ABSTRACT
Hall (1992) suggests four frameworks are used in advertising:
n Sales – messages to shift product, e.g. direct response advertising
n Persuasion – moving buyers through sequential steps
n Involvement – drawing consumers into an emotional response
n Salience – using conspicuous presentation
Jones’s strong theory of advertising views consumers as passive and maintains that advertising can persuade and generate repeat purchase behavior
Ehrenberg’s weak theory of advertising views consumers as active problem solvers, driven by habit to make a purchase. He suggests the Awareness-Trial-Reinforcement (ATR) framework
ATR framework reminds people of a need and is a more likely model for how purchase behaviour comes about
The vast quantities of information that consumers receive means that they inevitably ‘process’ information to screen it out. Perception and attitudes both influence and are influenced by marketing communications
Perception is how individuals see and make sense of their environment
For marketing communications it involves:
n Attention getting, with free samples or music, voice overs and camera angles
n Organizing stimuli by packaging, shapes, colour and brand names
n Encouraging the correct interpretation, e.g. by using involvement and emphasizing the correct attributes
Attitudes are an expression of a person’s feelings. They are learned through past experiences and may be formed by external factors, e.g. age, sex, class, peers, culture
n What consumers know/have learnt about a product – cognition
n How people feel about a product – affection n What people will do with regard to a product
(buy or reject) – conation
When faced with a product one learns something about it, then feels something about it and then does something – either reject it or (repeat) purchase
Marketing communications can change attitudes by modifying negative attitudes, and which in turn can change purchase behaviour
n Changing the product itself and its description
n Changing misunderstandings
n Changing attribute priorities
n Changing perception
n Changing brand associations
However, consumers modify or are selective with the messages they absorb
Understanding the stages buyers pass through and the influencing factors helps identify what information consumers require, and when and how they use it
Source: Hughes and Fill: CIM Coursebook Marketing Communications (Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann, 2004)
How lengthy the decision-making process is depends on the nature of the purchase. There are three types of decision-making:
n Routine problem-solving generally concerns low-priced, fmcg products
n Limited problem-solving generally involves a new or unfamiliar brand so that there is some degree of information seeking
n Extensive problem-solving involves the consumer making a more detailed search for information and spending longer on the evaluation of alternatives
Buyer behaviour is often related to the perceived risk
Performance – will it do the job?
