Why does the majority decide to buy iPhones, when other smartphones supplied contain better features even at lower prices?
This insight brief seeks to explain some of the reasons why the majority decides to buy iPhones. By pointing out some of the biases usually incurred in consumers’ decision-making process, this might help consumers to identify and be aware of the biases they make through this process. Especially, the biases occurred in the state of information search. Thereby, hopefully, this insight brief might encourage better decision making.
The internet contains limitless access to information. This fact makes the consumers capable of finding websites comparing technological devices, such as smartphones, easily and effortless. Therefore, consumers should be able to make the best decision regarding their purchase of smartphones. In spite of this, consumers do not always make the best decisions. Often consumers choose to purchase iPhones mainly because of some biases occurred when processing and acquiring information.
According to the traditional model of consumer decision making, consumers reach the state of information search after they have recognized a problem (Kardes et.al. 2011). In the state of information search consumers often choose a cluster of brands to consider, called a consideration set. The consideration set is often evoked from memory, i.e. internal search, instead of through external information search, because information derived from memory is often less demanding and less effortful (Kardes et.al. 2011). The brands included in the consideration set are often brands that easy come to mind (Kappes, lecture 7) – especially, when the consideration set is evoked from memory. For this reason, brands such as Apple will usually be included in the consideration set because of the fact that consumers have positive associations with the