Audio Format-http://www.fileden.com/files/2012/11/27/3370900/PBJmp3.m4a
Personal Buying Journal Evaluation
Why do we make purchases and what gets us to purchase a particular product? It’s a question many of us don’t think about all too often when we are shopping. Some people shop for fun, as a past time and as a hobby while some people buy things they know they will need and use. For whatever the purpose shopping and buying things is an activity people participate in regularly. Think about all the things you buy during a week from putting gas in your car to getting something to eat at a fast food joint or going out to your favorite store at the mall and buying an article of clothing. It seems every day we as consumers are making purchases of some sort. The purpose of this paper is to examine the why and how of why we make purchases as consumers and what goes in the decision making process of when we make a purchase. I as a consumer have written journal entries for the last eight weeks on exactly that that is the purchases I have made in the last eight weeks and why I bought them for what reasons and what feelings were involved. But to get a better understanding from my journals I have compiled them into a paper and narrowed my examination to four products.
Purchase 1 (Army Camo Jacket from Goodwill)
My first purchase I want to discuss is the Army green camo jacket I purchased from Goodwill. For this particular purchase I wanted it was hard to find anywhere else besides the thrift store so I didn’t consider many alternatives. The reason I wanted this item was because I had seen some similar outfits being worn by some of my favorite style bloggers on the internet both on YouTube and from various fashion blogs using an army green camo jacket. I wanted to achieve the same look for the Fall season because I like the way it looked cohesively and wanted the same look as I and seen on others before. I considered buying the camouflage jacket brand new but I had tried a few regular department stores and the prices seemed overpriced and it was not exactly what I was looking for the camouflage jacket. I wanted to get was a loose and baggy utilitarian looking jacket. The ones I had seen in stores were more fitted and feminine than what I was going for. So I tried thrifting these pieces like I had seen other bloggers post about.
Because I had decided to go to Goodwill to search for this item I wasn’t looking for a particular brand but more of a particular style that I had in mind and at a much cheaper price than what I could find at a chain of retail store. The most important product attribute for me in this purchase was did the style of the piece adhere to what I had in mind in order to achieve the look I wanted and were the prices reasonable. My motivation for buying the camo jacket was defiantly to improve myself style and self concept because I love fashion and I love wearing unique and trendy pieces. I would buy this product again if I could find it again and if something happened to the item I had bought previously because the price of the camo jacket was reasonable. I only spent a fraction of what I would have if I had bought it new at a department store.
Purchase 2 (Bowler hat from Ebay)
The second item I purchased was a new hat online from Ebay. The reason I wanted this particular item was because I was looking for it specifically for the fall season, it was not a specific brand. I had tried many stores but they didn’t have the style and the fit I wanted so I looked online for it on Ebay and was able to find it on Ebay. I did consider alternatives from stores like Forever 21 and H&M but as I said before the fit of the hats and style they had were not what I was looking for. The important attributes I was looking for were if it fit my head right and if it was the style and shape I wanted. The identified benefits were important for me because I wanted to achieve a certain look I had seen celebrities and other girls sporting online. I guess the reason I wanted to have these attributes in the hat is to boost my self-concept, wanting to be on trend and on fashion. I would most certainly buy the product again if I was in need of the same type of hat the bowler derby hat was not a particular brand but I would defiantly buy the product again.
Purchase 3 (Pleather hot pants from Forever 21)
The third purchase I made were pleather hot pants because I had wanted to buy some pleather shorts for awhile now and had been thinking about purchasing a pair since last fall. I considered many alternatives for my shorts but since I was mostly interested in them having that leather look which I wanted. The attributes were really seeking were good quality and sturdy pleather material shorts, the right style and if they fit well. I did look at several pairs that Forever 21 had from button up ones, cuffed ones & zip front ones. I chose a back zipper pleather hot pant that I thought fit really well and were at a good price and also had the look I was going for. The attributes I was looking for were obviously the style, the fit, and the quality. I bought the leather shorts because they are an on trend item for this season and I had been seeing the look on people for awhile. I wanted the shorts as a sort of role fulfillment of fitting in amongst the fashion crowd as well as improving upon m self concept.
Purchase 4 (Jeffrey Campbell Tardy wedges from Ebay)
My last and biggest purchase from the last eight weeks would have to be the Jeffery Campbell Tardy wedge shoes I won on EBay. I was looking for the Tardy by Jeffery Campbell in Brick Red boots for awhile like almost two years because I liked the look and style of them. I had also seen many fashion bloggers and youtubers who absolutely raved about this shoe and I did extensive research before I decided to commit to buying them. I decided this year would be the year I would buy them except that they were completely sold out online everywhere in the color and size I wanted and they were not back in stock any time soon according to the websites. That being said I looked to eBay and was able to find a auction bid for a twice worn pair starting at a bid of $85.00 and won them for $100.00 a great deal considering they usually retail for $200.00 .The product attributes I was interested in were that the look and style of the shoes had had to be what I wanted and expected from research and reviews. My motivation for purchasing them was self-concept and self-image as well as self-esteem this recent purchase made me feel good and fashionable and on trend. Would I purchase this product again and the answer is a solid yes, the quality and fit of this brand of shoe is worth the price in my opinion. I am considering buying more Jeffery Campbell shoes and another pair of Tardy boots in another color, so yes since the product is comfortable and stylish and so far durable and sturdy I would definitely buy this product again.
Based on the four purchases I made I came to the conclusion that my decision making process as a consumer has a lot to do with my internal factors as in my self-concept and self image. I made my decisions on the purchases I made on the feelings I think they would evoke in me. Although the majority of my purchases were based off my internal feelings and factors I also was influenced by outside external factors like seeing my favorite fashion bloggers and other girls sporting the same purchases and the same styles’. But when it came down to it each purchase I made I really thought about how it would look on me and why I wanted to buy that particular purchase and how it would improve my self-concept and image. I understood the need and recognition on why I wanted each of the products I bought and I did to a certain extent do research and search for alternatives before I made my purchases. So far and surprisingly I have not experienced cognitive dissonance for any of the purchases I mentioned in this paper. I think the decision making process and the attributes and benefits consumers are looking for will vary from person to person based on what they are buying but the overall framework and steps leading up to making a purchase is the same especially when you first buy something. Consumers recognize they need an item or to solve a problem, they do research on a product be it online or in store or from friends and family or on their own. They look at alternatives when they search and seek out the purchase and evaluate them and then they make their purchases. Post-purchase evaluations usually happen after that and when and if a consumers expectations aren’t met and they experience cognitive dissonance they will turn to a different product and decision making process starts over again for them.
Marketing implications
Two marketing implications discovered during the investigation were that I base my purchases a lot on how I view myself and how I want others to view me and if I see an item enough on others I’ll want to have it for myself as well. I think a marketer could reach me and deliver an effective and efficient message to me to buy their products by promoting the product to me visually be it through commercials or via social media and the internet. I’m a visual person when I see something enough times I take note of it and notice it every time I see it. If a marketer promoted extensively to me through visual ad campaigns that grabbed my attention it would puts it into my mind that this is what is hot and trendy and on fashion at the time so I would be more inclined to buy the product they are pushing. By appealing to me visually as well they can appeal to my need to want to improve upon my self-concept and self-image by making product purchases. I think these implications are common not just for me as a consumer but others as well I think by appealing to the consumer’s self concept needs Marketers could expand their market to which the product they want to sell is targeted.
Mary,Chrouk 