The Consumer Education Journey

Abstract: Thesis purpose The purpose of our thesis is to explore how and why consumers with low prior knowledge educate themselves about sports supplements and what effect gender has. Methodology Our research derives from a pragmatic orientation. We conducted a multi-method qualitative study, combining observations and interviews in order to explore and understand the online customer journeys of consumers with low prior knowledge. Theoretical perspective Our study is based upon a number of theories. The main theory is customer journeys and touch points, and we also draw upon theories on cognitive decision-making, social learning, brands and gender to support our analysis. Empirical data Our empirical data consists of screen and voice-recordings of consumers conducting a purchase scenario, gathering their online customer journeys and thought process. Furthermore, semi-structured interviews were conducted based on the screen and voice-recordings. Findings/conclusions Our study has two main findings. First, we found that consumers go on one of three types of education journeys, these are the brand-owned education journey, the social education journey and the hybrid education journey. Second, in regards to gender and the education process, females and males tend to educate themselves to alleviate different types of perceived risk. Our results indicate that females tend to perceive more functional and physical risks, whereas males tend to perceive more monetary and time risks with the purchase of protein powder. Practical implications Our study contributes with a number of managerial insights on how to improve consumer education journeys. Our paper suggests managers should focus on elements such as brand familiarity, packaging and price. In addition, they should integrate more social touch points on their brand platforms to increase transparency and encourage consumer engagement.