Introduction
Family members are involved in purchase decisions and marketers should be able to learn the behavior of all members of a family concerning purchases for the household. Children acquire knowledge about what and how to purchase from their parents. Collective decision making is applied when purchasing household items and this requires combining ideas from all family members. Couples with children have different purchasing behaviors compared to those who do not have children (Solomon, 2010).
Purchase Decisions for Products
In a family where there are children, the wife is the initiator for the decision to purchase groceries. However, the other members of the family may have a stake in the purchase decisions for groceries but to a lower extent. The wife acts as the gatekeeper because she collects all the information about groceries while the children and the husband are the influencers.
Anybody in the family can play the role of the buyer and every member of the family is involved in the usage of the products. On the other hand, couples without children play equal roles in the purchase of groceries.
The decision to purchase automobiles is made collectively by all members of the family. In most cases, the husband and the children are the initiators of the decision to purchase such products. The husband collects information about the products. In some cases, the other family members may be involved in collecting information but they are not involved to a great extent.
Wives are influencers because they sway the outcome of the decision while husbands are the buyers. Every member of the family is a user of the automobile products. For couples without children, the husband is the initiator of the purchase decision and a gatekeeper. The wife is the influencer while both couples can act as buyers. The couples are the end users of the products.
Children and the husband are the initiators of the purchase decisions about vacations. The husband is the gatekeeper because he collects all information about such products while the wife is the influencer. In most cases wife and the husband are the buyers of vacations while all members of the family use such products.
Couples without children decide collectively about the kind of vacations to purchase. The husband collects information while the wife is the influencer. Both couples may be involved in the buying of such products because they are the users of the products.
The decision to purchase furniture is developed by all members of the family but in most cases the wife initiates most of the decisions. Either the husband or the wife collects information about the kind of furniture to be purchased. The children act as influencers while in most cases the husbands are involved in the buying process.
All members of the family are users of the furniture. Comparatively, in families without children the wife is the initiator of the decision to purchase furniture and plays the role of collecting information about these products. The husband is the influencer while in most cases the wife is the buyer of furniture. Both couples are involved in the use of the products.
Children and the husband are mostly involved in initiating the purchase decision for appliances. The husband collects all information pertaining to the appliances while the wife acts as the influencer. In most cases husbands are the buyers of appliances while every member of the family is the user of such products.
Compared to couples without children, the husband is the initiator and the gatekeeper when it comes to the purchase of appliances. The wife plays the role of influencing while the husband is the buyer. Both couples are involved in the use of appliances.
Advertising for these Products
Advertising for groceries should target mothers more than fathers and children because mothers are the key decision makers about the groceries to be purchased. Adverts for automobiles should focus more on fathers and children than on the mothers. Fathers and children have a higher influence on the purchase of automobiles and should be targeted by adverts for automobile products.
Advertising for vacations should target fathers and children because women are not actively involved in the purchase process. Adverts for furniture should focus more on mothers because they are the key decision makers about the purchase of such products. Advertising appliances should focus fathers and children more than mothers.
Reference
Solomon, M. R. (2010). Consumer behavior: buying, having, and being, 9th edition. New Jersey, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.