Influence of Internal Factors and the Extent of Engagement in Using Gym Facilities at SportUNE - Case Study Example

Consumer Behaviour: Influence of Internal Factors and the Extent of Engagement in Using Gym Facilities at SportUNE Student’s Name Institutional Affiliation Date Executive Summary Consumer behaviour performs an important part in determining the consumer’s process of making decisions concerning the use of a particular product or service. The behaviour that a consumer adopts is influenced by the internal factors such as the consumer attitude development and change, motivation, consumer-perception, consumer learning and involvement as well as the personality of the consumer (Hawkins et al., 2010). These factors shape the approach that consumers use while purchasing and consuming various commodities and services in the market. One of the most important facilities at SportUNE is the gym facility. The institution offers a consumer-oriented gym services that have attracted the consumers. The gym facilities are designed to provide maximum physical fitness to the users. Through the adoption of advanced technology, the gym at SportUNE has sophisticated training equipment that is tailored towards the taste and preferences of the consumers. This paper examines how the different internal factors have influenced my decision making and engagement in the gym facility at SportUNE. The paper will also highlight the consumer decision-making processes, the marketing strategy for the gym and the relevance of the internal factors on the use of the gym facility at SportUNE. Table of Contents Executive Summary 2 Introduction 4 Consumer Decision-Making Steps 4 Need Recognition 5 Information Search 5 Evaluation of Alternatives 5 Purchase 6 Post-Purchase 6 Marketing Strategy for the Gym Facility 6 Segmentation 6 Targeting 7 Positioning 9 Perceptual map 9 Relevance of the Internal Factors in Consumer Decision-Making 10 Motivation 10 Personality and Self-Concept 11 Social Self-Image 12 Perception 12 Consumer-Imagery 13 Learning and Attitudes 13 Importance of the Diffusion of Innovation 14 Conclusion 14 References 16 Consumer Behaviour Introduction The consumer decision-making process has tremendously influenced my perception of the gym facility at SportUNE. The Gym facility targets the audience who would like to attain physical fitness and hence boost their health. Having realized the importance of consumer behavior in the selection of a product or service, the SportUNE management decided to introduce a gym facility that is equipped with materials that can satisfy the needs of the consumers in regards to the achievement of their health goals. Through creating a sustainable environment within the SportUNE, the learning institution has boosted my engagement in the gym facility. The internal factors such as consumer motivation, perception, attitudes, personality, and consumer involvement can have played a great role in the demand for the gym facility at the institution. Consumer Decision-Making Steps There are several critical consumer decision-making steps that have influenced my selection of the gym facility as the preferred way of achieving my health goals: Need Recognition The first step that I undertook is to recognize the need to boost my health through physical training at the institution. Need recognition is crucial since it enables a consumer to identify the motive of purchasing and using a particular product or service (Koufaris, 2002). I, therefore, realized that I needed to keep my body healthy through physical training. Information Search The next step of consumer decision making that I undertook at SportUNE is to look for viable information about the location where I could satisfy my need. I searched online for information about the various sporting activities that were being offered at the University of New England. The findings of my research revealed that there were several sporting activities such as the gym, tennis court, badminton courts, basketball courts and the wall climbing sport. I also found out that the complex was offering stat- of-the-art sporting facilities with the aim of attracting the consumers who are mainly the learners at the university. Evaluation of Alternatives The next step that I undertook was to evaluate the alternatives of the sporting facilities. Although the use of the basketball badminton and tennis courts were going to provide physical training, I realized that the gym facility was the most convenient. The gym also had high quality equipment and an experienced gym instructor, unlike other sporting activities. I, therefore, decided to choose the gym facility to attain physical fitness and therefore boost my health. The other sporting facilities, therefore, became an opportunity cost. Since I decided to choose the gym facility. Purchase After I had selected the gym facility, I registered and was given a membership card. I checked the pricing packages that were available and chose a three-month membership since it was cheaper as compared to the rest of the packages. The management gave me a discount, and I finally paid one hundred and seventy dollars. I obtained a membership of three months after which I was supposed to renew my card through paying for another three months. Post-Purchase The post-purchase period was characterized by anxiety. I assessed by satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the service that I had purchased. I was in a dilemma whether I had purchased the right facility for physical training at SportUNE. The cognitive dissonance thus brought a great impact on my perception of the service. However, I managed to change my attitude and felt content with the service that I had purchased. The strategies that I used to reduce the anxiety and discomfort of cognitive dissonance was to have a positive attitude on the gym facility. Marketing Strategy for the Gym Facility Several marketing strategies can be adopted to market and promote the gym facility at SportUNE. The marketing strategies include segmentation, targeting, and positioning (Becker-Olsen et al., 2006). These strategies can result in high involvement in the gym facility. Segmentation Demographic Segmentation. The management at SportUNE can embrace demographic segmentation of the gym facility to promote the services to the consumers. Since the learning institution is composed of both the male and the female gender, the complex can separate the gym facility into two sections each for the male and the females. The gym for the men should be designed to suit the personal taste and preferences of the male gender while the facility for the women should also be tailored according to the needs of the female gender. Moreover, the complex can also separate the gym according to the age groups. Older people such as the tutors can have a separate gym while the students can have a separate gym facility. Behavioral segmentation. The gym facility at SportUNE can also be segmented through observing the behaviour of the consumers. The students, workers and the tutors at the learning institution have a different perception of physical fitness. Some individuals prefer physical training while others do not like physical exercise at the gym. Through the application of the theory of planned- behaviour, the management can acquire information about the different responses that the consumers will provide after using the gym facility. According to the theory, consumers can exhibit a particular behaviour since they had a prior perception of the action (Creyer, 1997). The consumer’s behaviour is thus influenced by an existing perception of the particular action. For example, individuals who like participating in sporting activities such as basketball and tennis are also likely to use the gym facilities. The management, therefore, should focus on attracting such consumers as opposed to concentrating in the whole population in the institution. Targeting Targeting can play a great role in creating an enabling environment for the acquisition of new consumers of the gym facility at SportUNE. The targeting aspects that can be used include: Undifferentiated targeting. The undifferentiated targeting can be used by the sports center to narrow down on potential consumers of the gym facilities. According to this type of targeting, a specific promotional message is sent to the consumers without limiting the number of potential consumers. SportUNE can develop a promotional message about the services at the gym facility and disseminate it to the whole fraternity of the University of New England. Through this approach, the sports center will be targeting any consumer who might be interested in undergoing physical training at the SportUNE complex. Since the gym facility provides a consumer-oriented training facilities, the management should promote it through informing the public about the services. Differentiated targeting. This type of targeting can also be adopted by SportUNE to promote the gym facility. For example, the complex can decide to design promotional messages that are targeting different groups of consumers such as the youths, the aged, the males and the females. The promotional message should thus carry information on the benefits of the services to the particular audience. For instance, the SportUNE can choose to promote the gym facility among the women within the institution. The promotional message can contain the benefits that the women will acquire if they undergo physical training sessions at the SportUNE gym center. Moreover, the promotional message can also target the youth subculture through highlighting the benefits of physical training such as enhanced health and the ability to actively participate in other sporting activities such as football, basketball, and volleyball. Positioning Positioning has brought a tremendous impact on the marketing process among the modern business organizations. SportUNE can embrace effective strategies that will ensure it communicates efficiently with the potential consumers of the gym services. The positioning process can help in building an efficient brand for the sporting complex. According to Wedel & Kamakura (2012), one important aspect of product and service positioning is the creation of a positioning statement. The positioning statement will communicate the vital aspects of the product or service provider, the price, the target audience and the benefits of the commodity or service. The positioning statement that SportUNE should embrace to promote the gym facility include: Positioning statement. “SportUNE gym center provides state of the art physical fitness facilities that are aimed at boosting the health of the users. Our price package is affordable and matches the quality of the services that are found in the gym center. Individuals of 18 years and above are welcome to train in our facility. Through collaboration with the stakeholders such as the Department of Health, we offer additional insights of improved health alongside the physical exercise facilities. We have separate male and female training sections that provide customized training equipment. SportUNE gym center provides consumer-oriented physical exercise facilities.’’ Perceptual map The perceptual map is also an important marketing strategy that SportUNE complex should implement. The perceptual map examines a product’s performance about the performance of its competitors. The major competitors of the gym center are the basketball, tennis, and badminton courts. These areas have been experiencing a high demand from the consumers. A conceptual Map showing Sporting Facilities at SportUNE. According to the map above, the major competitors of the Gym facility at the sporting complex are the Tennis court and the Basketball court. Relevance of the Internal Factors in Consumer Decision-Making Motivation Motivation plays an important role in the decision-making process of consumers. The level of motivation that a potential consumer has will determine if he will purchase the product or not. According to the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, human beings tend to satisfy some needs before others (Hofstede et al., 1999). For example, the basic and the psychological needs such as love must be satisfied first before satisfying the self-fulfillment needs. Through examining the impact of motivation on demand for the gym services, SportUNE can embrace an effective marketing strategy. The gym facility is a self-fulfillment need hence the demand will be lower than the demand for the basic needs. However, through an attractive presentation of the facilities, the demand can rise steadily leading to an increase in the revenues for the sports complex. Personality and Self-Concept The personality that an individual possesses also affect the consumption of the various goods and services in the market. The different aspects of personality that affect the strategic marketing at SportUNE include: Extraversion. The promotional team at SportUNE complex should be in a position to study the personality of the consumers. However, they should first exhibit extraversion or a high level of sociability. The consumers can easily interact with extroverts as opposed to introverts. The workers at the sports complex should, therefore, socialize with the consumers with the aim of building the brand of the sports complex. Agreeability. An individual who exhibits a prosocial behaviour and easily agrees with the decisions of others is likely to build a bond with the consumers (Hauser & Shugan, 2008). This is because such an individual can interact with the consumers and respond to the inquiries and complaints concerning the gym facilities. Therefore, having such a personality can help SportUNE to promote its services to a wider audience. Conscientiousness. This personality is also an important internal factor that can help in the implementation of an efficient marketing strategy within SportUNE complex. Conscientiousness enables a business person to make goal-oriented decisions and plans when interacting with the potential consumers. The personality also enables an individual to focus on improving the performance of the business about the existing business plans. Therefore, the SportUNE complex should exhibit conscientiousness when interacting with the potential consumers of the gym facility. The sports center, therefore, should target consumers who also exhibit similar personality so as to build a good relationship with the business. Social Self-Image Self-image affects the behaviour of consumers in regards to their demand for a particular commodity or service. According to Doyle (2009), the social image, however, can shape the direction that a consumer takes when interacting with the products or services. When a business presents a social self-image, the potential clients will develop an interest in purchasing the product or service. This is because a social image improves the relationship between the business and the customers. Therefore, the SportUNE should embrace a social self-image to build its brand in the market. Perception The major aspects of perception that affects the behaviour of consumers are the selective perception, perceptual organization, and the perceptual interpretation. Selective perception enables the consumer to have different perceptions of a particular product or service. For example, a potential consumer of the gym services can have a perception of the gym that is not related to his perception of other sporting activities such as basketball. The perceptual organization enables the consumer to plan and organize his or her perception and behaviour around a particular product or service. Perceptual interpretation on the other hand also affects the behaviour of an individual in regards to demand for a product (Debo et al., 2005). A consumer can interpret his perception of a product that it cannot satisfy his needs. However, a consumer can also interpret his perception on the gym facility and develops interest in the service. Consumer-Imagery The image that the consumer possesses also affects the positioning of the gym facility at SportUNE. The competitor-based positioning results in the positioning of a product depending on the share of the market that is held by the competitors. The area that is served by the competitors will influence the size of the area that the business will serve in the market. On the other hand, the umbrella-based positioning covers the whole market without considering the position of the competitors (Furrer et al., (2000). The value-based positioning, however, examines the positioning tactic that will be the most valuable for the business. For instance, the positioning of the gym at a learning institution is value-based since there is a high demand of the services due to the high number of the learners in the institution. Learning and Attitudes Learning also influences the consumer behaviour in regards to a particular product or service. Through cognitive learning, a consumer can recognize the need to undertake physical fitness sessions in a gym facility. This will result in high demand for the gym services at SportUNE complex. Moreover, classical conditioning theories can also affect the learning of the physical exercise behaviour. Other students who keep on seeing and interacting with their colleagues who go to the gym are likely to develop interest based on their continuous interaction with the gym facility. Such a scenario will change the attitude of the students and other stakeholders in the institution. This will result in a high number of individuals purchasing the packages for participating in the gym classes. Importance of the Diffusion of Innovation The diffusion of innovation has brought a significant impact on the understanding of the spared of ideas and technological infrastructure. Consumer behaviour is also affected by the spread of ideas and technology (Douglas & Craig, 1997). This is because the technology acts as a communication channel that disseminates important information to the consumers. Therefore, enlightened consumers who understand the diffusion of technology can adopt an efficient consumer behavior. The theory of reasoned action also shapes the decisions of the consumers since it sheds light on the need to incorporate reasoning and critical thinking while making decisions about products and services Conclusion The various internal factors such as such as consumer personality, motivation, consumer perception, consumer learning and involvement as well as consumer attitude and development have redefined the behaviour of consumers in the contemporary society. The behaviour that the consumers exhibit before purchasing a product or a service is determined by the environmental aspects that exist in the market. For example, products and services that are tailored towards the taste and preferences of the consumers are likely to generate a high demand. This is because the consumers will feel motivated and therefore change their perception on the goods or services. Modern business organizations should create an enabling environment for the consumers through building good relationships that can change the consumer behaviour in the market. References Becker-Olsen, K. L., Cudmore, B. A., & Hill, R. P. (2006). The impact of perceived corporate social responsibility on consumer behavior. Journal of business research, 59(1), 46-53. Creyer, E. H. (1997). The influence of firm behavior on purchase intention: do consumers really care about business ethics?. Journal of consumer Marketing, 14(6), 421-432. Debo, L. G., Toktay, L. B., & Van Wassenhove, L. N. (2005). Market segmentation and product technology selection for remanufactured products. Management Science, 51(8), 1193-1205. Douglas, S. P., & Craig, C. S. (1997). The changing dynamic of consumer behavior: implications for cross-cultural research. International journal of research in marketing, 14(4), 379-395. Doyle, P. (2009). Value-based marketing: marketing strategies for corporate growth and shareholder value. John Wiley & Sons. Furrer, O., Liu, B. S. C., & Sudharshan, D. (2000). The relationships between culture and service quality perceptions basis for cross-cultural market segmentation and resource allocation. Journal of service research, 2(4), 355-371. Hauser, J. R., & Shugan, S. M. (2008). Defensive marketing strategies. Marketing Science, 27(1), 88-110. Hawkins, D. I., Best, R. J., & Coney, K. A. (2010). Consumer behavior. Implications for marketing strategy, Journal of Marketing 5.(7) 129-41 Hofstede, F. T., Steenkamp, J. B. E., & Wedel, M. (1999). International market segmentation based on consumer-product relations. Journal of Marketing Research, 1-17. Koufaris, M. (2002). Applying the technology acceptance model and flow theory to online consumer behavior. Information systems research, 13(2), 205-223. Wedel, M., & Kamakura, W. A. (2012). Market segmentation: Conceptual and methodological foundations. Springer Science & Business Media. 8(2) 123-131. Read More