Consumer Decision Making: The Ipad 2

Apple is one of the leaders in marketing to consumers in a very basic and effective way. One of the main reasons they are so successful is because they understand the way the consumer makes their decision. First the consumer recognizes their needs: a portable device. Some consumers may already be familiar with the ipad1, others may just be discovering the product for the first time now. Apple knows this and creates advertisements that can relate to most all consumers and meet individual needs, even those which you may not have initially crossed your mind a "need" until the option was put in front of you. Next the consumer goes on an information search and tries to weigh all options and get a good idea of the product aside from the image that the marketer is projecting by seeking the opinions of those not related to the company. Many people will ask a friend or coworker who has the Ipad or other apple products how satisfied they are, and Apple knows very well that they have strong consumer loyalty (Once you go Mac, you never go Back ;D) so regardless of their marketing, a consumer who has tried or owned an Apple product is usually very pleased with it and will recommend it to others. They also have the option of entering an Apple store and trying out a product, hassle free to make their own judgement. These are types of nonmarketing-controlled information sources. Some marketing-controlled information sources that they might consider are advertisements put out by Apple or its retailers such as Best Buy or Verizon. After gathering a sufficient amount of information the consumer will evaluate alternatives such as the Samsung Galaxy or the HP Slate which are similar but less expensive, giving them the economic edge, especially when they have comparable features. Then it boils down to the brand, which is where again, consumer loyalty comes into play and people go with the more trusted and recognized brand, Apple.