A Study on Consumers' Behaviours
-Centering around Those of Vehicle-

JUNG, HONG JOON (Major in Industrial Management The Graduate School of Engineering YONSEI UNIVERSITY)

This study was aimed at providing some consumer-oriented marketing strategies for the vehicle makers and thus improving the quality of products and services for the consumers by analyzing our vehicle consumers' behaviours as well as the factors affecting them at each stage of decision-making. The study can be concluded as follows:

First, at the stage of problem-recognition, the inconvenience of mass traffic system is counted as the fist motivation determining the consumers' behaviour for a new purchase of vehicle and need of business is counted as the second motivation.

Secondly, at the stage of information-gathering, the newspaper advertisements are the most informative materials for the consumers, while the most influential ones are the catalogs or brochures. However, the most influential human sources are collagues, friends or neighbours. Meanwhile, the TV advertisement which, appeals most to the consumers is the one emphasizing the economy and utility.

Thirdly, at the stage of alternative evaluation, safety is counted as the most important factor followed by price or buying conditions.

Fourthly, at the stage of decision-making, most consumers decide on the purchase for themselves : however, the older the consumers are they tend to rely more on the opinion of their spouse.

Fifthly, at the stage of post-purchase, the more educated and the wealthier the consumers are the more satisfied they are with the result of their decision-makings. And the insufficient after-services are counted as number one source of consumers' complaints for the local made vehicles : the number two source is the insufficient safety. On the other hand, as for the uses of vehicles, the commuting-use comes first followed by business- use.

Sixthly, most consumers replace their existing vehicles with new ones within 3~5 years, and they want a new model of similar price-level. And most consumers responded that they would compare various conditions between the foreign-made and local-made vehicles if these vehicles have a similar price level and then make a decision. However, the consumers of 50s and 60s in their age made it clear that they would buy the local-made ones in that case, thus showing some patriotic tendency of consumption.