The wilko consumer

A consumer is a person or an organisation that is specifically targeted to sell a product or service, or the end-user who pays to use a product or service. Some businesses will cater for all consumers, such as supermarkets, who provide groceries for all. Other businesses may target a particular audience. (Nike - Sports clothing & equipment for active under 40s)

A business may have a portfolio of brands which each target a different market segment. Gillette - owned by Proctor & Gamble - target their products to men. P&G also own brands such as Olay & Pampers that cater for different audiences. (All products available at wilko)

The 3 infographics below profiles the three types of customer identified in wilko's target audience, where they are likely to shop, what media they consume and what their interests are likely to be according to internal comms...

Students/young single people

Students/part time job
Setting up in halls or rented place
Quick, easy house makeovers
Simple recipes
Easy, convenient solutions
Entertaining friends & being social
May send their laundry home to their parents

30-40s couples with children

In a career role
Setting up a new home
Keeping kids entertained
Home schooling
Cleaning & tidying a messy house
Training new pets

Mature/retired with no children

Have savings to spend on bigger renovation projects
Gardening and housekeeping
Decluttering the house
Have pets for companionship
Spend time with grandkids, baking, playing games.

wilko has promotions throughout the year that will target one or more segments of their audience. For example "Keep the kids busy" & "Back to school" promotions will target the growing families, who are looking for games to keep their children entertained and school equipment. "Halloween" whilst targeting families will also appeal to the "Starting out-ers" who may decorate their student halls & have parties. A regular garden newsletter attracts the interest of those who maintain their garden, which are often retired people who have more time to spare.

Target audience Vs Target market

Though they may sound similar, there is a key difference between a target market and a target audience.

A target market is an identified group that a business aims to market its products and services towards. The target market defines product development, distribution, pricing and branding.
A target audience is a group who the business expects to make the purchase of products and services. The target audience defines promotion and advertising.

For example, Action Man is a toy whose target market is boys aged 5-14, however the target audience would be the parents who would purchase the toy. Advertising must therefore capture the imagination of the children with a fun product, dramatic TV adverts and cool branding, but also attract the attention of parents with good price and product promotions.

wilko sell a wide range of student essentials and "basic" plate & cutlery sets that are heavily promoted at the end of summer. The big promotion was our "Kitchen in a box' which contained all the kitchen essentials for one great price £45. The target market are the students themselves, who have limited money and want high quality household items on a budget. They are also the target audience as the students pay purchase items for themselves, and with kitchen in a box, everything is all in one package so it's easy and convenient. The parents are also in the target audience. As "empty nesters" they may buy the items for their children who are leaving their home to live independently.

View kitchen in a box feature in ideal home magazine

The kitchen in a box was featured in Ideal Home magazine

The decision making process

The consumer decision making process is a method used by marketers to track the stages of a purchase from start to finish. This process may not apply for customers buying the weekly shop or small 'on a whim' purchases such as buying a chocolate bar, but generally the more complex and expensive the product, customers will go through a range of processes and considerations before finally making that purchase.

There are 5 stages to this process.

Problem recognition (I need this item) - The first stage is when a customer realises they need an item. This could be an item that solves a problem, or an item they desire to make them satisfied. It might be that a kettle that needs replacing or summer is approaching and the customer wants some new garden furniture. A business should recognise the problems their target audience will encounter and advertise what the customer's want. Eg: wilko will launch their garden range in the Spring, and discounts on appliances in the January sale, or start of university year when their target audience will be looking to buy/replace household appliances.
Information search - The customer will first gather information on the products they want. Eg: "My patio is 5x3m so I need a table that fits the space." Secondly they'll look for options. This could be browsing the shops or searching online. The customer may consider past interactions with your business to begin their browsing . 'I bought my toaster from wilko & its good quality so I'll look for kettles at wilko.' The customer will also notice advertisements for the product in question, whether that's taking note of a brand of kettle advertised on TV or seeing customised and sponsored search results (by wilko & others) in the internet browser/Facebook feed. wilko also have a range of blogs that help advise and inspire the customer.
Consideration of options - The customer has found a range of options for the products they need and now has to consider the best deal. This may be based on price, quality, or other factors that are important to them. Customers read reviews and compare prices, ultimately choosing the one that satisfies most of their parameters. Eg: 'This kettle I found at B&M is cheaper but this one at wilko holds more water and goes with my decor.' The customer will then ask themselves, 'Is this the product I want?', Is my kettle even broken?' if not, stages 2-3 may recommence until the customer is satisfied, or the process could even end here.
The purchase - The customer, armed with all the information and with all things considered has now made the decision. The customer buys the kettle in store or online. It is the business' job to ensure the purchase is made at their store with the overall best deal. Eg: wilko's kettle, though £5 dearer, has a 5 year guarantee and positive reviews'.
Post-purchase evaluation - The customer will assess if they have made the correct decision. Does it satisfy their need? Does it meet or exceed expectations? Using my example, they could place the kettle on the kitchen counter and think 'does this actually go with my decor?' or 'could I have got it cheaper elsewhere.?' The customer will either be satisfied or unsatisfied. Hopefully from a business POV the customer is satisfied and will be a returning customer. They may even recommend the product or point of purchase to others and leave a nice review. A bad experience of buyer’s remorse and your brand perception could be tarnished. wilko has a buy me, love me, keep me promise which the customer can return any item within 30 days no questions asked.

Being aware of customer problems can create opportunities for building a competitive advantage in the market and develop strategies to overcome the needs of the consumer. Stimulating the need recognition through advertising may help initiate the decision making process. Knowing where customers look for the products you sell will aid marketing planning. Also being available post-purchase, maybe with a follow-up Email or call to reassure the customer and be a positive reinforcer.

The wilko customer journey

I was recently tasked with illustrating the customer journey with wilko.

The factors which influence consumer behaviour

(working on this bit)

A number of factors influence our behaviour. Kotler and Armstrong (2008) define these as:

Psychological (motivation, perception, learning, beliefs and attitudes)
Personal (age and life-cycle stage, occupation, economic circumstances, lifestyle, personality and self concept)
Social (reference groups, family, roles and status)
Cultural (culture, subculture, social class system).

K6 -The target audience’s decision making process and how that can influence marketing activities

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse