Page 184 - Foundations of Marketing

Consumer Buying Behavior | Chapter 6 151

SITUATIONAL INFLUENCES LO 3 . Explore how situational
influences may affect the con-
ON THE BUYING DECISION PROCESS sumer buying decision process.

Situational infl uences result from circumstances, time, and location that affect the consumer
buying decision process. Imagine buying an automobile tire after noticing, while washing
your car, that the current tire is badly worn. This is a different experience from buying a tire
right after a blowout on the highway spoils your road trip. Situational factors can influence the
buyer during any stage of the consumer buying decision process and may cause the individual
to shorten, lengthen, or terminate the process. Situational factors can be classified into five
categories: physical surroundings, social surroundings, time perspective, reason for purchase,
2
and the buyer’s momentary mood and condition.
Physical surroundings include location, store atmosphere, scents, sounds, lighting, weather,
and other factors in the physical environment in which the decision-making process occurs.
Retail chains try to design their store environment and layout in a way that makes shopping as
situational influences
enjoyable and easy as possible, so consumers are more inclined to linger and make purchases.
Influences that result from cir-
Take Louis Vuitton, featured in the advertisement. The brand is known for high-end bags, cumstances, time, and location
luggage, and accessories and conveys an air of luxury in the advertisement and in its physi- that affect the consumer buying
cal stores. In this advertisement you see a woman in a balloon landing in what appears to be decision process
a European square, indicated by the large stone building
behind her. This is an appropriate image to capture for a
brand known for its luxury bags, including suitcases. This
image of glamorous travel is captured in Louis Vuitton’s
physical stores as well, which are frequently located in
glamorous cities such as Rome, Shanghai, and Paris, and
create an environment where people dream of roman-
tic vacations and are put in a mood to shop. Marketers at
banks, department stores, and specialty stores go to con-
siderable effort and expense to create physical settings that
are conducive to making purchase decisions. Restaurant
chains, such as Olive Garden and Chili’s, invest heavily in
facilities, often building from the ground up, to provide sur-
roundings that are distinctive to the chain and that enhance
customers’ experiences.
However, in some settings, dimensions such as weather,
traffic sounds, and odors are clearly beyond the market-
ers’ control. General climatic conditions, for example, may
influence a customer’s decision to buy a specific type of
vehicle (such as an SUV) with certain features (such as
a four-wheel drive). Current weather conditions, or other
external factors, may be either encouraging or discouraging
to consumers when they seek out specific products.
Social surroundings include characteristics and interac-
tions of others who are present during a purchase decision,
such as friends, relatives, salespeople, and other customers.
Buyers may feel pressured to behave in a certain way Courtesy of Louis Vuitton
because they are in a public place such as a restaurant,
store, or sports arena. Thoughts about who will be around
when the product is used or consumed are another dimen-
Situational Influences
sion of the social setting. Negative elements of physical
Because physical surroundings are a situational influence, retailers
surroundings, such as an overcrowded store or an argument such as Louis Vuitton expend considerable resources on making
between a customer and a salesperson, may cause consum- their storefronts and interiors inviting and consistent with the
ers to leave the store before purchasing anything. brand’s image.

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