Chapter 6: Consumer Decision Making

Need Recognition

We all know Disney doesn’t produce any products we (consumers) actually need, so how has Disney been around since the 1920’s and become one of the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue?  How has the Walt Disney Company, been able to produce such revenue by offering things people don’t necessarily need but want?
  The Walt Disney Company has achieved much success because they have adequately understood their target markets (young children and families) wants.
Disney understands how important spending quality with ones family is. Therefore they produce products families can enjoy together such as animation movies that families gather around and watch together. Which consequently leads to these families purchasing Disney merchandise, since they recognize the characters from the different animations they watch with their families be it siblings, children and parents. This then results with families booking vacations to go an visit the many different Disney theme parks that they have to offer, particularly Disneyland.
**The need recognition is the result of an imbalance between actual and desired states. Need recognition is triggered when a consumer is exposed to either an internal or external stimulus.
What drives consumers to visit a Disneyland location?

Disney has succeeded its target market by triggering families internally needs (spending quality time together for a vacation) and being able to provide for that need Disneyland, also externally stimulating this need with such slogans as “the happiest place on earth,” their brand equity and their many satisfied customers and keeping such a high reputation.
Information Search & Evaluation of alternatives
**After recognize a need or want consumers search for information about various alternatives available to satisfy it. After getting information and constructing an evoked set of alternative products the consumer is ready to make a decision.
So now families have realized what they need internally (spending quality time together) they then have to choose from many different alternatives, in this case other theme park such as Universal Studios, Sea World, 6 flags and so on.

Most of the times, just like my personal experience Families decide to go to Disneyland because they remember how much they enjoyed visiting Disneyland in the past, in a way this is like brand preference that would be an example of internal information search. An example of external information search would be commercials seen or slogans heard such as “happiest place on earth” or “where dreams come true” this would be marketing controlled compared to non-marketing controlled information source; a family member researching online to find reviews of what other Disneyland customers had to say about their trip to Disneyland and how much of a great time they had. This is why it is so important for Disney to keep such a good reputation so their external information search especially non-marketing controlled information source will only have five star reviews so they can attract more consumers.

Purchase
What makes Disneyland stand out compared to all it’s competitors in order to earn move revenue?
• Disney understands “white glove treatment.” Disney goes the extra mile for its visitors to have the most convenient and comfortable stay they offer baggage check service at the airports so guest don’t have to wait in the long lines in the airport to have their baggage checked
• Disney understands guest convenience. Guest can purchase merchandise from any of the Disney stores at Disneyland and have the store send it to their hotel room, so they don’t have to carry their purchased item all around the theme park and actually enjoy they day.
• All Disney employees are beyond friendly and helpful. Which is very pleasant to any guest
specially an international guest who has traveled half way round the world to visit Disneyland or anyone how has spent their hard earned money to visit. It makes it that much more worth it when they are greeted and treated with the utter most respect. From personal experience the employees are very friendly and pleasant which makes you want to keep visiting, because everyone that works there is so nice it just makes you feel so happy inside. The customer service is excellent which make Disney stand out because there aren’t many companies that can manage to maintain all employees customer service qualities.

• Disney understands the power of repetition. All over Disneyland there are hundreds of Disney stores so therefore physiologically after seeing merchandise over and over again guest will final purchase something because of seeing it so many times they will think they want or need it.

Overall, Disney makes it so EASY to spend money with them, also they keep their customers satisfied after there post purchase which result with good customer reviews and customer loyalty and brand preference and the cycle will keep repeating itself over and over this is how Disney has become one of the largest media conglomerate in the world.