The Influence of Customer Attitudes towards Sustainability on the Customer Journey: An Analysis of the Potential Impact of Marketing Channels on Consideration and Purchase of Skincare Products
Bachelor thesis
Date
2023Metadata
Show full item recordCollections
- Studentoppgaver (Business) [1031]
Abstract
As markets are becoming more and more competitive and consumers have an abundance ofinformation about products available at the tips of their fingers, marketing professionals mustcarefully decide which information channels to prioritise. Additionally, the trends of being“sustainable” and “eco-friendly” are becoming increasingly popular. The concept ofcustomer journey is also widely researched, proving to be a valuable tool for identifying theneed and desires of the consumer and guiding them down the path to purchase a product orservice. However, the studies surrounding how this journey should differ for a consumerfocused on sustainability compared to a consumer with little interest in the subject, is limited.This study is an initial attempt to investigate the relationship between two phases of thecustomer journey (i.e., consideration and purchase) and the chosen information channelsregarding sustainability. Data for this study were collected with the help of a self-reportedquestionnaire. The survey was mostly distributed through social media channels.By conducting a regression analysis on the results of the survey, the data supports our theorythat there may be a relationship between the two chosen phases of the customer journey (i.e.,consideration and purchase) and common communication channels. The general findings inour analysis indicate that respondents with an interest in sustainability have higher valuesfor the consideration stage than respondents with a lower interest in sustainability. For thepurchase stage we found opposite to be true.For either group the most influential channels of communication for the consideration phasewere Reviews and Word-of-Mouth. As for the purchase stage, both sustainable and nonsustainablegroups showed the highest values for Physical Store as their purchase channelof choice.Results obtained in this thesis provide insights into the factors that influence consumerbehaviour in relation to interest in sustainability and the stages of the customer journey. Theresults of our research can benefit marketing professionals wishing to increase the efficiencyof their advertising and may prompt further studies of the concepts presented within thisthesis. As markets are becoming more and more competitive and consumers have an abundance ofinformation about products available at the tips of their fingers, marketing professionals mustcarefully decide which information channels to prioritise. Additionally, the trends of being“sustainable” and “eco-friendly” are becoming increasingly popular. The concept ofcustomer journey is also widely researched, proving to be a valuable tool for identifying theneed and desires of the consumer and guiding them down the path to purchase a product orservice. However, the studies surrounding how this journey should differ for a consumerfocused on sustainability compared to a consumer with little interest in the subject, is limited.This study is an initial attempt to investigate the relationship between two phases of thecustomer journey (i.e., consideration and purchase) and the chosen information channelsregarding sustainability. Data for this study were collected with the help of a self-reportedquestionnaire. The survey was mostly distributed through social media channels.By conducting a regression analysis on the results of the survey, the data supports our theorythat there may be a relationship between the two chosen phases of the customer journey (i.e.,consideration and purchase) and common communication channels. The general findings inour analysis indicate that respondents with an interest in sustainability have higher valuesfor the consideration stage than respondents with a lower interest in sustainability. For thepurchase stage we found opposite to be true.For either group the most influential channels of communication for the consideration phasewere Reviews and Word-of-Mouth. As for the purchase stage, both sustainable and nonsustainablegroups showed the highest values for Physical Store as their purchase channelof choice.Results obtained in this thesis provide insights into the factors that influence consumerbehaviour in relation to interest in sustainability and the stages of the customer journey. Theresults of our research can benefit marketing professionals wishing to increase the efficiencyof their advertising and may prompt further studies of the concepts presented within thisthesis.