EKB Model

Each box in this model of consumer behaviour represents a variable that may influence behaviour. The arrows connecting boxes describe the relationships between the variables as well as emphasising that the consumer behaviour is a dynamic ongoing process.

The general public is continually exposed to stimuli, a stimulus represents anything but is generally inherent in the environment. It has the potential to trigger some kind of behaviour and in terms of marketing can be used by putting together and controlling a set of stimuli intended to influence consumer buying behaviour.

Stimuli provide information that consumers must process. This task includes exposure, attention, comprehension and retention. Exposure refers to a stimulus reaching one of the senses while attention indicates on which of these stimuli the consumer will focus. Comprehension is the process by which consumers attach meaning to a stimuli. Just because a consumer is attentive toward a marketing offer doesn't mean the offer will be seen as intended, retention refers to the memory process that determines which of the many stimuli that have gone through the initial three stages of consumer information processing will be remembered as not all stimuli will be retained in memory.