Marketing Research and Insight Glossary

Definitions, common uses and explanations of 1,500+ key market research terms and phrases.

What is a Consideration Set?

Research Topics:
Decision Research Consultation | Psychological/Emotion Research
Content Type:
Glossary
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Consideration Set Definition

The set of alternatives that potential consumers would consider when buying a product or service.

A consideration set is a set of options or alternatives that potential consumers are willing to choose from when deciding what to purchase. In other words, it’s a subset of brands or products that a consumer actively evaluates when buying within a particular product category.  It’s key in marketing research because it provides businesses insight to which brands are included or excluded from consideration by customers. The information helps businesses to focus their marketing efforts.

Who relies on consideration sets?

Marketing professionals, advertisers and businesses pay attention to consideration sets so they can tailor their marketing strategies to influence consumer preferences, thus increasing the chances of their brand being chosen by the purchasing public.

Why should I care about consideration sets?

Consideration sets directly impact marketing decisions because they influence the success or failure of products and service offerings. This concept helps marketing professionals be cognizant of how consumer preferences are shaped and how marketing strategies can be designed to meet customer needs.