of five stages.2. Marketers need to provide what consumers require at every stage.B. The Need-Recognition Stage1. Need recognition occurs when a consumer realizes that his or her actual state is not what he or she would like it to be.2. This recognition is triggered by some stimulus.3. If the difference between the desired state and the actual state is large enough, the consumer will start the decision-making process. 4. Marketing can trigger need recognition through advertising, product labeling, and demonstrations.C. The Information-Seeking Stage1. During the second stage, the customer looks for information about ways of satisfying the recognized need.a. First, the consumer will use an internal search to recall experiences with products that might satisfy the need.b. If the need occurs regularly, the internal search will be all that's needed.2. If more information is needed, the consumer can begin an external search, looking to other sources for ways to satisfy the need.a. The consumer may talk to friends, check magazines, read ads, or ask a salesperson.b. Consumers may be prompted to search for more information because of perceived risk, the chance that the wrong choice might result in negative consequences.c. Perceived risks can be financial, functional, safety, social, and psychological.D. The Evaluation Stage1. In this stage consumers consider the perceived risks and benefits of each option.2. They establish evaluation criteria, specific dimensions used to compare alternatives.3. Not every criterion receives the same weight during evaluation.4. By applying these criteria, the consumer comes up with a consideration set of alternatives, the options that he or she considers before deciding on a purchase.E. The Purchase Stage1. Next, the consumer chooses among the alternatives and decides where and when to make the purchase.2. Retail marketers use in-store marketing techniques such as product displays to influence behavior at this st...
