Buyer decision process of a typical Porsche buyer: analysis
Typical buyers of Porsche are realized to have been influenced by identity that has been associated with the car model. This identity is first of all realized in the features that the car was given and that were realized to be outstanding.
The uniqueness that was for instance realized with the adoption air cooled cylinders in the automobile models to an exclusive feeling on the vehicle owners. The identity concept is also realized with the relatively fewer number of users that the brand registered.
While its outstanding feature of the incorporated cylinders attracted the owners who personalized the car model, the feature at the same time drove away people because it made vehicle hard to drive. Consequently, the brand remained with just few customers that were deeply rooted into the car model.
The brand is at the same time associated with a financially successful class who associates with the model due to identity. Owners of the brand are also reported to be buying it because of the utility that they derive from driving the car model as opposed to other models.
Consumer behavior with respect to the Porsche model is also realized on the ground that when the company infiltrated the model with a variety of other brands, it lost its customers until it resumed its limitation to the number of models being produced.
Though the consumer behavior of the typical users of the Porsche model looked a bit odd with the factors that the use of the brand was characterized with some level of difficulties such as driving difficulty as well as costs, consideration of buyer behavior still illustrate consistency, to some level, in the choice that the individuals made over other vehicle brands. An individual’s life style is for example expected to affect decision making of a buyer into self identity with commodities.
Such was the personalized association that was realized with the typical users. They wanted the brand for social identity with their lifestyle status. Perception of exclusivity that was created by scarce production of the brands together with its subsequent attitude was also factors to the consumer behavior.
This identity driven purchase illustrates priority on the need recognition in the decision making process with disregard to other factors such as “information search and evaluation of alternatives” (Lamb, 2009, p. 329). The company thus used brand identity to manipulate the decision making process of typical buyers (Lamb, 2009)
Decision making process of the traditional Porsche customer and that of Cayenne or Panamera customer
Contrary to the initial influence that the company derived from its brand identity that was basically characterized by class and the fact that the brand was specifically made in scarcity to strengthen the identity, the later brands that the company released in the form of Cayenne and Panamera were equipped with features that were meant to influence consumers through the whole decision making process.
The cayenne for instance was equipped with the capacity to faster acceleration and high speed that could match other car manufacturer’s models. The development of the larger model in the form of Panamera was also identified with improved features that influence consumers in the line of decision making. Increased luxury that was developed in terms of an extra door in the brand together with its higher speed and acceleration thus formed the basis.
The Cayenne and the Panamera customers thus had their decision making process pass through the “information search” process and the comparison of available alternatives in the market. This actually allowed the company to increase its sales from collapse due to its introduced competitive features (Lamb, 2009)
Concept behind the high sales of lower priced models in the 1970s and the 1980s
The concept that the company employed to improve on its sales in the period was the marketing concept. This is because the introduction of the new brands which were at the same time cheaper were aimed at capturing individuals who could not fit into the initial class of Porsche due to high prices that the initial brand was associated with.
The company’s focus was not based on growing to large scale to increase its revenue but on the contrary using its identified weakness to capture more customers for a stronger base. This motive thus distinguish the concept as marketing whose main consideration was identification of customer’s need of lower priced brands (Kotler & Amstrong, 2011).
Developments of Consumer Attitudes
The study of the Porsche Company reveals the impacts of consumer attitudes on a product brand. Positive attitude increase sales while negative attitudes decrease sales. One of the ways to positively changing consumer attitude is the production of brands that are attractive to consumers. A contrary move would negatively affect attitude (Kurtz et al., 2009).
Role of the Porsche brand in the self concept of its buyers
Porsche brand played an important role in the self concept of its buyers. By inducing an identity of the buyers with the vehicle brand, Porsche created control in the market portion that it desired.
References
Kotler, P & Amstrong, G. (2011). Principles of marketing. New Jersey, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Kurtz et al. (2009). Contemporary Marketing. New York, NY: Cengage Learning.
Lamb, C. (2009). MKTG. Ontario, Canada: Cengage Learning.