12A – Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 1

1) Pick a segment. 

The segment that I have chosen is UF students between ages 18-21 that drive.

2) Find three people who would fit that segment and arrange to interview them.

The first is a female student, age 20, who drives a car. The second one is a male student, age 19 who drives a scooter. Finally a male student, age 21, who drives a pickup-truck.

3) Begin with need awareness. 

1. According to the questions answered during the interview, she becomes aware of the need when she is about to get out of her apartment complex. In order to get on the road she has to turn left without a traffic light, in which case is necessary to know when exactly you can go. This situations normally causes her stress because she doesn't know if the other drivers are prepared to stop in case something happens. Afterwards the need is constant until she arrives to her destination.
2. This student becomes aware of the need when he jumps on his scooter. "After I put my helmet I just hope for the best", he says,"but afterwards I'm constantly afraid because my scooter cannot go faster than 40 mph, so drivers that want to drive faster than that start tailgating me". He argues that he normally takes streets that the limit is 40mph, nevertheless people still become impatient.
3. This male student also fears for his safety even though he drives a truck. He argues that the need becomes apparent when he drives roads with more than one lane, since people with smaller cars cut his truck because they think they fit in little spaces. He also says that drivers who brake too late too hard can cause an accident on the roads. Gainesville has some hills that cause cars to rely on the brakes of the car in front, if they break too late then his life could get in jeopardy because the truck takes more time to decelerate. 

4) Move to information search. 

The three of them don't have a specific solution to the problem since they cannot control how other people drive. Instead, they just have to be extra cautious and act like nobody knows how to drive. Only in extreme cases they call the police, with the hopes that the driver gets some kind of penalization. 

5) Report the findings of your research. 

There are numerous ways people become aware of the need. It depends on: from where you are commuting, what roads you are taking, and what vehicle you are driving.

6) Draw conclusions. 

This segment although composed by teenagers which have the highest rates of accidents, shows that most of them are aware of the reckless drivers that are on the road every day. Also shows the need for the solution in a more general matter.