Buyer Behavior 2

To take a closer look at my solution to Red Tide Outbreaks, I wanted to get a better understanding of my consumers. Therefore, I set out to interview three different local politicians that manage the  funding that would pay for my proposed solution. Unfortunately, I was only able to get statements from these individuals on their current efforts to combat Red Tide and there proposed future solutions. I hope that I can remain in contact with them to get more detailed information regarding their preferences and behaviors.

As I interviewed these individuals, I discovered that their major concerns were the impacts on the local environments more than cost.  All of them had examined a plethora of options to combat Red Tide, and the common theme was their concern for preserving the environment. Although I expected them to care about the environment, their willingness to spend the money to fix the problem and reverse the increasing number of blooms was surprising. After thinking about it, I realized that this approach was related to a long term goal of preserving the environment that generates tourism and satisfaction among residents.

All of them had examined bringing in companies from other states or other countries, but they were discouraged for many reasons. They wanted a company to work locally and be held accountable to the community. Not to mention, they wanted a program where local officials could oversee the program and work cooperatively to ensure the needs were being fulfilled. This is very encouraging because my original plan was to establish offices in the communities heavily affected by Red Tide.

In terms of post-purchase evaluation, their main focus was the overall health of the environment. Red Tide is known for causing dangerously low levels of oxygen gas that has devastating impacts on marine environments. Although the main focus was decreasing the severity and frequency of these blooms, they wanted to see a healthy environment. Not only is it essential to the happiness of the community, but tourism is driven by the environment. Their overall goal is to get a return on the investment by preserving the tourism industry associated with beaches and the ocean.

Overall, this segment of city officials had very similar buyer behaviors. Unlike many other segments, cost was not the most important factor, but preserving the long term sustainability of the environment was their top priority. They wanted to work with a local company that could utilize the resources of local and state agencies. This was not surprising because older generations appreciate face-to-face contact more than younger generations. Lastly, their number one post-purchase evaluation was the overall health of the environment. They were willing to invest a substantial amount of money as long as their were positive results on the environment.