Chapter 6 Consumer Decision Making

A Porsche 911 is one of the iconic car brands from the sixties that is still on sale today. For some customers the purchase of the car is very sentimental, maybe a childhood dream car. For others it can be bought solely for status, to impress friends at the country club. The Porsche has the ability to be a jack of all trades when it comes to satisfying what a customer expects what the car to do for them.

Firstly any customer looking to buy a 911 that searches the non marketing controlled sources like EVO or Car and Driver, will be berated with car of the year awards and accolades. And they will all echo what Ferry Porsche said, “The 911 is the only car you could drive on an African safari or at Le Mans, to the theater or through New York City traffic.”

Buying a sports car is not something most people do lightly. It will require extensive decision making and a lot of involvement on their part. A perspective buyer will think about what the car says about him. Buying a rosso corsa (racing red) Ferrari might come off as a bit outlandish to others, but a white 911 gives you the brand recognition and head turning looks without putting people off. Its an unassuming cool. That is the type of social visibility the Porsche offers.

The 911 permeates cultures all over the world. It crosses languages barriers, and reaches through to all social classes. The car is usually restricted because of the cost to the middle and upper class. A test was conducted using a 911 where it was concluded that driving the car can actually increase the amount of testosterone that the driver produces. It goes to show that driving the car can actually make you feel better.

There are many reasons for buying a 911. It could be the status symbol, or the performance. The way it makes you feel or the fulfillment of a childhood dream. But something buyers will over look is the way a 911 makes others feel. The emotion it evokes in people young and old. Inspiring a young child to dream or making someone remember their dreams as a young child. Ultimately the sports car is an emotional purchase and the 911 is one of the most emotional
sports cars on sale today.