Evaluation of alternatives and decision

High-involvement vs. low-involvement (risk and price) purchases.

The depth with which a consumer eva luates his or her options depends directly on the level of involvement in the purchase.

High-involvement purchases are usually costly, infrequent or involve high personal or social risk, such as buying a home, taking out a pension plan or choosing a school for children.

In these cases, the eva luation process is exhaustive, lengthy and compares multiple attributes.

In contrast, low-involvement purchases, such as choosing a brand of table salt or a pen, are made almost automatically, with minimal analysis and based on familiarity or habit.

Understanding whether our product is high or low involvement is crucial in determining whether the strategy should focus on detailed and educational arguments or on visibility and availability at the point of sale.

Attribute selection and comparison criteria

In the eva luation stage, the consumer processes information to arrive at a brand choice.

Not all attributes of a product carry the same weight; the consumer focuses on those that provide the benefits he or she values most at that moment.

For example, when choosing a vacation destination, a couple may prioritize "tranquility" over "price," while a group of students will prioritize "nightlife" and "cost."

The consumer narrows down the hundreds of choices available to an "evoked set" (the few brands they seriously consider) and applies decision rules.

Sometimes they look for a product that is "good enough" in everything, and other times they look for excellence in a single critical feature, discarding any option that does not meet it.

Situational factors at the point of sale that alter the final decision

Between the purchase intention (deciding which brand I want) and the actual decision (paying), unexpected situational factors can intervene. The physical environment, time and mood play a determining role.

A consumer may have decided to buy a specific brand of TV after weeks of research, but upon arriving at the store, a persuasive salesperson, a special offer from a competitor or a poor service experience may change his or her decision at the last second.

Even factors such as a queue that is too long or a website that loads slowly can cause the purchase to be aborted.

Therefore, the decision is not final until the transaction is complete, underscoring the importance of the point-of-sale experience and eliminating friction.

Summary

The depth of the eva luation depends on the level of involvement or risk. Expensive purchases require in-depth analysis, while routine purchases are decided by automatic habit.

Consumer compares attributes by prioritizing specific benefits valued at the time. Reduces available options to a small set and applies rules to rule out unsuitable alternatives.

Unexpected situational factors can alter the final decision at the last minute. Environment, offers or in-store deal intervene between intention and payment.