Why Consumers Say One Thing and Do Another If consumer behaviour and decision-making were completely rational, marketing would be much easier. Ask consumers what matters to them, and they will often give clear, logical answers: Yet real behaviour often tells a different story. Consumers say they want healthier food, but still buy impulsively.They claim advertising does not influence them, yet brand perception constantly shapes their choices.They say price matters most, while repeatedly paying premiums for brands they emotionally connect with. So why does this happen? The answer lies in the complexity of human psychology. And this is exactly why consumer behaviour research is so important. Why stated behaviour and real behaviour differ One of the biggest challenges in market research is understanding the “Say-Do gap“: This is often referred to as the difference between stated behaviour and observed behaviour. Human decision-making is influenced by: Many of these processes happen subconsciously. Consumers are not intentionally misleading researchers. Often, they simply do not fully understand their own decision-making. The psychology behind consumer behaviour Consumer choices are rarely driven by logic alone. Research from Harvard Business School suggests that up to 95% of purchasing decisions happen subconsciously. This means consumers often create rational…
