Consumer decision-making process: Problem Recognition

The buying process starts when the buyer recognizes a problem of need. The buyer senses a difference between his or her actual state and desired state. The need can be triggered by internal or external; stimuli. In the former case, one Person’s normal needs- hunger thirst-rises to be threshold level and becomes a drive. From previous experiences, the person has learned hoe to cope with this drive and its motivated towards a class of objects that will satisfy the drive. Or a need can be aroused by an external stimulus. A person passes a bakery and sees freshly baked bread that stimulates her hunger, she admires a neighbour’s car, or she watches a television commercial advertisement a Jamacian vacation. All these stimuli can trigger problem or need.