Ethel's_Chocolate_Lounges

Ethel's Chocolate Lounges Patricia Ball Strayer University Principles of Marketing MKT 100 Professor Edwin Marinez del Rio April 18, 2011 Ethel's Chocolate Lounges In this paper I will address what consumer buying decisions would best describe the choice to indulge at Ethel’s Chocolate Lounge, the factors that would influence a consumer to spend money and time at Ethel’s, which factor I feel would motivate consumer the most and the needs the Ethel’s experience appeals to the most. Consumer Buying Decision I think that the type of customer buying that would frequent Ethel’s Chocolate Lounge would be a customer with a love of chocolate, but may be unfamiliar with Ethel’s Chocolates. Their buying decision would probably be based on Routine Response Behavior. The routine response behavior decision making process is very low involvement and the buyer takes little time on researching and decision making of the purchase. Chocolate is a product that most consumers are familiar with and Mars is a brand that most are aware of. Therefore I think that the idea of a sitting down to enjoy their chocolate and having an upscale, modern lounge to enjoy it in would be a lure to tempt any chocolate lover. Factors Influencing Consumer Buying I feel that all four factors influence a consumer to spend money and time at Ethel’s café. These include the cultural, social, psychological and individual factors. I think that there is a subculture of chocolate aficionados that would embrace the idea of a lounge that would cater directly to their love of chocolate. I also feel that Ethel’s could appeal to both middle and upper classes. Because the prices start at $.90, they are not too expensive for the consumer to enjoy. With the décor being upscale and classy, it will appeal to the upper class households, but because it is also described as “modern and hip”, it will encourage the middle class to try it. The social factor for Ethel’s includes the reference groups, family members and opinion leaders that the consumer interacts with. The consumer may often look for the opinion of those in their social network, such as family and friends. They may also look to on-line social networks, blogs or product-rating sites. It is important not to discount the on-line social experience as “online activity can be a core part of offline decision making, as consumers research products and review sites.” ("Influencer marketing", n.d., Contents 3) An individual’s self-concept is a strong influence on the consumer’s buying decision. In trying to raise their self-image toward the ideal, consumers may see the luxurious lounge, the decadence of eating chocolates and the affordable price as a step in the right direction. The psychological influences would be perception, motivation and learning. Because smells are cues that can influence perception, the smell of chocolate may draw customers into Ethel’s. The perception that Ethel’s is a place for “chocolate and chit-chat,” may lead the consumer to see Ethel’s as a social networking atmosphere. Motives are the driving forces that cause a person to take action to satisfy a specific need. (Lamb, Hair, Jr., & McDaniel, 2010, p. 93) A need for chocolate may motivate you to stop at Ethel’s Chocolate Lounge to satisfy that need. By using the learning concept of stimulus generalization, marketers can spur the introduction of Ethel’s from the familiarity that the consumer has with the quality products of Mar’s chocolate company. Most Motivating Factor It is very difficult to say what will motivate a consumer the most. I think that the social influence may be the strongest factor. Chocolate can be purchased at any store. Gourmet chocolates can also be purchased at most stores. But the idea that you can sit and indulge in chocolates while socializing is a strong motivation for going into Ethel’s Chocolate Lounge. Needs the Ethel’s Experience Appeals to the Most I also think that it is difficult to say which need, from the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, the experience would appeal to. In some consumers it may appeal to social needs—the sense of belonging. This would apply to those consumers who have experienced a socially successful experience at Ethel’s. In others, it may appeal to their physiological need. That is if they have a hunger for chocolate, Ethel’s would satisfy that hunger. References Influencer marketing. (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved April 18, 2011, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influencer_marketing#cite_ref-14 Lamb, C. W., Hair, J. F., Jr., & McDaniel, C. (2010). Marketing (2010 Custom Edition ed.). Mason, OH: Cengage Learning.