EBK model

EBK model
See also
Consumer decision making Bettman model Marketing principles Consumer buying behaviour Sales techniques Hunger marketing Markov model Fishbein model Consumer decision making process

EBK model is one of the structural models of consumer behaviour. It is a holistic model, with a full description to the decision making problem, reflecting consumer behaviour process during choosing product or service. It was developed in 1968 by J.F. Engel, D.T. Kollat and R.D. Blackwell. The name comes from the first letters of the names of its creators.

Stages of consumer decision-making in EBK model

The authors distinguish 5 consecutive stages of the decision-making process (fig. 1):

1. Identification of the problem - involves generating consumer needs, consumer sees a gap between the ideal and the current state of things.
2. Search for information how to solve problem - consumer looks for information about available opportunities, search begins with internal sources (own memory), on the basis of past experience or from an external source.
3. Assessment of options - consumer examines and assesses the possible variants of choice in order to make the best decisions; This process is influenced by such factors as: criteria for assessing options, beliefs, attitudes, intentions, circumstances.
4. Choice - purchase decision arises from the assessment of goods available on the market. However, the decision might also be affected by: change of income, price family situation of the consumer, etc.

Fig. 1. EBK model stages

1. Effects of choice - purchase may induce in consumer:
   • satisfaction - consumer is happy with the choice, the purchase is in line with his beliefs and past experiences, in this situation, the consumer stores this experience in his information stores for use in making future decisions,
   • dissonance - consumer is not sure about effects of decision, doubts whether the other variants were rightly rejected, often is angry and dissatisfied, may avoid choosing this product or service again in future.

See also:

• Bettman model
• Nicosia model of consumer behaviour
• Howard Sheth model of consumer behaviour
• Consumer decision making process
• AIDA model

References

• Engel J.F., Kollat D.T., Blackwell R.D., Consumer Behaviour, Holt, Reinhart & Winston, New York 1968, s. 32.
• Foxall, G. (2009). Interpreting consumer choice: The behavioural perspective model. Routledge.
• Foxall, G. R., Oliveira-Castro, J. M., James, V. K., & Schrezenmaier, T. C. (2011). Consumer behaviour analysis and the behavioural perspective model. Management Online Review (MORE).
• Kandasamy, C. (2015). Models of Consumer Behaviour - a Study. Asia Pacific Journal of Research Vol: I. Issue XXIX.
• Kollat, D. T., Engel J. F., & Blackwell, R. D. (1970). Current problems in consumer behavior research. Journal of Marketing Research, 327-332.

Author: Krzysztof Wozniak