Consumer Influences

Marketing mix, Socio-cultural, Situational and Psychological influences are what drives a person to go through the following five steps of the purchase decision: 

1. Problem Recognition- this step is when a person realizes they need or want a product.
2. Information Search- an internal or external search for clarifying the problem. 
3. Evaluation of Alternatives- objection and subjection of various different companies offering the same product.
4. Purchase Decision- the official decision of the product brand, the place to buy the product and when to buy it. 
5. Post-Purchase Behavior- the behavior and how a consumer reacts after buying the product. It can often lead to cognitive dissonance which is when the consumer has a second thought about buying the product.

What influences me the most to go through this process is the Situational influence. I often buy products when I "feel" like having them. For example, when I'm at school, the smell of the food places often makes me feel hungry which often results in me purchasing lunch or a snack.