What Are Mecs in Consumer Behaviour

The associations in the mind of the consumer between A’s, C’s and V’s are labelled means-end chains (MEC). These chains are often seen as a representation of the basic drive that motivates consumer behaviour. Numerous studies have shown that techniques using MEC are suitable for a wide range of marketing applications.

What is the means-end chain?

A means-end chain, therefore, is a structure that connects product or service attributes to consequences produced by these and the latter to values (Mulvey et al., 1994; Reynolds & Gutman, 1988). For example, the attribute quality can lead to a consequence of optimizing time, which can also lead to the value security.

What is the means-end chain analysis?

Means-end chain analysis refers to a set of techniques for interviewing individual consumers about the reasons for their product choice and interpreting consumers’ responses in terms of generalizable linkages between outcomes (Olson & Reynolds, 2001).

Sophia Al-Mansoor

Sophia Al-Mansoor

Global Business & E-Commerce Reporter

Sophia analyzes international trade, startup ecosystems, retail transformation, and supply chain logistics for modern digital publications.

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