Consumer research takes place at ev

Consumer research takes place at every phase of consumption process, before the purchase, during the purchase
and after the purchase. The criteria for a successful marketing of locally produced shoes include sound and
comprehensive knowledge of marketing concept by producers and marketers of such products.
Consumer decision making process is the stages buyers or consumers pass through to reach a buying decision.
Marketers need to focus on the entire buying process rather than on just the purchase decision. According to Kotler
and Armstrong (2007), a consumer passes through five stages which are: need recognition information search,
evaluation of alternatives, purchase decision and post-purchase behaviour. Palmer (2000), in his contribution to the
widely acclaimed buyer decision-making model, identities inputs as psychological and social influence, perceptual
reaction, process determinant, inhibitors and output as important processes in buyer’s decision-making process. The
marketing manager must understand source of inputs of the consumer to enable him source for consumers.
The input (information) can be obtained from personal or published sources. A customer is predisposition
determines why he behaves in a particular way. The culture that they live in, family, and personality factors amongst
others can influence this. There is need to understand the stages involved in decision making process as this would
help local shoe dealers depict consumers source of information and they can go through this sources in passing
information about the product. Managers should always try to find out the things that trigger a consumers patronage
behaviour.
For a marketing plan to be successful, it is essential that all elements of the marketing mix should support
each other. Marketing mixes will change between products, services and market situation and indeed this is what
makes marketing dynamic. It is the skill of the marketing person in manipulating mixes that can take a product or
service a success or a failure. The product or service is particularly important in this calculation, for this is a tangible
element that will appeal to consumers and it is upon this that consumer’s purchases and repeat purchases are based.
Lancaster and Reynolds (1998), defined product as a bundle of satisfactions; this include physical product and less
tangible service offering. Jobber (1995), defined product as anything which is capable of satisfying consumer’s
needs. He added that building quality into the core product is important. The core product must achieve the basic
functional requirement expected of it.
Price is the value or sum money at which supplier of a product or services and buyer agrees to carry out an
exchange transaction. Busch and Houston (1985), states that price is the value assigned to product one received from
goods or services. Price is the amount of money that is given up to acquire a given quantity of goods and services.
Kotler and Armstrong (1996), defined price as the amount of money charged for a product or services or the sum of
the values that consumers exchange for the benefits having or using the product or service. He says historically, price
has been the major factor affecting buyer choice in recent decades, non-priced factors have gained increasing
importance. However, price still remains the most important element determining a firm’s market share and
profitability. Price is the only element in the marketing mix that produces revenue, all other elements represent costs.
Price is also one of the most flexible marketing mix elements.
Place which is referred to as distribution is defined by American Marketing Association (1980), as the structure
of intra company agent and dealers, wholesale or retail, through which a commodity, product or service is marketed.