consuming food. It is only the special occasion, the special meal or the special food that is given detailed analysis. But it is important for the food designer to recognise that there is detailed and critical thought at certain points of time. Consumers receive a great deal of information on food through the media and advertising as well as by word-of-mouth; gradually and often imperceptibly this information changes their knowledge base and therefore their food behaviour. If there is a great deal of information on saturated fats in the diet, they will consider and may gradually change to low-fat foods. Sometimes their behaviour is changed by a jolt; this could be a food poisoning scare, or it could be food poisoning affecting them directly.

These can cause long-term changes in food behaviour, for example reduced meat-eating triggered by reports of BSE ('mad cow disease'), and complete rejection of shellfish caused by a bout of shellfish-related food poisoning.

In the past ten years, food brands in basic food areas have had very similar features and competed mainly on price, so that they have degenerated into commodity products - no brand being distinctive. Also there has been a proliferation of products with very little difference between them - for example in the small New Zealand market, there are about 157 breakfast cereals under the national and retailer brands. Can the consumers differentiate adequately between these, even if they read a consumer magazine? No wonder they choose the easy way out and buy on price, choosing the specials; or keep on buying their familiar product. Foods can be bought on impulse to relieve food boredom or as a treat. A new snack or a new takeaway can be bought to see if it lives up to its promotion; if it satisfies the consumer it can become a regular food.

The food designer needs to be aware, in the target market, of the general consumer behaviour towards foods and eating, and how this is slowly changing with time, but also needs to recognise the sudden change. This can be caused by either new information giving an attitude change, or new foods giving the consumers some greater advantage for safety, nutrition, convenience or attractiveness. Companies that have a long-term relationship with their target consumers build up knowledge about the trends in changes of their behaviour, which is invaluable in product development.

Food consumer behaviour can include the growing of the food but usually in the urban environment it concerns obtaining food from the supermarket, restaurant or takeaway. In the future it may be more distant with food being ordered through the Internet. Food companies must realise that although their food behaviour often starts with the selection of food at the retailer, consumers have an interest in how food is produced and they have their concerns about production and processing. Stages in the consumers' buying sequence and the related consumer thought processes are shown in Fig. 5.2.

Fig. 5.2 Consumer food purchase patterns.
(- click to enlarge)

Recognition of the stimuli that start the buying sequence, the product judging criteria that are used in comparing products during the buying decision, and the level of consumer involvement with the product throughout the purchase and post-purchase sequence, are important in product design.