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CONSUMER BEHAVIOR Page 1

THE MARKING AND CONSUMER BEHAVIOR


OF
SHAVING RAZORS IN BANGLADESH















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THE MARKETING AND CONSUMER BEHAVIOR OF SHAVING RAZOR IN
BANGLADESH


BY:

ASIF IQBAL SHUVRO

M SAIFUL ISLAM TUSHAR

NAHLEEN TAHSINA

DIPON D. ROZERIO

NAZMUL HAQUE




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BRAC BUSINESS SCHOOL
BRAC UNIVERSITY

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EXECUTIVE SUMMERY





This report is done as a part of our study and helped us to understand the real life scenario of
communication. This report also facilitated the understanding of the academic theories
associated with the course of BBA.
This report was conducted for the sole purpose of attaining greater practical knowledge on the
course MKT-421 Consumer Behavior, and at the same time it is an essential part for the
completion of the course. This paper contain data input collected from 50 male respondents
(Students) for around 20 issues. And of all these factors seem to have the majority of influence
and significance in terms of marketing information. These variables upon being analyzed further
turn out to be the handful of factors on the decision making process of consumers and their
behaviors.

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Topic Page
Introduction 7
Background of study 8
The Decision Making Process 9
Problem Recognition 12
Information Search 16
Alternative Evaluation 19
Outlet Selection and Purchase 22
Post Purchase Dissonance 28
Findings and Conclusion 27
References 28

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Origin of the Report:
For the fulfillment of the course MKT-421 Consumer Behavior our respected teacher Ms.
Afasana Akter has assigned us with a job to prepare a report on the marketing and consumer
behavior of shaving razors in Bangladesh.
Objective:
The main objective of the report is to help us to develop an understanding and insights of the
Consumer Behavior and the overall decision making process of consumers when it comes to
purchasing shaving razors.
Scope:
This report works only on the recent data collected from various respondents who uses shaving
razors in Bangladesh.
Methodology:
Data has been collected for the report from mainly primary sources and very few secondary
sources. The methodology we have used here are collecting primary data from 50 individual
male respondents who uses shaving razors, web data and other relevant websites which played
an important role to cover the aspects we have discussed here.
Limitations:
1) As the analysis has been prepared by students so there may be some shortcomings in the
analysis.
2) Tough to collect personal information.
3) Scarcity of availability of data.
4) Time is a limitation that would mostly with stands a comprehensive study on the topic
selected.
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I ntroduction:
Consumer Behavior is considered to be one of the most vital courses to be taken for the
completion of a major in the field of marketing. It will also not be an exaggeration to say that this
course sums up almost all the theories and knowledge gathered during an under graduation
degree. This is also considered to be the door opener for the field itself because marketing is a
game of information and proper use of those information.
Our course on consumer behavior has also generated knowledge about behaviors of consumers
among the students of this course. This will allow us to obtain data in the work field of
marketing and therefore make much informed judgment about the consumer behavior. This
report is an integral part of our consumer behavior course giving us a practical experience,
analysis work of this work and also how that could be used to make informed judgment by a
third party. We hope to thus gather all these learning via the practical use of the tactical learning
we had done throughout the course.

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Background of Study:
This report is done on the decision making process of consumer of shaving razor users in
Bangladesh as an integral part of consumer behavior. This report eventually will show the
various factors and their relations that will vividly state the logics behind the consumer behavior
or towards their decision making process on the shaving razors and at the same time how these
consumer behavior will basically make the users continue or discontinue their current brands or
will induce them to take up a new razor brands in the future.
This term paper is also an integral part for the completion of our Marketing major course
Consumer Behavior. This is a testament to the specifics of our practical learning from this
course and the experience that make this learning all the more worthwhile and usable in the work
field.

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The Decision Making Process:
It is every marketers goal to get inside the head of a consumer. You want to figure out how the
consumer makes decisions and how you can get them to make a decision to purchase your
product or service. There are 5 steps in a consumer decision making process a need or a want is
recognized, search process, comparison, product or service selection, and evaluation of decision.
Problem Recognition
Most decision making starts with some sort of problem. The consumer develops a need or a want
that they want to be satisfied. The consumer feel like something is missing and needs to address
it to get back to feeling normal. If it can be determined when the target demographic develops
these needs or wants, it would be an ideal time to advertise to them.
Information Search
Most of us are not experts on everything around us. In the searching phase we research for
products or services that can satisfy our needs or wants. Search Engines have become our
primary research tool for answers. It is an instant and easy way to find out what you are looking
for.
Our friends and families all have had many different experiences and can offer us
recommendations. In most cases recommendations from actual people instead of a search
engines are preferred. One can have more of a trust factor with people close to you then a
computer program.
One may also have had past experiences that assist in solving any problem. One may have had a
life experience in the past that helps make the correct purchase decision.
Evaluating Alternatives
Once the consumer has determined what will satisfy their want or need they will begin to begin
to seek out the best deal. This may be based on price, quality, or other factors that are important
for them. Customers read many reviews and compare prices, ultimately choosing the one that
satisfies most of their parameters.
Purchase
After tallying up all the criteria for the decision the customers now decide on what they will
purchase and where. They have already taking risk into account and are definite on what they
want to purchase. They may have had prior experience with this exact decision or maybe they
succumbed to advertising about this product or service and want to give it a try.

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Post Purchase
Once the purchase has been made, does it satisfy the need or want? Is it above or below the
expectations? The goal for every marketer is not for a one-time customer but a repeating lifetime
customer. One bad experience of buyers remorse and your brand perception could be tarnished
forever. On the other hand, one superb experience can lead to a brand loyal customer who may
even become a brand evangelist.


Figure 1: Decision Making Process
Types of Decision Making
The decision process is used each time a good or service is bought, often subconsciously. There
are three ways in which the decision process may be used.
Extensive decision-making process: The need recognition is generic and occurs when a consumer
makes full use of the process that is the information search is both internal and external and
many alternatives as well as attributes are there where complex decision rules are used and also
goes through complex evaluation as well as dissonance. It is used for expensive, complex items
with which the consumer has little or no experience. Perceived risk is high and time pressure is
low.
Limited decision making process: The need recognition is generic and takes place when each
step of the process is used, but the consumer does not need to spend a great deal of time on any
of them that is the information search is both internal and limited external and few alternatives as
well as attributes are there; where simple decision rules are used and also goes through limited
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evaluation and no dissonance at all. The consumer has some experience. The thoroughness with
which the process is used depends on the amount of experience, the importance of the purchase,
and time pressure.
Nominal decision-making process: The need recognition is selective and involves habitual
behavior and skips steps in the process where the information search is only limited internal.
Regularly purchased items are bought in this manner. Information search is omitted and has very
limited evaluation and no post-purchase dissonance.


Figure 2: Involvement and types of decision making
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Problem Recognition:
Problem Recognition is the acknowledgement and definition of an issue that does or may arise
during the performance of a process. Business managers need to be skilled in problem
recognition and solution techniques to be of the greatest help in guiding their company toward
greater success.
Problem recognition results when a consumer recognizes a difference of sufficient magnitude
between what is perceived as the desired state of affairs and what is the actual state of affairs
enough to arouse and activate the decision process. The actual state refers to the way in which a
need is already being met and the desired sate is the way a person would like for the need to be
satisfied.
Problem recognition must also result in the problem being sufficient defined of the consumer is
to engage in meaningful behavior aimed at solving it. Sufficient problem definition occurs for
the consumers to be able to act on it in many problem recognition situations.
From our practical survey we found that all the respondents gets shave at home using razors.
The problem is mostly recognized when there is excess facial hair which may cause any types of
discomfort and problem in ones life. From our survey we found that people often get shaved
using razors to look good, for comfort and for other personal reasons. We found that maximum
respondents use a razor to get shave to look good and a few people use razor to get shave for
comfort and lastly only couple of respondents shave using razors for their other personal reasons.
Among 50 respondents 25 respondents use razor to get shave only to look good and 17
respondents use razors to get shave for comfort and lastly only 8 respondents use razors to get
shave for other personal reasons.

Factor Respondent Amount
To look good 25
For comfort 17
Others 8

Table 1: Shaving Reason Tabular Analysis
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Chart 1: Shaving Reason Statistics


Illustration 1: Shaving to Look Good.
50%
34%
16%
Shaving Reason Statistics
To Look Good
For Comfort
Others
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Illustration 2: Shaving for Comfort.

When it comes to the reason of purchasing razors the respondents responded among the factors
of necessity, non-necessity and luxury. Consumers purchase razors for shaving purpose as a
matter of basic need and requirements. From our survey we found that out of 50 respondents 42
respondents purchase razors for their necessity and only 8 respondents among these 50
respondents purchase razors for luxury. When it comes to luxury it basically relates with the
factor of looking good as a matter of shaving using a razor whereas necessity directly relates
with the factor of comfort as a matter of shaving using a razor. According to the data found it is
found that people have different usage rate of shaving with razors; where 38% of the respondents
use razor to shave multiple times a week and 62% respondents use razor to shave once a week.
CONSUMER BEHAVIOR Page 15

Chart 2: Purchase Purpose Statistics


Chart 3: Usage Rate Statistics
84%
16%
0%
Puchase Purpose Statistics
Necessity
Luxury
Non-necessity
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Once a week Multiple times a week
Usage Rate Statistics
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I nformation Search:
Information search is considered the second of five stages that comprise the Consumer Decision
Process. During this stage, a consumer who recognizes a specific problem or need will then
likely be persuaded to search for information, whether it is internally or externally. This is also
when the customer aims to seek the value in a prospective product or service. During this time,
the options available to the consumer are identified or further clarified.
Information search can be categorized as internal or external research:
Internal research refers to a consumer's memory or recollection of a product, oftentimes triggered
or guided by personal experience. This is when a person tries to search their memory to see
whether they recall past experiences with a product, brand, or service. If the product is
considered a staple or something that is frequently purchased, internal information search may be
enough to trigger a purchase.
External research is conducted when a person has no prior knowledge about a product, which
then leads them to seek information from personal sources (e.g. word of mouth from
friends/family) and/or public sources (e.g. online forums, consumer reports) or marketer
dominated sources (e.g. sales persons, advertising) especially when a person's previous
experience is limited or deemed inefficient.
From the survey information search consists of knowing the particular brand of razor from
internal memory as an internal search and media, family and friends as well as in store during
purchase as an external search factors of main information search mediums followed by the
customers. From 50 respondents 8 respondents solely searched information from their internal
memory and from in store during purchase whereas 23 respondents searched information in the
media and 11 respondents searched information from friends and family.

Factors Respondents amount
From internal memory 8
In store during purchase 8
Media 23
Friends and family 11
Table 2: Information Search Sources
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Chart 4: Information Sources Statistics

Appropriate Alternatives-after and while searching for appropriate evaluative criteria, one would
probably seek Appropriate Alternatives- in this case a possible brands or store etc. Again one
would search with an internal search and then comes to decide on some brands as potential
solutions, which is known as awareness set. The awareness set is composed of three sub-
categories of considerable importance to marketers. First comes: Evoke set- or a consideration
set you can say those brands or products one will evaluate for the solution of a particular
consumer problem. From our survey findings, we found out: Gillette Mach3 Turbo, Gillette
Fusion, Gillette Mach3, and Gillette belongs to the Evoke Set with maximum amount of
customer's choice, that means these are the ones consumers think first as a best probable
potential solution to their needs. Second comes: Inept Set-Brands in the Inept St are actively
disliked or avoided by the consumer. From our survey findings, we figured out that: Gillette
Sensor, Gillette Vector, Gillette Guard belongs to Inept Set because they enticed the lowest
number of consumer choice. Basically, these are the not so popular brand and people usually try
to avoid them. Third comes: Inert Set- Brands to which customers are Indifferent. Through our
survey study, we found out that: Persona M5, Dorco, Kool, Matador, Bic, Super Max,Vector
Plus, Protect, Schick, Schick Xtreme3, Wilkinson Sword, Gillette Prestobarba, Dorco Pace6,
Gillette Turbo belongs to Inert group, to which people are indifferent. Alternative
Characteristics: each brand on each pertinent evaluative criterion. Here, it is not required because
0.00%
5.00%
10.00%
15.00%
20.00%
25.00%
30.00%
35.00%
40.00%
45.00%
50.00%
Internal
Memory
In Store
During
Purchse
Media Family and
Friends
Information Sources Statistics 16.00% 16.00% 46% 22%
Information Sources Statistics
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nominal and limited decisions that involve too little or no external search does not need
extensive search.
Opinion Leaders are special term given to a group of people we will go to ask for suggestion
about the product or who actively keeps selective information about specific products via media
or other information sources. In our survey case, The "Friends and Family" group is the opinion
leaders, based on whom consumers vary or take their purchase decision. For the product razor,
we can see both multi step flow of communication and two step flow of communication. The two
step communication, where the mass media is playing the major role to make the product known.
Here, Opinion Leaders are less required because, a very limited judgments is required during the
purchase of a simple razor. Hence, mass media plays the vital role to catch more users.
Respondents seeking information from their internal memory and family and friends are more
reliable than wide spread memory from the perspective of the Bangladeshi perspective.


Illustration 3: Newspaper Information
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Alternative Evaluation:
Decision making process is a very important issue of consumer behavior. Consumers firstly
gather information, evaluate different alternatives and then finally take the purchase decision.
Razor is daily necessary equipment, and we had found out at our survey that most of the
consumers do very limited evaluation before purchasing a razor. Some of them also hardly
evaluate the alternatives in taking the purchase decision. They generally consider some factors
during their evaluation process including the durability & performance of the razor, brand value,
style, convenience, price and availability. Among these evaluation criterions Performance,
convenience & price are tangible criteria, and brand value & style belongs to intangible criteria
in nature. As most of our respondents were from affluent family they put more emphasis on
brand value, performance, convenience and style in the time of selecting their razors. But price
also have significant importance according to Bangladeshs context. According to our survey the
consumers may follow Conjunctive Decision Rules, because they are giving minimum level of
importance on price & putting more emphasis on some other factors. Here the consumers
preferred some brands like Gillette Marc 3 Turbo, Gillette Fusion, Dorco, Gillete Guard, Adoro
Shaver, Bic, Schick Xtreme 3 etc.

Chart 5: Important Factors of Making Purchase Decision
29.72972973
27.02702703
18.91891892
10.81081081
8.108108108
5.405405405
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
Durability Brand ValueConvenience Look/style Price Availability
Durability Brand Value Convenience Look/style Price Availability
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We found high influence of different marketing activities, and significant amount of group
influence on purchase decisions of any razor brand. Most of them have high influence of family
members in the time of purchasing razor for the first time. Later they are significantly influenced
by their friends, relatives, colleagues or other desired group of people.



Chart 6: Influence Statistics


62%
38%
The of influence of groups with other
marketing activities on consumer
behavior:
Different marketing
activities
Group influence
CONSUMER BEHAVIOR Page 21

Chart 7: The tendency of evaluation of other alternatives


Illustrations 4: Different Alternatives

36%
64%
The tendency of evaluation of
other alternatives
No Evaluation
Very limited evatuation
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Outlet Selection and Purchase:
Outlet selection is important issue. Everything that we use for our daily life use or personal use
or luxury use it might be from chain store or local shop or might be the company showroom. So,
what we buy and from where to buy, it is essential and as well the selection place are also an
important issue for every customer that is the selection of outlets.
Buying Decision:
A buying decision process describes the process a customer goes through when buying a product
and also it decode the acts of people involved in buying and using products. This buying decision
model has gone through lots of interpretation by scholars.
For mens get shaved is necessary thing. Some may shave daily; some may once in a week, or
may be multiple times in a month. For each of the person who gets shaved in home they might
use different kinds of razors. So, for everyone, buying place is a vital issue that where to buy.
As our fingers are not in the same height, so every man is not the same type. They might have
use different kinds of place for their buying decision, as some may buy from chain store or local
shop or might be the company showroom.
Firstly, we did a survey on the marketing consumer of saving razor in Bangladesh. What we did
is in a constructive way that is on Google Docs and randomly 51 people are filled up our survey
report. On that survey everyone has their different kinds of buying decision. Thats how we
found out that the result:
1) Local Shop: 31
2) Chain Store: 19
3) Company Showroom: 01
Maximum are goes into the local shop to get their desire product, and then comes the chain store
and only one shows up that he buys from the company showroom. And thus we can find out the
choice of the customer and for the marketer they have to follow or give ad on that particular to
get the attention of the customers.
The most important thing is that, outlet play a crucial role in our society. Not only for the razors
but also for the other necessary items outlet plays a different role.
Below there is a graph on buying place that we come up from the survey.

CONSUMER BEHAVIOR Page 23

Chart 8: Buying Place

From that survey we can easily give the percentage of buying place from where consumers buys
razors.
1) Local Shop: 60.78%
2) Chain Store: 37.26%
3) Company Showroom: 01.96%

Chart 9: Buying Place Percentage.

Local Shop Chain Store Company Showroom
31
19
1
Buying Place
Local Shop,
60.78%
Chain Store,
37.26%
Company
Showroom,
1.96%
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Purchase Pal:
Friends and Family is an essential part of our life. When we goes for shopping then sometimes
we go with our friends or sometimes we go with our family and also sometimes we go alone. Not
only this but also we do share and care with our family and friends. Below a number of images
has been shown that how important they are in ones life.


Illustration 5: Purchase Pal

Now lets move on to our main part which is purchasing razors whether to go with the pal or not
go with the pal.
It is a general common scenes that razor is our personal use of product, which a friend is not
needed to go with for buying that particular product. Yes, friends or family member might give
the suggestion that what type of razor that you would buy, but it is not necessary to go with a
friend or call a friend to buy that product. One can easily buy that product from the local shop,
retailer shop, and chain shop or company showroom.

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Post Purchase Dissonance:
Dissonance occurs when a consumer holds differing thoughts about a belief an attitude toward a
product. This is also a consumer reaction after making a difficult decision that involves doubt
and anxiety. As the consumer decision for razor is limited decision making process, there is no
or very little post purchase dissonance. Another reason for very little post purchase dissonance is
that; these kinds of decision do not consider attractive features in a unchosen brand that do not
also exist in the chosen brand. The importance of the decision to the consumers of razor is also
very low so dissonance probability is also low.
In our practical survey we also found the same result. Consumers are having very little post
purchase dissonance for the razor. We asked consumers about their discomfort after purchasing
the product they. 52% consumers do not have any dissonance at all and 38% have very limited
dissonance where only 10% are having very much dissonance after they purchased the product.
It shows that limited decision making has very little post purchased dissonance as we discused at
class.









Chart 10: Post Purchase Dissonance

38%
52%
10%
Post Purchase Dissonance
Very limited
None
Very much
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Approaches to Reduce Dissonance:
To reduce the dissonance, different action can be taken by consumers. After the purchase is
made, the consumer may use one or more of the following approach to reduce dissonance;
Increase the desirability of the brand purchased
Decrease the desirability of rejected brand
Decrease the importance of the purchase
Reverse the purchase decision (return before use)
Here in our survey we found that razor consumers are reversing the purchase decision by
changing the brand or increasing the desirability of the brand purchased. According to the result
of our survey, 62% consumers change the brand and they think this is the best way to get the best
product from other brands and 30% increase the desirability of the brand purchased by
considering the brand value. As they use a particular brand for razor product for long time they
try to increase the desirability of that that brand.










Chart 11: Approaches to reduce dissonance

62%
30%
8%
Approaches to Reduce Dissonance
Change Increase desirability and keep using. Ignore
CONSUMER BEHAVIOR Page 27
Findings and Conclusion:
From the survey by doing extensive analysis it is found that shaving razors in Bangladesh fall
under the Limited Decision Making as the problem recognition is Generic as it involves a
discrepancy that a variety of brands within a product category can reduce as we see there are
various brands like Gillette, Bic, Schick etc. brands within the razor product category are there
which can reduce the discrepancy.
Moreover, the information search done by the consumer of razors in Bangladesh are mostly
internal and limited external and consumer seek information from their internal memory, media,
in store during purchase and from family and friends; also the consumer do no spend too much
time on seeking information about razors.
Furthermore, there are few attributes in evaluating alternatives and simple decision rules are used
while evaluating for the alternatives among different razor brands which can be found in the
marketplace of Bangladesh.
Additionally, the consumers purchase razors from local shops; chain stores and very few from
company showrooms in Bangladesh.
Lastly, a huge proportion of razor users face limited or no dissonance and some consumers do
face much dissonance but the proportion is very low.

To conclude, by analyzing all the different aspect of decision making of the shaving razor
consumers and users it can be deduced that the type of decision making of the consumers of
shaving razors is Limited Decision Making and the fact behind this deduction has been analyzed
throughout the report.

CONSUMER BEHAVIOR Page 28
References:
1) Flekel, Alek. "5 Steps of Decision Making Process." Business 2 Community. N.p., 29
Apr. 2009. Web. 12 Apr. 2014. <http://www.business2community.com/marketing/5-
steps-of-decision-making-process-0480178#!DKfFi>.
2) "Types of Decision Process." Marketing91. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2014.
<http://www.marketing91.com/types-of-decision-process/>.
3) Rao, Sree Rama. "Problem Recognition." Citeman Network RSS. N.p., 27 Sept. 2010.
Web. 12 Apr. 2014. <http://www.citeman.com/10745-problem-recognition.html>.
4) "Problem Recognition." BusinessDictionary.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2014.
<http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/problem-recognition.html>.
5) "Information Search." Boundless. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2014.
<https://www.boundless.com/marketing/consumer-marketing/consumer-decision-
process/information-search/>.
6) Hawkins, Del I., and David L. Mothersbaugh. "Consumer Decision Process and Problem
Recognition." Consumer Behavior: Building Marketing Strategy. Boston: McGraw-Hill
Irwin, 2010. 496+. Print.

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