Final answer:
It is true that marketing metrics like product awareness and customer satisfaction tend to precede changes in purchasing behavior, reflecting a causal relationship between a customer's perception of a product's value and their ensuing buying decisions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that changes in marketing metrics such as product awareness, customer satisfaction, and customer perceptions of relative product quality and customer value generally precede actual changes in customer purchasing behavior is true. Metrics like product awareness and customer satisfaction are predictors of purchasing behaviors because they reflect the information available to the buyer.
As this information builds up, customers form beliefs about the potential satisfaction they might derive from a product or service. These beliefs, influenced by marketing efforts, can shift customer preferences and eventually lead to changes in purchasing behavior.
Consider an example of a store altering its storefront displays. Such a change might initially increase product awareness and over time, could influence customers to develop positive perceptions about the product's status-enhancing qualities.
Similarly, intangible aspects of a product, like a satisfaction guarantee or a reputation for high quality, can also differentiate a product and shape customer perceptions, which ultimately sway purchasing decisions. Budget allocations towards advertising are a testament to the impact these metrics have on eventual purchasing behaviors.