A number of factors play a role in influencing final consumers and their buying behavior towards preference on a product. Personal decisions regarding choice of a product may be due to social influences, purchase situation, economic needs or psychological variables. Many firms consider some or all of these factors when developing an effective marketing strategy.
All that trouble is to influence consumers into choosing their product over other available products. If this is effectively implemented, the company makes more sales and increases profit. Consumer behavior of choosing a product over others varies from one target market to another or between purchases. Customers react differently to the products in the market, and this may vary from one country to another.
Pringles is a brand owned by Proctor and Gamble Company, which mass produces potato chips for snack lovers across a number of countries including the United States of America. The company has implemented the use of consumer behavior in luring its customers into buying their canned potato chips. Pringles’ most successful strategy is the varied use of flavor to influence consumer decision. This paper explains how Pringles’ strategy of varied flavor influences the purchasing behavior of consumers.
Pringles extensively uses a variety of flavors in the potato chips industry. It currently has sixteen flavors of potato chips in their production line. The flavors include barbecue, cheddar cheese, cheeseburger, Salt and vinegar, chilled onion and honey mustard just to mention a few.
Coming up with sixteen flavors of a product implies the company takes this marketing strategy seriously. Variety seeking consumer behavior is applicable in situations where there is a small customer involvement, but considerable distinction between the available brand options. In such circumstances, the consumers exercise a lot of brand switching. Most of them are not loyal to a brand of Pringles potato chips. They consume any brand at a given moment without weighing the available options.
For product categories like Pringles, consumers’ evaluation of a flavor is experienced during consumption. The consumer does not give the flavor much evaluation until the moment it is being consumed. Future decision on buying a flavor of Pringles potato chips will depend on previous experiences. If the consumer’s previous experiences were good and satisfactory, then the same flavor would most likely be repeated. If the previous experiences of the consumer on a flavor were unfavorable, then the possibility of buying a different flavor would be high. The company makes sales irrespective of the flavor picked by the consumer. Having varied favor is a crucial method of influencing the preferences of consumers.
Having a variety may most likely influence consumers into choosing a different flavor than the last one because of boredom or curiosity. Consumers may decide to try a different flavor because they are curious to know its taste. Humans are naturally curious of new things in their environment.
The natural behavior of humans is used by Pringles in their marketing strategy. This increases sales because consumers will be curious to taste most of the flavors. Some may decide to switch between flavors because of sheer boredom. From this analysis, having a variety of brands is important in influencing consumer behavior. Effective execution of product variety in the market implies an increase in sales.
Pringles periodically add more flavors in the market despite the already available options. The new flavor is first given to a few individuals who taste it for review. This is a good strategy for the varied flavors available. When a consumer gives good reviews for a product, other consumers of the product develops a desire to try it out and experience the same.
Almost all reviews of Pringles potato chips released so far were positive. Reviewers explicitly describe the taste of the new flavor in a mouth-watering manner. Readers will be tempted to try out the new flavor because of the positive flavor reviews.
Having a variety is also important because the products from a brand can be used to decorate a section of a supermarket or store. When different brands of the same product are neatly arranged in a given section of the supermarket, consumers develop an urge to pick one. Having a variety of products arranged in a beautiful way influence the behavior of consumers because they become household brands.
A consumer who is not a fan of a product from a given company will most likely opt for the one having many varieties. For example, if Pringles competes with product A from another company having only one flavor of potato chips, then a consumer will most likely opt for Pringles because of the varieties it provides.
In conclusion, Pringles has effectively used implementation of variety as a marketing tool that influences consumer behavior. It has effectively introduced sixteen flavors of potato chips in its production line to take advantage of customer preferences. This strategy has made it increase sales and market share in a highly competitive environment. Companies can learn from Pringles by providing varieties to increase sales.