Guess? and the Consumer Decision Process

Guess? and the consumer decision process.

What I have come to understand about the Consumer Decision Process is that it is influenced situationally, psychologically and socio-culturally, and is a very complex but highly insightful process.

Shopping for new clothing items for a specific occasion or outing has always been one of my favourite past times and one of my favourite ways to engage with a brand I already enjoy. A great example of a brand I frequent is Guess.


When I make a purchase decision in person, I usually already know what I want. Being a practical shopper, I always look for versatile items that can be dressed up or down and worn more than once. Before engaging in any shopping, I do a thorough look through my closet before making an excel spreadsheet of what I need. Being extremely familiar with Guess, their prices and the times of their sales, I can easily set a budget and stick to it. Knowing the fabrics well, I minimize 2 perceived risks: spending too much, and disappointing quality. Lastly, I am always pressed for time - by being very familiar with the brand, I cut out an entire process of consumer problem solving and skip into auto-pilot with my shopping.

Out of the 3 types of influences, when it comes to Guess I am strongly influenced by psychological and socio-cultural forces. I satisfy my Esteem Needs (Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs) as well as my ideal self-concept with Guess branded items. The look and feel of their clothing represents who I strive to be: a confident high-status woman who owns the room, who's always stylish and classy, outgoing and fun in nature.
Endorsed by famous it-girl models and successful female celebrities, Guess is very much a status symbol. As a consumer of the brand, It feels good to be associated with this idea.

Having reflected on my consumer decision making for one particular brand I shop with often, I can make the conclusion that how a person shops tells you very much about their personality, what they value and what social group they belong to. This type of data is very insightful and can make a marketer's career when matched with branding decisions in the work place.

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