Consumer markets: Buyer decision processes

A major task of the marketer is to identify correctly target buyers of a product. The marketer needs to know what people are involved in the buying decision and what role each person plays. For many products, it is fairly easy to identify the decision maker. Men normally choose their cigars and women choose their pantyhose. Other products however, involve a decision making unit consisting of more than one person. Consider the selection of a family automobile. The suggestion to buy a new car might come from the oldest child. A friend might advise the family on the kind of car to buy. The father might choose the make. The wife might have a definite opinion regarding the car's style. The father might make the final decision with the wife approving. The wife might end up using the car more than her husband. Thus, we can distinguish several roles people might play in the buying decision.