Consumer Attitude Formation and Change

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Consumer Behaviour Vth Year, B. Pharm. + MBA Pharm. Tech. Unit number 7 April 2012

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Overview

As consumers, each of us have a vast number of attitudes towards products, services, advertisements, direct mail, the internet and retail stores. When we are asked whether we like or dislike a product or a service, we are being asked to express our attitudes. Attitude research has been used to study a wide range of strategic marketing questions to determine what is driving consumer behavior.

eg. Marketers like Nike, Reebok etc. seek attitudes of target consumers 5/18/12 44

Consumer researchers assess attitudes by asking questions or making inferences from behavior. If a researcher determines from questioning a consumer that he constantly buys the deodorant and even recommends the product to friends, the researcher is likely to infer that the consumer possesses a positive attitude towards this brand of deodorant.
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What are Attitudes?

From this example it illustrates that 55 attitudes are not directly observable but

What are Attitudes? contd

Attitude - is a learned predisposition to behave in a consistently favorable or unfavorable way with respect to a given object.

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What are Attitudes? contd

The Attitude Object
The word object in our consumeroriented definition of attitude should be interpreted broadly to include specific consumption or Product, product marketing-related concepts category, brand, such as:
service, possessions, product use, causes or issues, people, ads, 5/18/12 internet , size,

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What are Attitudes? contd

Attitudes are a learned predisposition
There is general agreement that attitudes are learned. Attitudes relevant to purchase behavior are formed as a result of a direct experience: - with the product - word-of-mouth information 5/18/12 88

What are Attitudes? contd

Attitudes have consistency
Another characteristic of attitudes is that they are relatively consistent with the behavior they reflect. Normally, we expect consumers behavior to correspond with their attitudes.

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What are Attitudes? contd

Attitudes occur within a situation

Situations are circumstances that at a

particular point in time, influence the relationship between an attitude and behaviour.

A specific situations can cause consumers to behave in ways seemingly inconsistent with their attitudes.

For example if a customer chooses Jet Airways every time he/she flies on business and another time around, on a personal trip, he/she purchases an Indigo Airlines ticket. - This brand switching may seem to reflect a 5/18/12 1010 negative attitude or dissatisfaction with

Structural Models of Attitudes

Attitude and behaviour are motivated by a desire.
The following are three types of attitude models: - a tri-component attitude model - the multi-attribute attitude model - the trying-to-consume model (wl) - the attitude-toward-the-ad model
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Structural Models of Attitudes contd Tri-component attitude Model

Attitudes consists of three major components: a cognitive component an affective component
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a conative component

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Three components of an attitude

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Structural Models of Attitudes contd

Tricomponent attitude Model

The Cognitive Component The knowledge and perceptions that are acquired by a combination of direct experience and attitude object and related information from various sources. 5/18/12 1414 This knowledge and resulting

Structural Models of Attitudes contd

Tri-component attitude Model The Affective Component

A consumers emotions or feelings about a particular product or brand constitute the affective component of an attitude. That is to the extent to which the individuals rate the attitude object as favorable or unfavorable. These emotions and feelings are treated by consumer researchers as evaluative in nature. 5/18/12 1515

Structural Models of Attitudes contd

Compared to other aftershaves , Old Spice after shave is:
1.Refreshing 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Not refreshing 2.Positive 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Negative 3.Pleasant 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Unpleasant 4.Appealing 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Unappealing to others 5/18/12 1616

Structural Models of Attitudes contd

Tri-component attitude Model The Conative Component

Is concerned with the likelihood or tendency that an individual will undertake a specific action or behave in a particular way with regard to the attitude object. The conative component may include the actual behaviour itself. In marketing research the conative component is frequently treated as an expression of the consumers intention 5/18/12 1717 to buy.

Structural Models of Attitudes contd

Multi-attribute attitude models

Portray consumers attitudes with regard to an attitude object

(product/service/cause/issue)

as a function of consumers perception and assessment of the key attributes or beliefs held with regard to the particular attitude object.

The following are three models of the multi-attribute attitude models:

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Structural Models of Attitudes contd

Multi-attribute attitude models The attitude-towardobject model

Is suitable for measuring attitudes towards a product (or service) category or specific brands. Consumers generally have favourable 5/18/12 attitudes that they

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Structural Models of Attitudes contd

Multi-attribute attitude models The attitude-toward-behavior model Is design to capture the individuals attitude toward behaving or acting with respect to an object rather than the attitude toward the object itself. The model seems to correspond somewhat more closely to actual behavior than does the attitude towards the object model. - For example knowing Sams attitude about the act of purchasing a Rolex wristwatch (i.e. his attitude toward the 5/18/12 2020

Structural Models of Attitudes contd

Multi-attribute attitude models Theory-of-reasoned-action model

Represents a comprehensive integration of attitude components into a structure that is designed to lead to both better explanation and better predictions of behaviour. This model incorporates a 5/18/12 2121 cognitive component, an affective

Structural Models of Attitudes contd

Attitude-toward-the-ad models
In an effort to understand the impact of advertising or some other promotional vehicle (e.g. a catalog) on consumer attitudes toward a particular products or brands. Research in the US indicates that AfricanAmericans and women have more positive attitudes towards 5/18/12 2222 advertising.

Attitude Formation

How do people, from their initial general attitudes towards things? Consider the attitudes towards clothing people wear? Underwear, casualwear and business attire? How do family members and friends, admired celebrities, mass-media advertisements, even cultural memberships, influence the formation of their attitudes concerning consuming or not consuming each of these types of apparel items?

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Attitude Formation contd

How attitudes are learned?

When we refer to the formation of an attitude, we refer to the shift from having no attitude toward a given object, to ...having some attitude towards it. Consumers often purchase new products that are associated with a favourably viewed brand name. The favourable attitude towards the brand name is frequently the result of a repeated satisfaction with other products produced by the same company. Sometimes attitudes follow the purchase and consumption of a product - For example: when a consumer buys the product as it is the only one available and without having 5/18/12 2424 a prior attitude towards it.

Sources of influence on attitude

Attitude Formation contd

The formation of consumers attitudes is strongly influenced by personal experience, the influence of family and friends , direct marketing, mass media, and the Internet. The consumers direct experience is the primary means of evaluating their attitudes towards goods and services. Marketers attempt to stimulate buying of products by offering cents-off coupons, or even free samples and etc. The marketers objective is for the consumers to try and evaluate the products. If the products proven to be of their liking , it is likely 5/18/12 that the consumers will form a positive 2525 attitude and be more likely to repurchase the

Attitude Formation contd

Personality factors

Personality also plays a critical role in attitude formation.

- For example: individuals with a high need for cognition (i.e. those who crave information and enjoy thinking) are likely to form positive attitudes in response to ads or direct mail that are rich in product-related information. - Consumers who are relatively low in need for cognition are more likely to form positive attitudes in response to ads that feature an attractive model or a well known celebrity.
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Strategies of Attitude Change contd

Altering consumer attitudes is a key strategy considerations for most marketers. For example in many product categories most new entrants aim at the market leaders when developing their marketing strategies. Their objective is to change the attitudes of the customers of the market leaders and win them over. Among the attitude-change strategies that are available are: - Changing the basic motivational function

- Associating the product with a special group/event or cause. - Resolving two conflicting attitudes
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- Altering components of the multi-attribute model.

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Strategies of Attitude Change contd

Changing the Basic Motivational Function An effective strategy for changing consumer attitudes toward a product or brand is to make particular needs prominent. One method for changing motivation is known as the functional approach. According to this approach, attitudes can be Classified in terms of four functions: - the utilitarian function 5/18/12ego-defensive function 2828 -

Strategies of Attitude Change contd

Changing the Basic Motivational Function The Utilitarian Function

We hold certain brand attitudes partly because of a brands utility ( proven to be useful and our attitude towards it tend to be favourable). One way of changing attitudes towards a product by showing people that it can serve a utilitarian purpose e.g. - in promotions
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Strategies of Attitude Change contd

Changing the Basic Motivational Function The ego-defensive function Most people want to protect their self-images from inner feelings of doubt. They want to replace their uncertainty with a sense of security and self-confidence. - For example should consumers acknowledge an ad for cosmetics and fashion clothings, this increase their 5/18/12 3030

Strategies of Attitude Change contd

Changing the basic Motivational Function The value-expressive function Attitudes are an expression or reflection of the consumers general values, lifestyle and outlook.
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Thus by knowing target

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Strategies of Attitude Change contd

Changing the basic Motivational Function The knowledge function

Individuals generally have a strong need to know and understand the people and things they encounter. The consumers need to know (a cognitive need), is important to marketers concerned with product positioning. Many product and brand positioning, attempt to satisfy the need to know
5/18/12 3232 and to improve the consumers

Strategies of Attitude Change contd

Resolving two conflicting attitudes

Attitude-change strategies can sometimes resolve actual or potential conflict between two attitudes. If consumers are made to see that their negative attitude towards a product , a specific brand , or its attributes, is really not 5/18/12 in conflict with another 3333

Strategies of Attitude Change contd

Altering components of the multiattribute model

This model brings more insights as to how to bring about attitudechange:

1. Changing the relative evaluation of attributes The overall market for many product categories is often set out so that different consumer segments are offered different 5/18/12 3434

Strategies of Attitude Change contd

Altering components of the multi-attribute model contd Adding an Attribute Another cognitive strategy consists of adding an attribute. This can be accomplished either by adding an attribute that previously has been ignored or one that represents an improvement or technological innovation. 4. Change the Overall brand rating A strategy consists of attempting to alter consumers overall assessment of 5/18/12 3535 the brand directly, without attempting

Behavior can precede or follow attitude formation

Attitude formation and attitude change has stressed the traditional rational view that consumers develop their attitudes before taking actions. There are alternatives to this attitude precedes behavior perspective, alternatives, on careful analysis, are likely to be just as logical and rational. 1. Cognitive dissonance theory when discomfort or dissonance (disagreement) occurs when a consumer holds a conflicting 5/18/12 3636

Attribution theory

Behavior can precede or follow attitude formation - contd

Attempts to explain how people assign causality (reasons eg. blame or credit) to events on the basis of their own behavior or the behaviour of others. 5/18/12a person might say I 3737 -

Self-perception theory

Behavior can precede or follow attitude formation - contd

Attitudes develop as consumers look at and make judgments about their own behaviour. Distinction between internal & external attribution. A man buys a new camera and shoots good photos. Internal attribution: I did it. 5/18/12 3838 External attribution: The Japanese

Foot-in-the-door technique If one can get someone to donate Rs. 500 for cancer aid, he may be properly approached for a much larger donation. Sometimes over-inducements may not work. Door-in-the-face technique

Behavior can precede or follow attitude formation - contd

Can I borrow Rs 5,000/- of you?3939 way!!! No 5/18/12

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