Consumers are noted to move through a very predictable decision-making process as they attempt to decide on what to purchase. For the Aston Martin Company to develop an effective marketing plan, they do need to consider the entire consumer decision-making process concerning the vehicles they offer as well as their principles. The main role of marketing entails the identification of the demand for vehicles in the market while also assuring the availability of the products in the market. With the help of the decision-making process, the company can take appropriate action and also meet its goals effectively. Kotler et al (2013) do argue that understanding the behavior of the consumer is important when it comes to marketing management. The consumer in this instance becomes the most important character in marketing with the main focus in the case of Aston Martin being that of using the decision-making process to understand consumer behavior when purchasing a car. The stages a consumer does go through in their decision-making process features problem recognition, information search, evaluation of alternatives, product choice, and the outcomes. The type of decisions that Aston Martin buyers make does depend on numerous factors that are aligned with the risks that they face.

The decision-making process is useful in the creation of the marketing plan considering they do allow a marketer to take into consideration the nature of the consumer who wishes to purchase a new vehicle. The decision-making process does allow the consideration for why a consumer wishes to purchase a vehicle, an Aston Martin in particular. The brand does produce a top-of-the-line luxury vehicles that are known for their high performance and reliability. Through understanding this process, targeting becomes easy as a consumer who wishes to purchase a vehicle from the company would also desire recognition that comes with driving a car that fits his personality. Chen et al (2014) note that in targeting new clients, an organization has to keep demographic criteria such as income, gender as well as age. The decision-making process does allow all these variables to be considered by the company hence they can target their customers with their products. Information search does come in as the next step as the client would conduct research on which car is suitable. A man selecting this brand would be seeking a well-designed high-performance vehicle. For example, the Volvo car company focuses its marketing on the presentation of safety and reliability in their cars. This is aimed at individuals who are looking for this specific element in the cars they purchase and can be an ideal marketing tactic that Aston Martin can use in marketing their high-performance cars.

In the evaluation of the alternatives, the decision-making process is beneficial in allowing marketers of the brand to understand that their cars will be compared to other brands hence the consumer would find more details about it (Workshop 3, slide 7). The continuous development of the various vehicles that the company produces will ensure that it does have a positive image. For example, the Standard Chartered organization does develop new products for their consumers hence they can retain their customers. When the consumer evaluates the alternatives, it is key to ensure that the cars and services produced by the Aston Martin Company are ranked as the top when it comes to reliability, safety, and high performance as it would meet the needs of the consumer. The fourth stage of product choice entails the purchasing decision made as comparisons have been made and the client would choose the Aston Martin since it is in his price range and it offers what he seeks in performance.

The decision-making process does allow a marketer to take into consideration the outcomes as the final stage. This stage entails post-purchase evaluations of the products that the company has to offer. In this instance, if the client settles for an Aston Martin, they will consider the performance of the vehicle and the after-sales services that the company has to offer. Consumer satisfaction does come in handy in this instance as it determines if the consumer would conduct future business with the company or even recommend the vehicle to other people. The consideration of the decision-making process in Aston Martin’s marketing plan is important as it allows the company to take a specific positional strategy that would allow them to reach its target market effectively. The decision-making process would allow the company to take into account the macro and micro factors that affect the decision-making of the clients that would purchase their brand. This puts them in a better position in creating a good marketing plan.