Communication and the Nature of Consumer Decision Processes

Manufacturers use communication strategies to inform potential consumers of their product's existence, its main features and benefits, its advantages over competing products, with the aim of persuading them that purchase is a desirable action. This set of promotion objectives is based on models of consumer decision making which are coming under increasing attack. The relevance of the accepted process of choice with other conceptions is compared. How manufacturers may have to modify their promotional activities to satisfy our present knowledge of how consumers acquire and use information is considered.