15A: Figuring Out Buyer Behavior Part 2

Previously, I stated that my segment consists of “People who are uncomfortable wearing face masks in public and seek a more natural option. Ideally, this segment would care about health and safety issues and could even include protestors, as the last exercise unraveled the need for those attending demonstrations to have protection because they’re packed so close to other people.” For my interviews, I chose to talk to 3 people who _____.

For my first interview, I spoke with a recent UF grad who now works as a RN BSN at Tampa General Hospital. Since wearing masks for hours upon hours is now part of her daily routine, I asked her how she’d feel about flesh-toned masks that provide safety measures that align with CDC guidelines while being completely breathable. She said it seemed too good to be true, which made me rethink the plausibility of my business idea objectively rather than idealistically, but overall showed much interest. Due to the high-risk nature of her job, she doesn’t consider price a big obstacle when picking their product but heavily relies on durability and efficiency. N95 masks are the go-to for both her and her colleagues, so not much thought is put into experimenting with other brands--unless the hospital runs an all-time low. This nurse’s protective gear is provided by the hospital, making it a B2B purchase, and usually isn’t involved in the transaction. When thinking back on the “rightness” of the purchase, my interviewee says that she judges based on how healthy her patients are after she interacts with them. Her ultimate mission is to keep them safe, and right now durable masks seem to be the best way to prevent passing on the virus to susceptible patients. 

Although I stated that those in my segment would be protestors who attend the rallies popping up all over our nation currently, a broader view of that would be someone who’s in close proximity to many people--no matter the occasion. Therefore, I chose to interview a friend who plans on going to Walt Disney World in mid-June when they reopen. This interviewee is an avid theme park goer and has an annual pass to Disney World, so I wanted to explore her thoughts on the new safety measures the company has ordered upon their reopening. Since facial coverings will be mandatory, I asked my friend what kind of facial covering she’d be most comfortable with, and she said that anything that coordinates with her outfit would work. After introducing the skin-toned masks to her, she seemed really eager because she wouldn’t have to worry about coordinating, but one interesting aspect she brought up was that nude masks would be a lot cooler for the summer than black masks which soak up heat. My segment would most likely purchase these masks in person, especially if they’re displayed inside a theme park store. It seems as though the main thing that determines whether the purchase was a good idea or not is the mask’s effect on fully enjoying a day at the theme park.

Lastly, I spoke with a current UF student who’s preparing to return back to campus in the fall and needs to start planning out his mask supply now. I asked this interviewee how he feels about in-person classes and large gatherings like football games, and he said that if UF decides to hold them, he’ll trust the University’s safety guidelines because they’ve probably put a lot more thought into it than he has. He didn’t really seem to show high concern for the protective makeup of the mask, but definitely wanted something that would easily blend in and be inconspicuous on his face--especially if he’d need to be wearing it every day. He went on to elaborate on how he can’t help but to feel a bit uncomfortable wearing masks in public even if he knows that everyone else is. This feeling was heightened after seeing a post on social media about “ridiculous” types of masks and being aware that people snap photos of others outside. If he were to buy skin-toned masks, he would buy them online based on his high online activity and a post-purchase event that would make him believe his purchase was a bad idea would be backlash about his choice posted on social media or any crude comments regarding his purchase. 

Apart from the nurse who works as a healthcare professional, I gathered that the majority of individuals have less concern for the effectiveness and safety of their facial masks than the actual look of it. I connected this to the highly visual age that we’re living in, specifically the impact that social media has on our culture and the emphasis put on how we present ourselves to society. It was really interesting to discover a new benefit of the flesh-colored mask that even I hadn’t thought of, which was its benefit in the summer of not soaking in heat like black fabric. The major post-purchase evaluation, apart from those working in the medical field, seems to be whether the product elevated or hindered their ability to enjoy themselves outside.