1) Find three people who would fit that segment and arrange to interview them.
For this assignment, I chose the segment of students in college. All of the people I interviewed are people who are in college and are on their own for the first time in their lives. One is a sophomore (female) here at UF, another is a freshman (male) who just got to UF, and the last person is a senior (female) at UF.
3) Begin with alternative evaluation.
Based on my interviews, I determined that the price is the most important factor for college students especially. I also noticed that the quality is only a major factor for certain individuals. The senior I interviewed did care about price, but she also valued quality as well because she has a job that allows her to afford higher quality items and services However, the others I interviewed are on a tight college budget, so price is an important factor for them, while quality is not always.
4) How/where do they buy?
My segment is more likely to buy online in general, but in regards to my services they would have to come in person to receive the services. Also, the people I interviewed almost always use credit cards over cash. Since my service concerns students' mental health, the people I interviewed claimed that coming in person versus online was not an issue.
5) Post-purchase evaluation.
The people I interviewed think about how useful a product is. For example, the senior I graduated does not mind spending a little more on clothes or a product if she is going to get good use out of it and wear/use it often All of the people I interviewed determine if they made a good purchase based on its use. If they buy a product that just sits in there room unused then they know they made a bad purchase.
6) Report the findings.
All of my findings concluded that the price of a service is a major factor in college students purchasing habits. However, in certain situations such as mental health, students would be more willing to spend the money on themselves if they are going to get good results from the service. In regards to online versus in person shopping, the people I interviewed preferred to shop online for products, but for services they did not mind going into a store. The students I interviewed also stated that their well being is important to them, so although price is an important factor in their usual purchases, they would not mind spending the money on a high quality service.
7) Draw conclusions. Based on what you know about this segment and what you learned in your interviews, how would you succinctly describe this segment in terms of alternative evaluation, purchase decision, and post-purchase evaluation?
Based on the information I learned in my interviews, students are willing to spend money on certain services depending on how useful it is to them. However, price is a crucial factor for college students, since a lot of them are on a budget. Therefore, there could possibly be an issue with college students affording the service, but the students I interviewed said that their mental health was important to them, so they would pay for it. Since good mental health is important, people's post purchase evaluation should be positive if they find the service useful to them.
Hello Ava,
ReplyDeleteI would have to agree with the people you interviewed in that I am willing to spend extra money on something that is vital to my success in the future, such as mental health. I like how you interviewed people at UF that have been here for different amounts of semesters so that you get a good range on how they feel living away from home.
Hi Ava,
ReplyDeleteI agree that price is an important factor in receiving health services. Far too often, people are restricted from receiving the help they need because they cannot afford the costs of therapy or medication. For this opportunity specifically, I think the service would also be a key factor because people will be much more likely to spend money on it if they believe it is actually helping. Great post!
Hello Ava,
ReplyDeleteI have always valued mental health especially because of how much the increase of people effected has gone up in the recent years. As you pointed out most people are restricted on getting help because of how expensive it can be. If there was a cost effective way to provide people with help I feel they would be more willing to get help.
I agree that coming into person for things like clothing and services that aid in mental health should be something done in person. It just makes it easier to try on some clothing, decide if you like it or not, and either buy it or put it back on the rack. As for aiding in mental health, I feel like you would be willing to express more when you're in person speaking with someone rather than talking on the phone or online. I also agree that money is tight for some college students so it didn't really surprise me that you interviewees talked about budget and price being part of their influence to buy clothing. However, if something is aiding in helping yourself mentally, I feel more people will be willing to spend the few more extra dollars.
ReplyDeleteAva, I've noticed a trend that shows an increase in importance and awareness of mental health over the past few years, so I think that a mental health service would find success with college students. You mentioned that budget might be a hurdle for certain students, but I agree with your take that people determine quality from use and would be willing to pay for the services if they get the proper results from them.
ReplyDelete