Consumer involvement tends to vary dramatically depending on the type of product and its relationship to the consumer. In general, consumer involvement tends to be higher for products that are very expensive (e.g., a home, a car) or are considered highly significant in the consumer's life (e.g., a newborn baby product).
Marketing strategy should take into account the level of involvement that a consumer has with a specific product, as this also dictates the type of information that the consumer needs to process in order to make a purchase decision.
The following levels of information processing are required, which can help dictate the marketing approach that should be used:
- Low-Involvement purchases tend to be made by habitual decisions (e.g., dish washing liquid, toothbrush). These require minimal information processing.
- Moderate-Involvement purchases tend to be made by simple decisions (e.g., orange juice, snacks). These often may require some evaluation of alternatives.
- High-Involvement purchases tend to be made by lengthy or more involved decisions (e.g., a car or a house). These are usually considered highly important to consumers and require extensive information processing.
Print advertising is considered high-involvement because newspapers and magazines provide information that can be processed clearly and can help shape attitudes and influence decisions. Television advertising is considered low-involvement because it presents information that is considered passive.
The four main types of buying behavior in consumer marketing depend on the level of consumer involvement:
High involvement & significant differences between brands (complex buying behavior):
- Example: Houses, kitchen renovation
- One-time sale
- Consumers need evaluation and pre-sale learning
- Selling activities are key
Low involvement & significant differences between brands (variety-seeking buying behavior):
- Example: Retail food stuff
- Consumers have added buying triggers
- Consumers want free samples, special deals
High involvement & few differences between brands (dissonance-reducing buying behavior):
- Example: Consumer electronics, top-line sport equipment
- Decision making is difficult both pre- and post-purchase
Low involvement & few differences between brands (habitual buying behavior):
- Example: Food, personal care products
- Brand familiarity and promotion with convenience is key
- Consumers look for price/sales promotions