Page 167 - Encyclopedia of Business and Finance

eobf_C 7/5/06 2:57 PM Page 144

Consumer Behavior

decadent, consumers have a new freedom to choose to paign, likelihood of future sales, and overall strength of
incorporate treats and great tasting food for their families, the brand or brand equity.
their activities and for entertaining” (Trice, 2005). A popular perspective is that attitude has three com-
The complete network brought to mind when a ponents: cognitive, affective, and conative. The cognitive
product is activated is called the product schema. Know- component reflects the knowledge and beliefs one has
ing the set of associations that consumers retrieve from about the object (e.g., “Two pieces of Jolt chewing gum
long-term memory about a particular product or category contains as much caffeine as one cup of coffee”), the affec-
is critical to a successful marketing strategy. For new prod- tive component reflects feelings (e.g., “I like the energy
ucts or services, marketers must first select the set of asso- boost I get after chewing Jolt Gum”) and the conative
ciations they want consumers to have. This is called component reflects a behavioral tendency toward the
positioning the product, or selecting the brand image. object (e.g., “I will buy Jolt Gum to take with me into my
Trice’s unique positioning as a “wholesome junk food” classes for exams”). Thus, attitudes are predispositions to
was accomplished by establishing a link between the con- behave in a certain way. If you have a favorable attitude
cepts healthful and decadent treat. The brand position is toward a politician, you will likely vote for him or her in
then translated into clever ads, reinforced on product the next election. Because of this, many marketers use atti-
packaging, and integrated into all promotion and com- tude measures for forecasting future sales.
munication strategies.
It is important to note, however, that the link
Over time, a brand’s image can fade or become between attitudes and behavior is far from perfect. Con-
diluted. Sometimes consumers associate concepts that are sumers can hold positive attitudes toward multiple brands
not favorable to a brand. When this occurs, marketers but intend to purchase only one. External economic,
reposition the brand, using advertising and other market- social, or personal factors often alter behavioral plans.
ing tools to help consumers create new links to positive
Attitudes are dynamic, which means they are con-
association and discard links to the unfavorable ones. By stantly changing. As an individual learns new informa-
rotating such catchy phrases as “Are your french fries
tion, as fads change, as time goes on, the attitudes one
lonely?” and “Your fish stick improvement system” on
once held with confidence may no longer exist. Did you
their ketchup labels, Heinz was able to reposition their
ever look at old photos of yourself and wonder “What was
ketchup as a more exciting, youth-oriented, and sparky I thinking wearing clothes like that? And look at my hair-
brand.
style!”
Strategies for successful brand extensions also depend
on the brand schema. Generally speaking, a brand exten-
sion is more likely to be successful if the set of associations UNDERSTANDING CONSUMERS:
EXTERNAL FACTORS
for the extension matches the set of associations of the
core product. Would Lifesavers brand toothpaste sell? In addition to the internal factors, consumer behavior is
Probably not, because the associations for Lifesavers also shaped to a large extent by social factors, such as cul-
(sweet, candy, sugar, fruity) are not the same as those for ture, family relationships, and other aspects of the exter-
toothpaste (mint, clean, noncandy). On the other hand, a nal environment. Awareness of these influences can help
Lifesavers brand sugared children’s cereal with colorful, marketers to identify groups of consumers who tend to
fruity rings has a much better match of associations. think, feel, or act similarly and separate them into unique
market segments. Aspects of the marketing program such
Attitude Formation and Change. The set of beliefs con- as product design, advertising, and pricing can then be
sumers have stored in long-term memory provides tailored to meet the unique needs, values, and goals of
another critical function to marketers: It provides the basis these distinct groups.
for a consumer’s attitude toward a brand or an ad. An atti-
tude is an overall evaluation of an object, idea, or action. Group Influences on Individual Consumer Behavior.
Attitudes can be positive or negative, and weakly or Group influences on consumer behavior can affect moti-
strongly held. The statement “I love Ben & Jerry’s Vanilla vation, values, and individual information processing;
Toffee Crunch” is a strong, positively valenced attitude they can come from groups to which consumers already
toward a product. The statement “I dislike the new Toy- belong or from groups to which they aspire to belong.
ota ad” is a weak, negatively valenced attitude toward an Groups can exert a variety of influences on individuals,
advertisement. Marketers work hard to continuously including: (1) informational influences, where the group
monitor consumer attitudes toward their products. acts as a source for expert opinions; (2) comparative influ-
Among other things, attitudes can indicate problems with ences, such that the group provides opportunities to man-
a product or campaign, success with a product or cam- age the individual’s self-concept with respect to the group’s

144 ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BUSINESS AND FINANCE, SECOND EDITION