Strategies to Capitalize on Purchasing Behavior

Article: "Paths to Purchase" by Fred Geyer Marketing Management Spring 2010 http://www.marketingpower.com/ResourceLibrary/MarketingManagement/Pages/2010/1/Paths_to_Purchase.aspx

The amount and type of information search prior to purchase depends upon the category of product sought by the consumer. Consumers spend a considerable amount of time on the Internet when considering the purchase of durable goods. Yet major brands such as Canon, Sharp and Dirt Devil do little more on their Web sites than provide product photos and text captions to help consumers review options and compare alternatives. Marketers must tailor strategies to category purchasing dynamics. This article can be discussed in conjunction with Lamb, Hair and McDaniel's Marketing 11e, pages 193-201 and pages 75-78 in MKTG4.


Questions:

1. What does the author mean by 'paths to purchase?" Why is it critical to understand this concept?

2. Give examples of habitual, discovered, delegated, and considered products as defined in the article. Explain how the paths to purchase might differ for each.