12A Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 1

The segment that I chose was college students living on campus at UF.

Interviews
For this set of interviews, I went to campus and tried to target individuals at fast food joints with the assumption that they fit my criteria; lack of proper dietary knowledge/eating habits (uncertainty in what they should be eating or what nutrients need to be delivered to the body on a daily basis) or too lazy/busy to grocery shop and cook a decent meal. It took me several attempts but I was able to find three individuals who ended up having the problem I have explained thus far.

• Interview 1: The first interviewee, 22, said that they believe their need becomes the most salient the moment they wake up for classes and at random points throughout the day. They stated that since they wake up early enough to catch a bus and rush to class and considering that they have a busy schedule (classes, activities, hw) throughout the day, they rarely find the time to go grocery shopping for healthy ingredients and to cook a decent meal at home. As soon as they realize that they won't have the time to do so, they stated that they just go to whichever restaurant is closest to them. 

• Interview 2: This interviewee, 19, stated that even though they have a pretty flexible schedule they are simply too lazy to cook and lack the proper dietary/nutritional knowledge as well. They wish to further enhance their dietary knowledge. They said that their need becomes the most salient when they get hungry but don't want to cook. They also stated that their solution is buying frozen foods (both healthy and unhealthy) or settling for the nearest fast food restaurant. Often times they even google a plethora dietary information as well as recipes but decide not to follow through with the grocery shopping and cooking. Often times they seek the advice of their "fit" friends.

• Interview 3: This interviewee stated that their need becomes the most salient on the way to classes, after classes when they go straight to work, and after work when they have to sit down and do hw if they have any. Their solution is to heat up anything frozen or to go to any of their preferred restaurants.

Conclusion

Based on what I learned, many college students seemingly don't have the time to go grocery shopping and cook themselves something nourishing or they are uncertain of what to eat and what to stay away from. For many of these individuals, delivering the proper nutrients to their body isn't at the top of their list but there are some who want to change that in whichever way possible.