Marketing 3344

2.
Consumer Behavior: a wide spectrum of things that affect, derive from, or form the context of human consumption.
Perspectives:
1.
Consumers are Systematic Decision
Makers
 Maximizing the benefits from purchases defines the purchase
—consumers are deliberate
Consumers are Active Interpreters


Cultural/social membership defines purchases
Consumers are “meaning makers” in their consumption

The Consumer as a Systematic
Decision Maker
The Consumer is:
 Logical


Purposeful
Acts in a “sequential” manner in making decisions

1.
Need recognition
 Functional or Emotional benefits
2. Information Search and Evaluation
 Internal and External search
 Consideration Set
 Evaluative Criteria
3. Purchase
Does this ad offer a functional or emotional benefit?
4. Post-purchase use and evaluation
 Customer satisfaction
 Cognitive dissonance

The feelings of doubt and concern after a purchase is made. Dissonance increases when:





The purchase price is high
There are many close alternatives
The item is intangible (example?)
The purchase is important
The item purchased lasts a long time

Vary by Involvement and
Experience
1.
Involvement



Interests and avocations
Risk —high price or long term commitment
High symbolic meaning to purchase
 Deep emotion attached to purchase
2.
Experience
 More experience, more astute consumer

Vary by Involvement and
Experience
1.
Extended Problem Solving
 Deliberate, careful search
2.
Limited Problem Solving
 Common products, limited search
3 . Habit or Variety Seeking
 Variety seeking —switch brands at random
 Habit —buy single brand repeatedly
4. Brand Loyalty
 Conscious commitment to find same brand every time purchase is made

1.
2.
3.
Attitude
 Over Overall evaluation of an object, person or issue on continuum=like/dislike; positive/negative
Brand Attitude
 Summary evaluations that reflect preferences for various products and services
Salient Beliefs
 Small number of key beliefs. Five to nine salient beliefs typically form the critical determinants of attitude



Multi-Attribute Models (MAAMs)
Evaluative Criteria: attributes consumers use to compare brands
 Importance Weights: priority assigned to attributes
 Consideration Set: group of brands that are focal point of decision effort
 Beliefs: knowledge and feelings consumer has about various brands



Information Processing and Perceptual
Defense
Cognitive Consistency Impetus: Strongly held beliefs to make efficient decisions
 Advertising Clutter: Large volume of ads causes overload
 Selective Attention: Most ads are ignored because they do not fit consumer’s need state
 Cognitive responses: Thoughts that occur to consumer at moment when beliefs are challenged by persuasive communication

○ The Elaboration Likelihood
Model (ELM)
 “Central route” persuasion when involvement is high
 “Peripheral route” with peripheral cues rather than strong arguments when involvement is low

Perspective Two:
The Consumer as Social Being


Perspective One: Portrays the consumer as a decision maker - tells only part of the story.
Consumption can be a social and cultural process as well

Family Values
Object
Meaning
Social class
Rituals
Community
Culture
Race
/
Ethnicity
Gender
Geopolitics
Reference
Groups
(membership/aspiration)
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Advertisers see and seize the opportunity to provide “costumes” and
“consumables”


“Revolutions” require a certain “look”
“Looks” signal political/social orientation

Advertising as Social Text: How Ads
Transmit Socio-cultural Meaning
Culturally constituted world
Advertising
/ fashion system
Fashion system
Possession ritual
Consumer goods
Exchange ritual
Grooming ritual
Divestment ritual
Individual consumer
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Factors Affecting Consumer
Decision Making
REFERENCE
GROUPS
VALUES / ATTITUDES
CULTURE
SITUATIONAL
FACTORS
NEEDS
EDUCATION
PLEASURE
CONSUMER
DECISIONS
PERSONALITY
GENDER
FAMILY
NEWS
MAGAZINES
RADIO
TELEVISION
DIRECT MEDIA
BLOGS
INTERNET INFO
MEDIA SOCIAL
CLASS
LIFE-STYLE
PAST
EXPERIENCE
MARKETER-
CONTROLLED
STIMULI
PRICE
PACKAGING
ADVERTISING
PROMOTION
PERSONAL SELLING
SUBCULTURES
PPT 5-17
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