Consumer Usage Analysis

Consumer Usage: Maggi noodles

 The report is based on a brief discussion with Mr Arinjay Vyas(a student of Nation Law University, Gandhinagar) on the food product he consumed (below Rs 100).

The detailed analysis on how Mr Arinjay  consumed and used Maggi noodles (Before the ban imposed on it) is given below:

The decision process of buying Maggi noodles:

• The first step in buying a product is identifying the need and identifying the various products which can satisfy the demands. In this case, the need of Mr Arinjay was to find a product which could satisfy his hunger and taste buds during snacks time (when he was a child) or when he is awake late till night (now as a student) - alone or with his friends. He wanted a ready to eat product or quick to cook product which could satisfy his hunger and his taste buds.
•  In order to satisfy he needs, he had various options like:

• Biscuits from Britannia, Parle, Sunfeast.
• Chips from brands like Fritolay, Bingo, Parle.
• Processed food from brands like Haldiram, Bikaji, etc.
• Instant noodles from Maggi, Sunfeast, Nissin, Ching’s, Knorr.

•  On evaluating all the options, he found that Maggi noodles satisfied both his need  - hunger and taste; and thus he has been consuming since long.

The consumer experience

•  He uses Maggi to satisfy his hunger not only during afternoon or late night snacks but sometimes also during dinner. Sometimes when he hangs out with his friends, they all prefer having Maggi as it can be cooked easily and also aligns with their taste preferences.
• He consumes Maggi around 3-4 times a week. The quantity consumed depends on the occasion and hunger. As there are various packages with different quantity available, he has many options to choose from.
• He not only eats Maggi at his home but also eats at canteen or stalls while he is out.
• According to him, it is not only him consuming Maggi at home, but even his parents and siblings consume Maggi. Though his parents do not have the same consumption rate as his, but they are also active consumers of Maggi.

Relationship with the product

• He has been eating Maggi since childhood and has since developed an affinity towards it. According to him, it was the taste that attracted him towards the product.

• Since he has been consuming it since his childhood, he had developed a special relation with the product. It is a product which he can have with his family as well as friends.
• Though the relationship is changing now as now he also considers the health effects of Maggi. Earlier he used to consume Maggi almost daily, but now he consumes a bit less as he thinks it is not very good for health due to the various controversies surrounding it.

Pleasant/ Unpleasant experience

•  On the experience part, he has never been disappointed by the product and its variants. For instance, he has tried all the variants like Fungaroo, Dumdaar, Chicken Masala, Aata noodles, etc and has found all the products delicious.
• However, he is now getting a little disappointed, as its cost is increasing, and the quantity per packet is decreasing. Since he was accustomed to a particular quantity and the estimation of his hunger, he perceived this change in quantity negatively.