15A – Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 2

1) 

Over spring break I interviewed three individuals, consumers, from my hometown in Panama City, Florida. I went to my local gym and found three ideal consumers who all represented a different niche of consumers within the supplement market. The first consumer was a middle-aged female who wanted to lose some weight from being inactive. The second consumer was a male in his mid-twenties trying to build more muscle and gain weight. The last consumer was an elderly female who just wanted to add some form of cardiovascular activity so she could be healthier. 

2) 

Two out of the three consumers I interviewed said that the biggest factors when evaluating their alternatives are quality and price, while the third consumer said that price and useful-life are the biggest factors. Coincidentally, all of the consumers that I interviewed considered the price to be the biggest factor when considering an alternative due to the expensive nature of many supplements. Supplements are, by nature, the secondary form of nutrition and are not essential, therefore it is key to be competitive when pricing supplement products. Lastly, I came to the conclusion from the interviews that quality is the second biggest factor when deciding an alternative because a supplement product is ranked solely by its quality. 

3)  

For this segment, most consumers will purchase online because consumers usually can find a better deal on price or quantity rather than in-store. Although, some individuals choose to shop in-store because they feel the products are better quality "quality," but I believe that accounts for only a small portion of the market. 

4) 

The consumers I interviewed at the gym all said that being able to actually feel or see the effects of the supplement product mattered most. This is a unique characteristic of the supplement market in general because supplements usually take an average of one-two months of use before the end consumer can determine the benefits of the purchased product. Therefore, providing accurate and educating evidence of the product and its ingredients is key to gain proper consumer satisfaction, aka trust. 

5) 

During the interview, I gave samples of the "Divine Greens Superfood Powder" to all of the gym-goers and their reactions were priceless. They were all so surprised about how good the flavor was given its "grass" like color and texture. Once the interviews were over, they all asked where they could purchase this product and I told them it was launching May 1st on our website. Even the elderly lady said she would order it once the product launched, which really surprised me. They all asked me about the price, which is $45 dollars per unit, and they all said that was a fair market price.

6) 

Based on the information that I gathered from the interviews, my segment is trying to create competitively priced supplement products that deliver in terms of their overall health benefits. There are many alternative solutions in the supplement market, but my segment focuses on providing supplements that focus on factual science and useful dosages in order to be effective. In regards to purchasing decision and post-purchase evaluation, my segment aims to provide multiple purchasing options as well as provide real results for customer satisfaction.