15A Figuring Out Buyer Behavior

Interview #1: Joyce

Is it important to you to be able to be healthy without spending a lot of money on over-the-counter and prescription medications?

• Yes. Prescription medications and OTC medications can end up being extremely expensive, especially when you may have to buy them often due to colds and the flu you can get by being around so many different people at school. 

Would you rather have a homeopathic solution than a manufactured medication?

• Yes I would. I think it is healthier to use than having medication that you don't know what is in it and the potential side effects it may cause. 

Do you think that essential oils could have a healthy impact on your life?

• I do. They are extremely easy to use and are natural meaning less problems that could a person can have towards them. 

Why do you think people don't use essential oils as often as FDA regulated medication?

• People say that they are expensive and not worth the cost. 

Interview #2: Jonathan

Is it important to you to be able to be healthy without spending a lot of money on over-the-counter and prescription medications?

• Yes. As a college student, we are surrounding by so many different people and many of them could be sick at varying times during the semester, causing the spread of the disease at a fast rate. 

Would you rather have a homeopathic solution than a manufactured medication?

• I would. I believe that homeopathic solutions could solve the problems that come with FDA regulated medication. 

Do you think that essential oils could have a healthy impact on your life?

• Essential oils could definitely solve the problem I have because I am easily susceptible to getting sick and it takes me a while to get over being sick. 

Why do you think people don't use essential oils as often as FDA regulated medication?

• Some individuals aren't willing to test out different treatment types. 

Interview #3: Summer 

Is it important to you to be able to be healthy without spending a lot of money on over-the-counter and prescription medications?

• Definitely. I don't like using OTC or prescription medications because I am allergic to a lot of these medications. This gives me a really hard time because it takes me a while to get over being sick while using home remedies to treat my problems. 

Would you rather have a homeopathic solution than a manufactured medication?

• Yes because I think it is a healthier outlook for some small medical issues that I may have now or in the future. 

Do you think that essential oils could have a healthy impact on your life?

• Yes they could. I know that they can clean the air around you and boost your immune system. I also think that using it could lead for me to have a heartier immune system. 

Why do you think people don't use essential oils as often as FDA regulated medication?

• People don't believe they will be as affective than non-homeopathic remedies. 

3) Price does matter because my friend Joyce is a college student on a budget. Aesthetic and style doesn't matter to her really, she just wants a product that will be effective and work best for her. Another factor that is important is whether they will be effective for her particular problems that she may have and whether she enjoys the smell of some of the oils. For Jonathan, price is important for him because he doesn't want to spend an exorbitant amount of money. For Summer, she is concerned about the style of the oils and whether or not they will be effective for her. She wants to create a certain vibe in her apartment and believes that having certain smelling oils and diffuser looks could help with that. 

4) This product is something they would buy in the store. There are two different prices, wholesale and retail. The retail price is used for those who will only buy the oils once in a while, while the wholesale would be for those who buy oils every two weeks or every month. The consumer is involved in the purchase decision. 

5) What matters most to my customers is the reliability that these oils can provide through their life. After trying them, they want to find a product that could really help them in their life instead of spending so much money on OTC or prescription medications that don't even work at times. 

6) All three of my friends want similar things when it comes to buying the product. They all want something that is reliable and can help support their immune system in a homeopathic way instead of allopathic treatments. 

7) Many of the medications that are mass produced end up not being used to completion. Because of this, medications are often discarded haphazardly without proper disposal methods. Due to improper disposal methods, medications can leech into the water supply and contaminate the water.Almost everybody in the U.S knows how the FDA regulates new medications. They may trust the opinion of a large government corporation rather than a smaller, natural business. They may also believe that natural and homeopathic remedies like essential oils may not suffice.