Steps In CDM (Consumer Decision Making) for Induction Cooker

Need - The Induction Cooker is a new technological advent in the Indian Kitchen. Induction Heating Techniques (IHT) systems was invented primarily by Michael Faraday in 1831. Even though Induction Heating cooker sales has reached it’s peak in the U.S where the technology was invented, In India it is still in its Infancy. Therefore, for a company like Godrej to sell this type of a product, it has to start with concept selling of the product. The need of the consumer has to be highlighted in the Ads, Promos. For example, the point should be driven in the minds of the consumers that it is a faster, more efficient, and time saving, no fire, less heat, no smoke, no radiation, easy to clean and an eco friendly cooking system.

Information Search - Probable Consumers use both Internal and External Searches to check out the product benefits and services. It is the External Searches that the Company should try to cash upon. The primary sources are the company’s website, TV, Radio, Internet, print, word of mouth, and the customer service. All these means have their own individual and different effect on the Psychology of the consumer. Therefore, while segmenting the market the effects of all these factors should be taken into account strategically to market the product.

Alternative Evaluation - At this stage there should be a three way strategy chiefly a)suggesting criteria’s to the consumer for the purchase, b)Cashing on the Brand Value , c) Developing a broad customer value perception which will also help the company in the long run. The consumer’s Evaluative Criteria’s will represent both the objective attributes of the product as well as the subjective factors like Prestige. All these queries should be carefully handled to help close the deal.

Purchase Decision - The purchase decision of the consumer will depend on three basic points i.e from Whom to Buy, When To Buy , Do not Buy .As it depends on the terms of the sale, past experience ,return policy , store atmosphere and pleasantness of the shopping experience ,a lot depends on the performance of the sales Executives and the way they establish the concept of the Induction Cooker and why the consumers NEED to buy it.

Post Purchase Behavior- This is one of the trickiest parts of the CDM. One of the major failures of concept selling is because of this stage. Often ,after the purchase the companies become indifferent to the consumer’s need .It may lead to catastrophic effects. Hence, there should be a dedicated customer service unit ready on a standby to solve the post sale problems, if any. If the buying experience is great , then it also leads to better reviews , blogs , better word of mouth ,twitter messages etc. Hence, some post sale calls should be made by the sales executives who made the sale or by the customer service executives. This also strengthens the consumer perception positively about the product and the brand.

Marketing Strategies for the Induction Cooker

Godrej can tie up with realty firms in B2B sales with upcoming projects and show them the benefits of Inductions cookers. By this way , the realty firms will understand their needs ,which in turn can save huge costs of laying down gas pipes. Plus it will be a value added service for the clients of the realty firms.

Similarly, the company can also tie up with hotels, restaurants, clubs to showcase the value added benefits like it being a fast cooking medium, low cost and maintenance, affordable with no smoke and eco friendly. For hotels , it can be specially useful because the wait up time for a customer who has ordered a meal would be cut down significantly as the cooker cooks up the food faster than any other contemporary cooking medium.

With the population of India growing in excess of 1.1 Billion there is always a need for new educational institutions like schools colleges etc. the company can also promote the product in these places .Especially, the canteens where the students can bring their own food and can heat it easily. This is turn helps the company also as it is already making the base for its future customers.

Also , the biggest customer for this product is going to be the Housewife. Therefore, at the outset when the Indian housewife is to be targeted as a customer to promote the product it is better to us a celebrity couple like Kajol & Ajay Devgan to promote the product. Also, the promotions of these ads should be on Family channels not on Music or Kids’ Channels. The timing of the ads is also very important. Also, for a working housewife, it will help her to cook the food faster which can save valuable time for her.

Godrej should also target the canteens of the corporate houses of the country. It then also helps in increasing the visibility of the product across a large section of the people from diverse background and this can also act as a catalyst for future sales..

In Malls, where the product is being sold , the sales team should have demonstration experts with them to not just market the product but also answer any queries from the consumer’s end.

Also, In the Initial Phases the company should target the product in the metros, and tier II cities mainly because communication in these places is much easier.

For a delighted customer, happy with the service received , the company should request to post some positive comments on the Blogs as well.

Some sort of certification like ISI which is accredited by the BIS should also be done so that the consumers can instantly believe that the product is safe.

When at the outset the company is starting to launch the product ,it can also incorporate some freebies like non-stick cookware + free cookbook to add value to the product sale benefits.

Plus in many Public areas, like Railway stations, bus stations, canteens etc…. big posters of the product should be displayed so that it also helps in creating the awareness of the product.

Last but not the least any probable consumer must be told that this product is for uplifting the standard of the Indian Kitchen. It’s a technological Marvel and is nothing like the consumer’s have used before. More so ,it adds value to the money spend on it. Not to mention the fact that it is also well supported by a powerhouse Like Godrej, after Sales Service would not be a problem.