CHAPTER 4
COMPREHENSION, MEMORY, AND COGNITIVE LEARNING
WHAT DO YOU THINK POLLING QUESTION
I can usually remember more from a 30-second television commercial than I can from a
30-minute lecture.
Strongly disagree 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Strongly agree
Have students access www.cengagebrain.com to answer the polling questions for each chapter of
CB. Ask them to take the online poll to see how their answers compare with other students taking
a consumer behavior course across the country. Then turn to the last page of the chapter to find
the What Others Have Thought box feature. This graph is a snapshot of how other consumer
behavior students have answered this polling question thus far.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
After studying this chapter, the student should be able to:
L01 Identify factors that influence consumer comprehension.
L02 Explain how knowledge, meaning, and value are inseparable, using the multiple stores
memory theory.
L03 Understand how the mental associations that consumers develop are a key to learning.
L04 Use the concept of associative networks to map relevant consumer knowledge.
L05 Apply the cognitive schema concept in understanding how consumers react to products,
brands, and marketing agents.
SUGGESTED LECTURE OPENER
Social media is quickly becoming a popular method for marketers looking to deliver influential,
lasting, and targeted messages. General Motors launched a social media advertising campaign to
market the 2011 Buick Regal. Using cell phone messaging via Twitter and Internet sites like
Facebook, Flickr, and YouTube provides a highly interactive forum for consumers to receive and
deliver messages. These types of media allow marketers to develop dynamic and memorable
message characteristics. This format can also lend an air of credibility to message receivers
because they are able to communicate with the brand as well as with other consumers. [Source:
Suzanne Ashe, “Buick Drives Regal Message Through Social Media,” CNet Reviews, July 29,
2010, http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13746_7-20011997-48.html.]
LECTURE OUTLINE WITH POWERPOINT® SLIDES
Slide 1
Slide 2
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LO1. Identify the factors that influence consumer comprehension.
What Influences Comprehension?
Slide 3
Comprehension
Comprehension refers to the interpretation or understanding a consumer develops about some
attended stimulus based on the way meaning is assigned. It’s important to note
that consumers do not always comprehend the message that the marketer is trying
to convey. The book uses the warning labels on cigarette packages as an example. Consumers
can also overestimate the dangers associated with smoking when they observe a typical package
warning. It appears that warning labels have little effect on consumer behavior.
Three important issues with regard to comprehension include:
1. The process of comprehension is largely influenced by other internal factors within the
consumer.
2. Comprehension includes both cognitive and affective elements, thereby involving both
thoughts and feelings.
3. Consumers don’t always comprehend messages in the intended way and, to this extent,
consumer comprehension is not always “correct.”
Exhibit 4.1 shows the basic components of information processing.
Slide 4
Slide 5
Factors Affecting Consumer Comprehension
Exhibit 4.2 displays a listing of the items that we know about comprehension. Essentially, these
factors can be divided into three categories:
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2
1. Characteristics of the message – Physical characteristics, message source, and
complexity of the message
2. Characteristics of the message receiver – Intelligence, physical limitations, and
involvement
3. Characteristics of the environment (information-processing situation) – Information
intensity, framing, and timing
Slide 6
Characteristics of the Message
1. Physical Characteristics  Refer to the message’s attributes that are sensed directly,
such as the following:
a. Intensity – Larger print and fonts can be used, and the sound of the message can be
intensified.
b. Color – Use of color depends on the culture and can impact how an ad is
comprehended.
c. Font  Research suggests that some fonts portray a masculine image while others
portray a feminine image.
d. Numbers  Names with letters and numbers used in combination signify a
“technologically based” meaning. Numbers are often used in the auto industry as
model names of cars.
e. Spacing – Three 30-second ads spread over three hours achieve better consumer
recall than one 90-second ad.
Slide 7
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2. Simplicity–Complexity  The simpler the message, the more likely a consumer is to
develop meaningful comprehension.
Slide 8
3. Message Congruity  This characteristic represents the extent to which a message is
internally consistent and fits the surrounding information.
Slide 9
4. Figure and Ground  The figure is the object that is intended to capture a person’s
attention in the message. Everything else is of lesser importance and simply represents
the ground (or background) relative to the central message. Exhibit 4.4 illustrates how
this occurs psychologically.
Slide 10
5. Message Source  The source of a message also can influence comprehension, such as
messages from a celebrity or a family member. A source’s effectiveness in gaining
comprehension are:
a. Likeability  Refers to the extent to which a consumer likes the message source.
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b. Attractiveness – The more attractive the message source, the better chance of being
quite effective in delivering the message.
c. Expertise  Refers to the amount of knowledge that a source is perceived to have
about a subject.
d. Trustworthiness  Refers to how honest and unbiased the source is perceived to be.
Slide 11
Message Receiver Characteristics
1.
Intelligence/Ability  Intelligent and well-educated consumers are more likely to
accurately comprehend a message than are less intelligent or educated consumers.
2.
Prior Knowledge – Consumers display a preference for things that are consistent with their
prior knowledge.
3.
Involvement  Consumers are not equally involved with every message. Therefore,
marketers face the challenge of designing messages that will be comprehended by both
highly involved and uninvolved consumers.
4.
Familiarity/Habituation  In terms of comprehension, familiarity can lower a consumer’s
motivation to process a message and reduce comprehension. Habituation is the process by
which continuous exposure to a stimulus affects the comprehension of and response to the
stimulus.
5.
Expectations  Beliefs of what will happen in some situation. Expectations have a major
effect on comprehension. Studies indicate that many consumers cannot identify their
“favorite” brand of beer if the packaging is removed.
6.
Physical Limits – A person’s physical limitations in their ability to hear, see, smell, taste,
and think can influence comprehension.
7.
Brain Dominance  Some people tend to be either “right-brain” or “left-brain” dominant.
Right braindominant consumers tend to be visual processors, while left-brain-dominant
consumers tend to deal better with verbal processing.
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Slide 12
Environmental Characteristics
1. Information Intensity  This characteristic refers to the amount of information available
for a consumer to process within a given environment.
2. Framing  Captures the idea that the same information can take on different meanings
based on the way the information is presented. Exhibit 4.5 illustrates framing.
3. Timing  Timing refers to both the amount of time a consumer has to process a message
and the point in time at which the consumer receives the message. For example,
consumers tend to see coffee advertising in the morning as more enticing.
Slide 13
Slide 14
Q: Have you noticed any creative billboards lately?
A: Answers will vary. Students should discuss what made the billboards grab
their attention and whether the message was clear. Discuss selective
perception.
LO2. Explain how knowledge, meaning, and value are inseparable using the multiple
stores memory theory.
Multiple Store Theory of Acquiring, Storing, and Using Knowledge
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Slide 15
Multiple Store Theory of Memory
This section discusses the perspective of memory from the cognitive learning approach by
introducing the multiple store theory of memory. The multiple store theory of memory views the
memory process as utilizing three different storage areas within the human brain, as illustrated in
Exhibit 4.6. The three storage areas are sensory memory, workbench memory, and long-term
memory. Long-term memory is discussed later in the chapter.
Sensory Memory
The area in memory where all of the things we encounter with any of the five human senses are
stored. This portion of memory is considered to be preattentive. The different storage
mechanisms are:
1. Iconic storage  Refers to storage of visual information
2. Echoic storage  Refers specifically to the storage of auditory information
Workbench Memory
This is the area in the memory system where information is stored and encoded for placement in
long-term memory and, eventually, retrieved for future use.
1. Encoding  Process by which information is transferred from workbench memory to
long-term memory for permanent storage
2. Retrieval  Process by which information is transferred back into workbench
memory for additional processing when needed
Slide 16
Slide 17
Slide 18
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Have students participate in an exercise using their sensory memory. Take a
quick look at an object, and then close your eyes. What happens in the
fractions of a second immediately after shutting your eyes? In most instances,
the brain will “hold” the image—that is, the image can still be seen mentally.
LO3. Understand how the mental associations that consumers develop are a key to
learning.
Making Associations with Meaning as a Key Way to Learn
Slide 19
Four mental processes help consumers “remember” things. They are:
1. Repetition – A process in which a thought is held in short-term memory by mentally
“saying” the thought repeatedly.
2. Dual Coding – A process in which two different sensory “traces” are available to
remember something. A trace is a mental path by which some thought becomes active.
Exhibit 4.7 illustrates the way a scent can improve recall.
3. Meaningful Encoding – A process that occurs when preexisting knowledge is used to
assist in storing new information.
4. Chunking – A process of grouping stimuli by meaning so that multiple stimuli can
become a single memory unit.
Marketers who are designing advertisements or websites, for example, should therefore be
careful to group information together by meaning in order to assist consumers in encoding
meaningful chunks of information.
Slide 20
Slide 21
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Q: Try to have students memorize the following license plate: TT867-53-09.
A: One way in which this number could be remembered is by thinking it
repeatedly. This process is also known as rehearsal.
However, one major problem with rehearsal is cognitive interference. Cognitive interference
simply means that other information is vying for processing capacity when a consumer rehearses
information.
Long-Term Memory
This type of memory includes unlimited capacity and duration, semantic meaning, and
semantic/associative networks.
1. Mental Tagging – The process of applying tags to stimuli to help retrieve it later.
2. Rumination – The unintentional but recurrent memory of events that occurred a long time
ago but are not triggered by environmental factors.
Slide 22
LO4. Use the concept of associative networks to map relevant consumer knowledge.
Associative Networks and Consumer Knowledge
Slide 23
Associative Networks
Knowledge in long-term memory is stored in an associative network. Can be referred to as a
semantic network.
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Slide 24
Declarative Knowledge
Declarative knowledge is a psychology term used to represent when two nodes are linked by a
path in an associative network. Nodes represent concepts in the network, while paths
demonstrate the association between nodes in the network. Exhibit 4.9 illustrates an example
involving declarative knowledge and snack foods.
Slide 25
LO5. Apply the cognitive schema concept in understanding how consumers react to
products, brands, and marketing agents.
Product and Brand Schemas
Slide 26
A consumer’s knowledge for a brand or a product is contained in a schema. A schema is a type
of associative network that works as a cognitive representation of a phenomenon that provides
meaning to that entity.
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Slide 27
Exemplar
An exemplar is a concept within a schema that is the single best representative of some category.
Exemplars vary from person to person. For example, an exemplar for pop music could be Katy
Perry, and an exemplar of a vacation destination could be Disney World. Exhibit 4.10 illustrates
other possible category exemplars.
Slide 28
Prototype
A prototype is a conglomeration of the most associated characteristics of a category. For
example, a car salesperson might not conjure up a picture of a particular exemplar, but several
characteristics of a salesperson may come to mind.
Reaction to New Products/Brands
When consumers encounter new products or brands, they react to them by comparing the new
products with the existing schema. The example in the book discusses the introduction of the
Smart car. Because Europeans were used to driving smaller cars, it was easier for European
consumers to accept the new product.
Q: Ask for student opinions on the new Starbucks VIA Ready Brew. Have they
tried it? What do they think?
A: Answers will vary depending on coffee drinking habits and loyalty to
Dunkin’ Donuts, Starbucks, or the local coffee shop.
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Episodic Memory
Episodic memory refers to the memory for past events and, as such, they represent episodes in
one’s life. These events may also evoke nostalgia—a yearning to relive past events—which can
also be positively associated with purchase behavior.
Social Schemata
A social schema, or social stereotype, is the cognitive representation that gives a specific type of
person meaning. One example of a social schema is a surgeon. Consumers feel comforted when
a surgeon looks and acts like a surgeon.
Elaboration
Elaboration refers to the extent to which a person continues processing a message even after an
initial understanding is achieved in the comprehension stage. In a marketing context, therefore,
appeals that ask a consumer to fill in aspects from their own lives are likely to lead to deeper
comprehension and better recall.
Slide 29
Q: Ask students to list the different places they have seen the pink ribbon as a
symbol of the Race for the Cure.
A: Answers will vary. Discuss the brand, the associations students have with
it, and memory trace.
VIDEO CLIP
PowerPoint Clip from RJ Julia Booksellers
Run time 1:19 minutes
Slide 30
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RJ Julia Booksellers is an independent bookstore with a focus on direct customer interaction.
Owner Roxanne Coady has found that in order to really connect people with the right book, you
must get involved in their lives to a certain degree. She also feels strongly that a book
recommendation should be annotated based on a consumer’s needs or even mood and works to
draw high-interest authors to the store for readings and discussions. This level of customer
relationship management is difficult for big box stores on online only stores to provide.
Ask your students:
1. What can an RJ Julia bookseller recommendation provide that an online bookseller might not?
Answer: RJ Julia can provide a personalized, in-depth recommendation that is tailored to the
consumers’ interests, needs, and even immediate mood.
2. How else does RJ Julia create meaning and value in the minds of consumers?
Answer: RJ Julia provides person-to-person interaction, knowledgeable staff, and high-interest
or difficult to find author visits.
END OF CHAPTER MATERIAL
ONLINE CASE ANSWERS
Visit www.login.cengage.com to access the online case studies for CB.
1. How important is the country of origin to consumers’ comprehension of designer products
like those sold by Antonio’s company?
Answer: One’s country of origin can definitely influence both comprehension and consumer
purchasing behavior. Consumers hold various associations about countries, products, and
product origin in their associative memory networks, and these associations do affect their
comprehension of certain products. As consumers react to marketing messages that include a
country-of-origin element, these feelings will be relayed into short-term memory, thus
affecting comprehension. For some consumers, these effects will be more profound than for
others.
2. Play the role of the VP-Marketing. What would your reaction be? How could knowledge that
the bag is produced in China potentially harm or enhance the brand?
Answer: Again, consumers will hold various associations about countries and products in
their memories, and this will affect their comprehension of marketing messages as well as
their reactions to products. The VP-Marketing is likely to be very hesitant about the
suggested change—not necessarily because of negative inferences to China, but because of
the strong reputation of the brand. The company has most likely put much time, effort, and
money into promoting the brand as a prestigious Italian product, and therefore moving the
production to any other country might be detrimental to the brand.
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3. Antonio suggests simply removing the stitching that says “Made in Italy” as a way of not
misleading consumers. Would such a move address any ethical concerns that may exist
once production is moved to China? Explain why.
Answer: Antonio would need to be careful not to break any applicable laws. If his intent is
to mislead consumers, then there would be an ethical problem. It is not unethical to move
production to China. However, consumers should be aware of where the product has been
made, and labeling laws would then apply. It would be more ethical for the company to
decide to be truthful with their marketing promotions regarding where the product was
actually made.
REVIEW QUESTIONS
(*) Indicates material on prep cards.
1. [LO1] What is comprehension? What are the three categories of factors that affect
consumer comprehension? Provide an example of each.
Answer: Comprehension refers to the interpretation or understanding that a consumer
develops about some attended stimulus in order to assign meaning.
The three categories include the following (see Exhibit 4.2):



Characteristics of the message – A message presented with theme-consistent music is
more easily comprehended than a message with inconsistent music (advertisement for
traveling to China accompanied by Chinese music).
Characteristics of the message receiver – This involves the consumer’s
habituation/adaptation level. Consumers who are accustomed to receiving bad service at
a health clinic may not be negatively affected by another instance of bad service.
Characteristics of the environment – This involves consumer priming. Information
presented in a negative context may make consumers less afraid of risk than
information presented in a positive context. A consumer thinking about being $20 ahead
in the casino may be less afraid of risk than a consumer thinking about losing $20 and
needing to win it back.
2. [LO1] A manufacturer of recreational boats is purchasing advertisements in The Wall Street
Journal. They believe this is a good way to reach an important target market and educate
them about the advantages of their boats. In particular, the company is trying to decide
whether the ad should contain color or black and white ads. What are the key things that
should be considered in making the color/black and white decision?
Answer: Color can indeed focus more attention. Therefore, the company should consider
how many additional consumers will pay attention to a color ad rather than a black and
white ad. The costs of using color should be considered. If more exposure can be obtained
from multiple black and white ads that are the same price as a single color ad, the black and
white ads may be a good choice. The meaning obtained from color directly should be
considered, which may vary by culture. However, colorblind consumers cannot extract this
meaning.
©2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
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3. [LO1] Visit http://www.smart.com, which is the home website of the smart car. If we
assume that the goal of the site is to communicate knowledge to people who are otherwise
unfamiliar with the product, does the website illustrate any factors that may affect
comprehension in a way that interferes with this goal? What is the intended figure, and
what is the intended ground of this home page?
Answer: This is a general discussion question. The key is for students to use information
such as that found in Exhibit 4.2 to answer the question. Characteristics of the message
itself are probably the most relevant responses, but students may make some assumptions
about the message receiver as well.
4. *[LO1] What advice would you have for a marketing company that is considering the use
of avatars (animated people-like images) on their website? Lead this exercise in the context
of trying to help consumers to comprehend the content of the site.
Answer: Any spokesperson’s effectiveness depends on the following qualities: likeability,
expertise, trustworthiness, and attractiveness. These same characteristics apply to an avatar
as well as to a human being. Therefore, consumers are more likely to comprehend a
message in a desired fashion when the avatar possesses these characteristics.
5. [LO1] What message receiver characteristics affect comprehension of a message?
Answer: The characteristics are as follows:








Intelligence
Ability
Prior Knowledge
Involvement
Familiarity/habituation
Expectations
Physical limits
Brain dominance
6. [LO1] Define the concepts of habituation and adaptation level. How might these concepts
explain why one consumer considers Walmart to be a discount store while another
considers it to be a department store? How might these concepts explain the different value
that consumers from different parts of the world might assign to a fast-food restaurant, such
as McDonald’s?
Answer: Habituation is the process by which continuous exposure to a stimulus affects the
comprehension of and response to the stimulus. Consumers from small, isolated towns may
not have a great deal of experience with more upscale shopping environments and are thus
habituated to shopping experiences that are relatively low in quality, service, and hedonic
shopping value. Thus, Walmart may not be considered a discount store among less affluent
consumers; they instead might consider a second-hand store or a St. Vincent de Paul store
to be a “discount” store. In contrast, consumers from the city can even discriminate between
the Super Target shopping experience as generally more pleasant than the typical Walmart
experience. In some parts of the world, typical American-style “fast food” may be
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15
considered a luxury. Thus, if a consumer is habituated toward a meager diet with very
simple, basic, and plain food, McDonald’s food could be viewed as a luxury.
7. [LO1] Would it be better for a company that sells packaged cookies and crackers to use the
term “100 percent fat free!” or “0 percent fat!” on their product label? What concept is
illustrated by this choice?
Answer: This concept illustrates prospect theory. Students should determine whether the
phrase causes consumers to avoid losing something or look forward to gaining something.
The term “0 percent fat” is probably more consistent with loss avoidance.
8. *[LO2] What three storage areas are responsible for memory? Describe each in terms of its
duration and capacity. Where is meaning attached to stimuli?
Answer: The three storage areas are sensory, short-term (workbench), and long-term
memories. Sensory memory is of extremely short duration (.25 seconds to 12 seconds at
most) and unlimited capacity. Short-term memory is of short duration (a few seconds to
perhaps 30 seconds) and limited capacity (37 chunks). Long-term memory is of unlimited
duration and capacity.
9. [LO3] What processes do consumers use in order to learn by making associations with
meaning?
Answer: Consumers use repetition, dual coding, meaningful encoding, and chunking as
ways to associate items together and ultimately affect a product’s meaning. In particular,
meaningful encoding leads to the development of clear schemas for products that are part of
the consumer’s associative network. The schema ultimately defines the brand/product and
activates rules that indicate how much value the brand/product provides. Exhibit 4.8 also
helps to illustrate this point.
10. *[LO3] Look for marketing messages in either print advertisements or on the Internet. Find
one that you believe illustrates a successful way in which to get consumers to chunk
information for better recall later. Explain your reasons.
Answer: This exercise helps students reinforce the concept of chunking. Any advertisement
that tries to present material in a way that is easy to process will probably suffice. An ad
that repeats information is acceptable, but one that provides easier coding is even better.
Students may even find examples of dual coding, which makes the storage of information
easier.
11. [LO3] Of the four types of mental processes to help remember things discussed in the
chapter, which is most effective? Does this have implications for the way you study?
Answer: The four types of mental processes are repetition, dual coding, meaningful
encoding, and chunking. Relying on repetition is probably not wise; however, repetition is
probably the most common method of studying.
12. *[LO4] What is an associative network? Why do you believe it is sometimes called a
semantic network? Where are associative networks located?
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Answer: An associative network is a network of mental pathways linking knowledge
within memory. As an analogy, these networks are similar to family trees because they
represent known linkages between objects. They are sometimes called semantic networks
because semantics (meaning “taken from words”) develop here. Associative networks are
stored in long-term memory.
13. [LO4LO5] Interview five consumers and ask them what are the first five words that come
into their minds when they hear the following words listed below. Use the results to draw a
schema that represents consumer knowledge of each brand.





Honda
Grey Goose
Nokia
Hersheys
McDonald’s
Answer: Students should draw a schema resembling Exhibits 4.8 or 4.9 but with meanings
specific to the listed brands. Common associations would include reliable, French, phone,
and Big Mac, respectively.
14. [LO3, LO5] Are any of the brands listed in Question 14 a category exemplar or prototype,
as shown in Exhibit 4.10? Might any be involved in nostalgic rumination?
Answer: Honda may be the exemplar for a reliable car category, and McDonald’s is likely
to be the exemplar for the fast-food category. No brand can truly be a prototype. Prototypes
are not tied to a real entity, but are instead amalgamations of all instances of that category.
McDonald’s and Hershey bars are probably involved in many consumers’ childhood
memories and thus have the potential to evoke and capitalize on nostalgia.
INTERACTIVE/APPLICATION EXERCISES
15. [LO5] In Chapter 3, the concept of assimilation–contrast was discussed. What is the
relevance of this theory of categorization in comprehending how consumers accept or reject
new brand extensions (new products sold under an existing brand name)? For instance, if
Honda introduced a laptop computer, would consumers accept the product?
Answer: When consumers encounter new products or brands, they react to them by
comparing them with the existing schema. To illustrate, consider that Europeans are used to
driving very small cars. Thus, when the smart car was introduced, they were more likely to
accept it as an automobile than were American consumers. If Honda introduced a laptop
computer, it might be accepted better than if another brand, such as Chrysler, introduced the
computer. The Honda schema would include nodes of reliability, advanced engineering,
perhaps Japanese, and other nodes that overlap with a computer schema better than many
other brands that currently sell cars, particularly domestic brands.
16. [LO1] Prepare a short position statement that describes your agreement or disagreement
with the following statement: “All product safety labels should be presented in multiple
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17
languages (at least the three most common languages in the area) and without the use of
colors.”
Answer: For this exercise, students should use material from the chapter when defending
their positions, whatever they may be. It would be implausible to present safety labels in all
languages. By placing the warning in three languages, more people will be able to
comprehend it; however, if the warning involves more than a few words, a smaller number
of consumers may try to work through the clutter to actually process the message. Colors
can also be helpful in grabbing attention, so perhaps color should not be banned.
17. [LO2, LO3] Interview a consumer about nostalgia. Ask them to describe purchases they
have made that they would associate with nostalgia. How is this related to the idea of an
associative network? How does nostalgia affect value?
Answer: Nostalgic thinking will link things from a student’s past to things in the present.
Some brand associations from the past can be fairly strong. These associations can evoke
powerful images and change the meaning of current-day products, thus changing their
value. Students might be encouraged to bring in examples of advertisements or brands that
will evoke nostalgia.
In this case, students are required to utilize their understanding of the three memory
systems in the design of an introductory advertising campaign. To do this, they must
develop specific communication components and detail how these components will
encourage appropriate processing of the advertising message. You may want to choose a
product found in a convenience store or grocery store, such as snack foods or contact lens
solution.
18. *[LO5 – ethics] Ask a few consumers that you know if they know what a torrent is and what
it is used for. If you are unfamiliar with this term, search a torrent site on the Internet to
find out what it is. How do new product concepts come to be defined? Are there times
when the script associated with using some product might include questionably ethical
associations? What is your knowledge? Is the use of a torrent unethical?
Answer: Consumers who have no experience with a product have no schema for that
product. A torrent is a term referring to mechanisms for file sharing very large media files
from computer to computer. Many types of file sharing violate intellectual property or
copyright agreements and as such can be illegal. Ask the students, is it like stealing?
GROUP ACTIVITY
This activity should be undertaken after students have become familiar with the traditional model
of memory through textbook readings and class lectures/discussions. The dialogue can then be
used as an effective review of memory concepts. Have students form into groups to encourage
participation and shared experiences. First, have the groups determine their product category and
advertising message to consumers. Have them develop a tag line and possibly a magazine ad
(without the aid of a computer) by using creativity and not artistry.
Present students with the following scenarios for their reactions:
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1. What can you build into your advertisements that will boost the chances that target
audience members will “take in” the ad and send it along to short-term memory for
processing?
2. Are there elements in the ad that can be used to facilitate later retrieval of your message?
Most of your “potential” customers will purchase this new product at their supermarket
or drug store. What additional things can you do at the point of purchase that will help
consumers retrieve the advertising message information from long-term memory?
CHAPTER VIDEO CASE
To view the video case Cold Stone Creamery, go to the CB companion website
login.cengage.com to select this video.1
Cold Stone Creamery had a goal of being the number one best-selling ice cream brand in North
America by December 31, 2009. Cold Stone Creamery has expanded into Japan and Korea with
great success. Baskin-Robbins oversaturated the market in Japan with presence in this region for
more than 30 years. Cold Stone used the success of Baskin-Robbins as a way of predicting their
own success, noting that Japan has an appreciation for quality and personal experience. Cold
Stone offers more than premier ice cream; it offers a fun interactive and enjoyable experience.
Cold Stone also recognizes that one management model does not fit every country. In order to
achieve their goal of being number one in North America, Cold Stone is using the different
cultures to bring back innovative flavors to the U.S. where the customers are so diverse.
Ask your students:
1. During one’s experience at Cold Stone Creamery, what type of memory is drawn on?
Answer: Student responses will vary. Cold Stone Creamery tries to create a lasting
impression among its customers. They are not simply about quality ice cream, but the entire
experience. Iconic memories are memories of things we see. At Cold Stone Creamery, the
ice cream is softened in a unique way, creating a visual memory. The memories created
tend to focus on a person’s five senses. Mood can also affect a person’s ability to remember
and retrieve information.
Cold Stone Creamery has an interactive approach, a unique method of preparing your ice
cream, and quality products, leaving customers happy and satisfied.
2. How does Cold Stone Creamery cater to different ethnic groups?
Answer: Student responses will vary. Cold Stone Creamery has used their experience in
different regions, such as Japan and Korea, to bring innovative flavors back to the vastly
diverse North America. Constantly introducing new flavors keeps consumers coming back
to try them.
3. Discuss how Cold Stone Creamery remains innovative.
1
From Hoyer & MacInnis. Segment 9 Cold Stone Creamery from Consumer Behavior, pg. 12-13. Copyright (c) 2010
South-Western, a part of Cengage Learning, Inc. Reproduced by permission. www.cengage.com/permissions
©2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
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Answer: Student responses will vary. After expanding successfully into the
Pacific Rim region, Cold Stone Creamery has allowed its customers to be the innovators of
the ice cream chain. With a goal of being number one in North America, Cold Stone
Creamery realizes they must gratify a diverse consumer group. To remain innovative, Cold
Stone Creamery has been utilizing all the creative and new successful products in their
other operating regions.
©2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
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