MBA404-The Process of the Consumer Decision Making

1. We may need Kit-Kat to meet out the mid-day hunger pangs
2. We may need Kit-Kat as a taste supplement after having lunch or dinner. On the scale of the needs, we can say that it can serve as a dessert after the main meals.

We need something sweet right after the dinner or we need something sweet to basically recharge ourselves during a hectic day. Need is the first step, want is the second step where we pick up a product or a means to satiate our needs. The difference between need and want can be clarified with the help of this example connected to the travel industry. Going back to hometown for a Christmas holiday is a need. Going back to hometown for a Christmas Holiday in a Virgin Atlantic Executive class coupe can be a want. The thumb rule says that a marketer has to cater to the needs of a customer by creating a want for the specific product that he is dealing with.

Internal and external source of information 

When it comes to official websites and the packaging of the Kit-Kat four finger bars, then we find all the necessary information connected to the ingredients of the bar and the nutritional value of the key components. This information is mandatory and the company is legally bound to publish it on the wrappers. This information can play a major role in the consumer behavior related decisions. For instance, a person suffering from obesity or diabetes can rethink about a purchase based on the calorie count or the density of the sweetening agents in the wafer chocolate (Bhatia, 2016).

This information present on the wrapper comes under the internal information, internal information is the information shared by a manufacturer with the customer. As a product, Kit-Kat has become an iconic product. Though the customers can collect external information connected to FMCG products from various online forums where the users post their reviews. However, in the case of Kit-Kat, a person will not find many reviews because it is a time tested product. 

The attributes of the FMCG product that satiates the need of the customer 

As a good marketer one has to put some energy and thinking in the placement and the packaging of the product so that it can become an item in the wish list of a customer. In the case of Kit-kat, it became a want or a wish for the customer for two specific reasons. We cannot generate a need for the product. However, we can create a want for the product by adding some attributes to it. In the case of Kit-kat, these attributes can be listed down as follows.

1. Nestle has a commanding last mile distribution reach in all the countries where they are selling Kit-Kat.
2. Kit-Kat can be considered as a light chocolate. It means that anybody suffering from the pangs of obesity may have this guilty pleasure of tasting a chocolate without harming many prospects in his fight against the obesity.
3. The packaging of Kit-Kat is another factor that adds an attribute in the offering. This packaging makes it an easy to carry option. They pack it under a silver foil and this silver foil saves the Cocoa from harsh weather conditions like excessive heat etc.

An Analysis of the purchase methods 

Easy availability of a product in any area of the country of the operation is a USP for Nestle product. Kit-Kat shares this great legacy developed by them. It is easily available on most of the big or small retail outlets. The youthful energy associated with the product also makes it fit for a college canteen's and cafeteria spaces as well. This product is also available in family packs. These customers can order Kit-Kat online. Most of the online retailers also offer bulk deals against the product. These bulk deals can help a customer in saving money when they are purchasing it for the entire family.

Hunger is a biological process, every human is bound to feel hungry for four times during a day. When we check the consumer behavior connected to the purchase of Kit Kat then we find that it is heavily dependent on the setting of the point of purchase. We are aware of the on-going competition in the market of chocolate wafers. They are battling it out directly in the segment of Chocolate wafers where giants like Uni-Lever and Cadbury are giving them a tough competition. Apart from it, many more options in the form of instant coffee, biscuits, and others are also available in the market. Attractive displays at the prescribed point of purchase can help them in generating a brand recall and place them on the list of the wants to get rid of the hunger pangs.  

Post Purchase Behavior and Satisfaction levels 

Kit-kat is a time-tested product; it can be termed as a pioneer in the field of chocolate wafer segment of the chocolate industry. The four finger variant of Kit-Kat has inspired many products in the same category. Most of them have a presence in the market however, none of them have a consistent presence parallel to the Kit-Kat. This wafer chocolate started his journey where it said "have a break, have a Kit Kat" During its five-decade long journey Kit-Kat has become synonymous with small breaks that individuals take inside offices and other establishments.  

The study of the packaging and the quantum of sales also give us an idea that consumers are purchasing family packs of Kit-Kat. They are keen to store it in their refrigerators for having a quick bite during the day and the odd hours of the day. It is becoming a household item for many families and finding a space in their monthly budget allocated for the grocery. If an FMCG is upgrading its status in becoming a regular item then it shows that the satisfaction levels of the customer are very high. In order to engage the customers, Kit-Kat has launched many other variants like Milk Chocolate and others. This exercise also talks about the brand value of the Kit-Kat. It signifies a consistence positive feedback on the scale of consumer satisfaction. 

Bibliography

Bhatia, A. (2016). Aging Nestle Kitkat's Twitter Marketing on Race Model. Markethon, Marketing Magazine of IIM Shillong. Vol 9. Viewed on 23 August 2018, https://www.iimshillong.ac.in/docs/markathon_august_2016.pdf.

Corona, E. M. (2014). COMPARISON OF MARKETING POLICIES APPLIED BY THE SAME COMPANY INDIFFERENT. GRADO EN ADMINISTRACIÓN Y DIRECCIÓN DE EMPRESAS. Viewed on 23 August 2018.https://addi.ehu.es/bitstream/handle/10810/14506/T;jsessionid=F87F67712D959A543675F6D509740173?sequence=2.