Consumer information
The term consumer information encompasses information that is circulated in order to create transparency and to contribute to a better understanding for consumers (i.e. for end consumers) with regard to the properties, strengths and weaknesses of products and services. This has a significant impact on consumers' assessment of the purchase or use of products and services . Consumer information can be differentiated both according to its type and also according to its sources or communication channels .
background
Consumers play a central role in our economic system as consumers of goods and services . The offer on the market is based on the needs, wishes and personal preferences of consumers, who through their actions and decisions can significantly influence the design, price and other factors of goods.
In order to make the right choice for them, consumers relied not only on the obvious factors such as functionality, appearance and price, but also increasingly on additional consumer information that describes the properties, strengths and weaknesses of a product or service. With the constantly growing variety of offers, a rapid pace of innovation and a wide range of information sources and media, it is becoming more and more difficult for consumers to filter out reliable and relevant consumer information.
Product features
According to Ingo Schoenheit, the properties of products or services can essentially be divided into three different categories:
- The buyer can fully assess search properties through his own perception (" inspection ") before buying a good . These include, for example, price, appearance and functional properties
- Experience characteristics, on the other hand, only become apparent after purchasing the product when using it. These include, for example, processing, shelf life, maintenance, follow-up costs and service.
- Trust properties are hardly or only with difficulty verifiable for the consumer. Whether a product actually has or had this particular property has to be “believed”. This includes, for example, ingredients , ecological production, environmental compatibility . However, special initiatives such as the Consumer Information Act can at least partially remedy this. The law ensures the right to information on certain data and products.
Consumer information can relate to any of these properties. Depending on the focus and background, information usually illuminates a certain sub-area or different sub-areas. As a rule, comprehensive consumer information on a product or service can hardly be guaranteed, but the consumer has to get his own overall picture from various sources.
Sources and channels for consumer information
Consumers can use various sources to obtain consumer information. The most important are listed below.
Product manufacturer / service provider
The manufacturer or supplier of products and services must by law certain information such as price, product identification , et cetera forward. However, companies usually communicate more detailed information on the product (equipment, awards, etc.), also in order to advertise this to consumers. However, the effect is blurred here by the fact that the consumer has to differentiate between pure information and advertising promises.
Public institutions / offices
Germany
Consumer protection is part of the Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection . Detailed information on consumer rights, obligations of providers, etc. can be accessed via the website of the Federal Ministry and the branches of the federal states. Furthermore, the consumer advice centers act as a point of contact for advising consumers and answering concerns and questions.
Other consumer organizations
Various consumer organizations and non-governmental organizations help educate consumers and provide targeted consumer information. On the one hand, these can be topic-specific organizations that specialize in a certain area of offer such as nutrition or cars / traffic. On the other hand, there are cross-thematic consumer organizations such as the independent and legally responsible Stiftung Warentest , which tests and compares products and services in comparative product tests for various criteria.
Consumer portals on the Internet
Consumer portals on the Internet also provide clarity here . Similar to the consumer organizations, there are portals that report on certain subject areas. Comparison portals and meta search engines that compare the data and prices of offers are also becoming increasingly popular . Depending on the orientation of the portal , test results for products can be in the foreground, or a wide range of topics can simply be compared. In order to maintain their credibility as relevant consumer information, such information sources should be as independent as possible, i.e. not driven by the sale of their own products.
Increasingly, consumer portals also rely on the public. In addition to portals that allow customer reviews and experience reports (see below), for example, Lebensmittelklarheit.de of the consumer centers and the Federal Association of Consumers (vzbv) offer consumers the opportunity to collect and discuss consumer deceptions.
Testimonials and ratings
The experience characteristics mentioned under product characteristics are gaining more and more importance in the opinion of consumers and complete their picture of consumer information. There are also some specialized portals that collect customer experiences and process them in ratings and comments.
Other media
The media in the broader sense also disseminate a large amount of consumer information. This includes broadcasts on television and radio . Magazines and research, for example in the ARD in Plusminus, provide information about trends and backgrounds to certain products or topics in the interests of consumers.
Individual evidence
- ↑ The economic importance of consumer information , as of 2004.
- ↑ The Blue Angel as one of the first environmental seals worldwide , as of January 2011.
- ↑ foodwatch exposes the anti-consumer practices of the food industry and fights for consumer rights .
- ^ General German Automobile Club - ADAC .
- ↑ Stiftung Warentest: independent and objective .