To do a consumer analysis for the product—the good, service, or idea—in your marketing plan:

1. Identify the consumers who are most likely to buy your product—the primary target market—in terms of (a) their demographic characteristics and (b) any other kind of characteristics you believe are important.
2. Describe (a) the main points of difference of your product for this group and (b) what problem they help solve for the consumer, in terms of the first stage in the consumer purchase decision process in Figure 5–1.
3. Identify the one or two key influences for each of the four outside boxes in Figure 5–4: (a) marketing mix, (b) psychological, (c) sociocultural, and (d) situational influences.

This consumer analysis will provide the foundation for the marketing mix actions you develop later in your plan.