Understanding the influences on a consumer’s buying behaviour
 
Assignment 2:  Understanding the influences on a consumer’s buying behavior
Length:  1,800 – 2,000 words
This assignment continues on from Assignment 1. The aim of this assignment is to understand the buying influences on a consumer when they purchase a particular product and use this information to identify the implications to marketing.
 
The assignment is in two parts.
Part (i) – primary and secondary research (1,400 words)
You are to analyse the internal and external influences of a consumer who purchased the product that you discussed in Assignment 1.
In order to complete your analysis you will need to research the information available, including collecting marketing intelligence, and any other relevant resources (like the research you gathered in Assignment 1).
If you have access to the consumers from Assignment 1 you are free to interview them again to assist in providing further information for this assignment. If you don’t have access to the interviewees again, use evidence from the organisation’s marketing collateral or information from credible sources to assist in answering the question. 
Credible sources can include journal articles, media reports, qualitative information gained from Assignment 1 and industry information.
Using this information:

1. explain the different internal influences on the consumer’s decision making process (15 marks)
2. explain the different external influences on the consumer’s decision making process (15 marks)

Don’t limit your answer to a description; it is important that you provide evidence to support your answer. Remember, ‘explain’ means you need to think critically; focusing on the ‘why’ and the ‘how’.
Part (ii) – conclusions on the implications to marketing (400 words)
From your analysis from part (i) on the internal and external influences on the decision-making process, and your findings in Assignment 1, create a table which summarises the internal and external influences in one column and provide corresponding marketing implications/tactics, to reach the target market, in the other. (6 marks)
Presentation and referencing is worth 4 marks.
 
General marking criteria include:

• extent and quality of research
• originality of analysis
• presentation.

Please use report writing style (structured with headings and subheadings) and provide a list of references. Be sure to acknowledge all sources in-text (Harvard-style referencing, please). Marks will be deducted for poor referencing.