Multimedia Marketing/Marketing.iso/market/chapter3.3p

Text File | 1996-08-22 | 15KB | 318 lines

SECTION 3.3  Psychological Insights

INSTRUCTIONS Answer this question: "How can the discipline of psychology help us
understand consumer behavior? Then go through this section to build a framework for using psychology to analyze consumers.

EXAMPLE

A construction worker always stays at the same motel chain, regardless
of what city he is working in. He has found the rooms to be clean,
the price economical, and the employees to be accomodating. He is
appreciative of the free breakfasts which this chain provides. Over
the years this individual has developed a brand loyalty to this chain.
Only under exceptional circumstances will he stay in another motel.

Habits such as these are explained by the discipline of psychology.
Next let's examine how these habits develop.

DETAILS

Psychology is the study of individual behavior. It has made innumerable
contributions to the consumer behavior field. We cannot cover the
entire field of psychology here. Rather, we will focus on some of
the aspects that are most useful in analyzing consumers.

The stimulus-response learning theory is of considerable value for
our purposes. This model indicates that behavior is explained by
the model:

           Stimulus--Drive--Reinforcement--Response

A stimulus is a cue that activates a drive. Examples of stimuli are
an advertisement, a salesperson's message, and the smell of french
fries being cooked. A drive is an internal state of attention--a
need that demands satisfaction. Examples are hunger and thirst. A
response is the action or behavior that results from the combination
of drive and stimulus. Finally, reinforcement takes place when the
response to the stimuli and the drive is rewarded.

This model assumes that consumers learn to buy certain brands, just as
students learn in the classroom. If purchase of the product is
sufficiently rewarded over time, consumers learn to become loyal to
that brand. They develop a habit of using it. And such habits are
likely to persist unless the reinforcement stops or becomes negative.

The stimulus response model indicates that learning increases with
advances in the intensity and frequency of reward. Acting upon
this belief, some stimulus response believers have utilized repetition
in advertising as a tactic. They beam the same television commercial
or idea to the public numerous times. This is the reason that many
advertisements are repeated.

Sometimes consumers generalize--they give the same response to two
or more similar stimuli. This being the case, some marketers give the
same brand to two or more products. Some food processors, for instance,
use "family brands" as when they use the same brand name for mustard
and ketchup.

Marketers who employ this model should take steps to insure that
the right stimuli are directed at consumers who have drives that
the company's product can satisfy. These marketers should attempt
to provide strong and consistent reinforcement to consumers. Finally,
they should analyze consumer responses and make sure that these are
positive.

PROBLEM 1

Consumer behavior begins when:

A. A bookstore patron discovers a fascinating new novel.
B. A security conscious consumer sees an advertisement for a fire
   extinguisher.
C. A computer user finds that a certain keyboard style fits her
   needs very well.
D. A department store shopper selects a high-priced overcoat.

WORKED

Consumer behavior begins when a security conscious consumer sees
an advertisement for a fire extinguisher. The advertisement acts
as a stimulus. If the stimulus combines with a consumer drive,
this sets off the entire consumer behavior process.

Consumer behavior is incited when the consumer has a drive that is
activiated by one or more stimuli. A hungry consumer, for instance,
may be driving home from work. His hunger is a drive. The drive is
activated by a sign which advertises a fast food chain (a stimulus).
The consumer parks and enters the restaurant (a response). The food
is delicious, the employees are friendly, the restaurant is clean,
and the price is reasonable (reinforcement). The consumer is rewarded
and tends to build a positive attitude toward the chain. This behavior
may be repeated, and if positive reinforcement continues, the consumer
may learn to repeat the behavior  quite often--he learns brand loyalty.

ANSWER B

INSTRUCTIONS Answer this question: "How can the discipline of psychology help us
understand consumer behavior? Then go through this section to build a framework for using psychology to analyze consumers.

EXAMPLE

A construction worker always stays at the same motel chain, regardless
of what city he is working in. He has found the rooms to be clean,
the price economical, and the employees to be accomodating. He is
appreciative of the free breakfasts which this chain provides. Over
the years this individual has developed a brand loyalty to this chain.
Only under exceptional circumstances will he stay in another motel.

Habits such as these are explained by the discipline of psychology.
Next let's examine how these habits develop.

DETAILS

Another important psychological contribution derives from The
Gestalt model. It focuses on the way in which consumers perceive
objects and ideas that confront them. Perception involves both
attention and interpretation. Individuals attend to some stimuli
and not to others. Further, they interpret stimuli according to
their own particular theories about reality.

Gestalt researchers have found that individuals perceive items
or ideas as parts of a whole, rather than as isolated segments.
Marketers should use this as a guideline to coordinating the marketing
mix. A store that has gone to considerable effort to building an
image of quality and prestige may be making a mistake if it runs
frequent sales, for example. The idea of having sales may be
incompatible with the prestige image.

Research has shown that consumer perceptions, not reality, are what
is really important to marketers. If consumers believe that a golf
club is of high quality, management is in a position to charge a
higher price than if they think that the quality level is low.
Marketers should moniter these perceptions and take corrective steps
if they become negative.

An important aspect of Gestalt psychology is "cognitive dissonance".
This takes place when consumers perceive a substantial difference
between what they perceive (experience) and their attitudes. After
making a major purchase (such as a new car) many consumers feel
dissonance. They may fear that their purchase was ill-founded and
that they have made a mistake. It is important that marketers take
steps to stem this feeling, as by informing consumers through
advertisements or contacts by sales personnel that they have made
an excellent purchase.

PROBLEM 2

Because consumers perceive items or ideas as parts of a whole:

A. Motel managers should take steps to insure that guests receive
   positive reinforcement.
B. Computer producers should carefully select the stimuli they
   aim at potential buyers.
C. Variety stores should carefully coordinate their marketing mixes.
D. Tobacco store managers should carefully moniter the responses
   of patrons.

WORKED

Since consumers perceive items or ideas as parts of a whole,
retail stores should carefully coordinate their marketing mixes.
One variety store chain that has been very unprofitable in recent
years has violated this principle. Store advertisements basically
target blue collar workers. But the merchandise which the chain
offers (computers, computer supplies and accessories, formal clothing,
and quality linens) is more appropriate for white collar workers.
The stores are located in upscale shopping centers but feature
frequent low price appeals. Basically, this marketing mix is not
coordinated and has not been effective in reaching either blue or
white collar workers.

ANSWER  C

INSTRUCTIONS Answer this question: "How can the discipline of psychology help us
understand consumer behavior? Then go through this section to build a framework for using psychology to analyze consumers.

EXAMPLE

A construction worker always stays at the same motel chain, regardless
of what city he is working in. He has found the rooms to be clean,
the price economical, and the employees to be accomodating. He is
appreciative of the free breakfasts which this chain provides. Over
the years this individual has developed a brand loyalty to this chain.
Only under exceptional circumstances will he stay in another motel.

Habits such as these are explained by the discipline of psychology.
Next let's examine how these habits develop.

DETAILS

Another psychological contribution is the psychoanalytical model.
It relates that the mental apparatus of humans is composed of
three elements: the id , which is the reservoir of the instinctive
impulses , the ego, which is concerned with the perception of the
outside world, and the superego, which represents the inhibition
of instinct which is characteristic of humans. Basically:
1. The id is the instinctive, "pleasure seeking"element.
2. The ego is the intellectual or control element which attempts
   to maintain a balance between the id and the superego.
3. The superego is the moral and ethical element, the conscience.

According to this model, the id constantly seeks to attain pleasure
and avoid pain. This is in conflict with the superego, which tries
to block the pleasure seeking activity of the id. The ego is the
rational part of humans and attempts to resolve this conflict.

The psychoanalytic model maintains that the process of id-superego
conflict and ego conflict resolution explains human behavior.
Behavior depends upon the relative strengths of each of the three
elements in the personality and the particular ways in which they
combine to produce solutions to problems.

PROBLEM 3

An executive is thinking about buying an expensive new suit. In
this case, the superego may impel him to feel that:
A. This suit would be a good buy, if the styling is right.
B. He should buy the suit if it makes him feel better about himself.
C. The suit might improve his image at work.
D. If he buys the suit, his wife may have to do without something.

WORKED

If an executive is thinking of buying an expensive new suit, the
psychoanalytic model might predict the following: The executive
inspects the suit and finds that its just the color and style
he wants. He puts it on, looks in a mirror, and is impressed.
He believes that the suit would impress his wife and his friends
too. (The id is aroused). However, the superego may act counter
to the id. The executive may recall that his wife needs more
clothing and that one of his children has been asking for a
motorcycle, but family funds are limited. Purchase of the suit
would make it impossible to buy the wife's clothing and the
son's motorcycle. Thus, the superego imposes pressures not to
make the purchase. Its "not the thing to do" in light of the
needs of others.

The id and the superego are in conflict. The function of the ego
is to resolve this and to provide a decision that the consumer
can accept. Thus, the ego may entice the consumer to realize
that he needs a new suit to impress the company vice-president

If the vice-president feels that the executive is not well-groomed,
the expected promotion might not be forthcoming. If he is promoted,
he can buy the suit, his wife's clothing, and the motorcycle with
his credit card.

ANSWER  D

INSTRUCTIONS Answer this question: "How can the discipline of psychology help us
understand consumer behavior? Then go through this section to build a framework for using psychology to analyze consumers.

EXAMPLE

A construction worker always stays at the same motel chain, regardless
of what city he is working in. He has found the rooms to be clean,
the price economical, and the employees to be accomodating. He is
appreciative of the free breakfasts which this chain provides. Over
the years this individual has developed a brand loyalty to this chain.
Only under exceptional circumstances will he stay in another motel.

Habits such as these are explained by the discipline of psychology.
Next let's examine how these habits develop.

DETAILS

Another psychological contribution--the self concept model--holds that
consumers behave in a manner consistent with their self concepts,
that is:

.The kind of person that one believes he or she is and,
.The kind of person that one believes that others think he or she is.

According to the self concept model, consumers develop lifestyles
(patterns of behavior) that are in accordance with their self concepts.
They purchase and use goods and services that are congruent with their
self concepts. Also, they reject offerings that seem to be inconsistent
with their self concepts. A teen ager whose self concept is that of
a rebel, for instance, is likely to reject goods and services that
his parents and other "old people" prefer.

The objective of the marketer who employs this model is to identify
the self concepts embraced by target customers and provide a marketing
mix that is compatible with such self concepts. Marketing research
studies on the self concepts of target customers can be useful in
this regard.

PROBLEM 4

A realtor has the self concept of being trendy and in touch with the
latest developments. She is likely to be a purchaser of:

A. Magazines that feature antique collecting.
B. A large family sedan.
C. A convertible automobile.
D. A croc pot cooker.

WORKED

A realtor has the self concept of being trendy and in touch with
the latest developments. She is likely to be a purchaser of a
convertible automobile.

People buy goods and services that dovetail with their self concepts.
One possible self concept is that of the "jet setter". Such an
individual is likely to have a lifestyle that includes a modern high
rise apartment, a sports car, up-to-date clothing, and a variety of
sports equipment. On the other hand, one with the self concept of a
"devoted father" may make multiple purchases of toys for the
children, fishing gear for the family, expenditures for family
vacations, and substantial investments in life insurance.

ANSWER  C