INTRODUCTION

First developed in 1968.

The EKB model of consumer behavior was originally designed to
save as framework for organizing the fast growing body of
knowledge concerning consumer behavior.
This model talks of consumer behavior as a decision making
process in the form of four steps (activities) and other related
variables which occur over a period of time.
The Engel- Kollat -Blackwell model is essentially a conscious
problem solving and learning model of consumer behavior.
 Contd
This model has a good description of active information seeking
and evaluation processes of consumer.
It has gone through a no. of revision aimed at improving its
descriptive ability & clarifying basic relationship between
component &sub component.
A key feature of the EKB model is the differences between high
and low involvement as part of the buying process.
High involvement is present in the high risk purchase.
Low involvement is present in the low risk purchase.
 COMPONENTS
Information processing
Decision Process

Decisional variables and

External influences
Information Processing

This component comprises the consumers selective exposure,

attention, comprehension and retention of stimuli relating to a
product or brand received from marketing and non-marketing
sources.
The consumer is exposed to stimuli (and the accompanying
information);attention determines which of the stimuli he will
focus upon; Thereafter he would interpret and comprehend it,
accepts it in his short term memory and retains it by transferring
the input to long-term memory.
 Decision process

It is triggered at any time during information processing The

decision process component of the model consist of:
PROBLEM RECOGNITION

INTERNAL SEARCH AND EVALUATION

EXTERNAL SEARCH AND EVALUATION

PURCHASE PROCESSES

DECISION OUTCOMES
 Decisional variables
The stimuli thus received and retained are processed.
Stored information and past experience about the product/ brand
which serves as a memory for comparing different alternatives;
Evaluative criteria which the consumer uses in judging the
alternatives.
General and specific attitudes which influence the purchase
decision;
Basic personality traits, which influence how the consumer is
likely to respond to various alternatives.
External influences

The environmental factors that may influence the consumers

purchase decision are income, culture, family, social class
and physical situations.
Depending on the specific product under consideration, these
factors may have a favorable or unfavorable influence on the
purchase decision.