The Internet and Consumer Behavior.
Introduction
The purpose of this activity is to discuss the impact of the digital revolution on consumers and marketers.
Post your comments on the following What are the privacy issues involved in any permission marketing?
•What are the ethical decisions that surround permission marketing when you consider the fine line between privacy and advertising?
•What issues do marketers need to be aware of?
Consumer Research
Introduction
Consumer research and the study of consumer behaviour are interdependent. No new information can be measured or evaluated without research. Most introductory marketing textbooks provide a chapter devoted to the overall process of marketing research (Schiffman et al., p. 33).
Reflective Question…
What do you envision will happen to the field of consumer research within the next 10 years? Will customer satisfaction still form a major frame of reference for marketers, especially for your chosen product market?
*The product I have chosen is IPhone
Motivation and Consumer Involvement
Introduction
The purpose of this activity is to examine the strategic implications of motivation and involvement on consumer behaviour.
Let’s consider how marketers appeal to tire consumers in Canada and the United States and how well they cater to those who are exhibiting situational involvement in their product offerings.
Screen capture credited to: Canadian Tire Corporation (Source: Canadian Tire Website Nov 2005).
Explore (look down the left hand menu for the “automotive” department and select “Tires and Rims”).
Look at other sites, including those of manufacturers such as Michelin: (Watch the TV commercials if available).
Also, explore the United States Michelin site:
Post your observations of how tire retailers and manufacturers are appealing to consumers in terms of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Cite specific examples (briefly describe in addition to providing a URL since web ads change frequently), identifying the motivational needs that are being appealed to. Comment on any differences between Michelin’s Canadian and United States sites and why those exist.
Also comment on how well the websites serve the needs of consumers who have taken the time to visit the site and are likely involved in making a purchase decision. Is there readily available information that enables consumers to compare product offerings?
Reflective Question…
What are the advantages and disadvantages of using Maslow’s need hierarchy for segmentation and positioning applications?
Activity 2: Theories of Personality and Ethnocentrism
Introduction
In the following activities, you will analyze and apply the theories of personality and how marketing messages can be constructed to address consumers’ individual needs and how marketers can segment the population based on consumers’ perceived self-concepts.
Consider how your clothing preferences differ from those of your friends. What personality traits might explain why your preferences are different from those of your friends? Reflect and post your thoughts.
Activity 5: Consumer Lifestyle and Psychographics
In this activity, you will examine how marketers can segment the population based on consumers’ personalities, lifestyles, and values.
Survey and Online Discussion
You will be taking two personality-related surveys that can provide an indication of your lifestyle and values. Before beginning, refer back to the work of Karen Horney, a non-Freudian personality theorist, who came up with the compliant, aggressive, and detached CAD classifications.
Go to the SRI website to determine your own VALS typology— and click on the VALS™ Survey in the “Most Popular” upper right-hand box.
Next, for a more Canadian point of view, go to the Environics social values survey at Your responses will classify you into one of the 12 “tribes” described in Figure 4-16 on pages 132 to 133.
Post your comments and discuss your view about the negative and positive approach to lifestyle segmentation.
Dynamics of Perception
Introduction
In the following activities, you will explore perception, the stimuli that influence perception, and how marketers can target segments of the population based on consumers’ perceptions.
Discussion
Do you believe that marketers have the right to use any or all-public spaces to deliver product messages? Where would you draw the line in terms of places and products that should be restricted?
Activity 7: Consumer Imagery
Introduction
In this activity, you will explore how marketers can tailor marketing messages to address consumers’ perceptions of a product or service, or to tailor the message to reach a particular target audience.
Read Astrid Van Den Broek’s (April 2001) article entitled "Molson Canadian toasts Canadiana" in Marketing Magazine. The article describes differences from previous television advertising campaigns for Molson Canada’s Beer products.
Through the TRU library (online databases), find 3 articles about products or services that have been repositioned (IPhone). Select at least 1 of these articles and post a citation and brief description/summary giving the reasons for the repositioning effort, the techniques employed, and whether the desired results were achieved. If another student has posted on an article you have read, see if your conclusions are similar.
Note (you can use your own sources as long as it’s reliable)
Consumer Learning
The purpose of this activity is to explore consumer learning and its related marketing strategies.
(Ad Research)
Make a list of three commercials that have used popular songs in the ad. Post as to why you think the advertiser chose these songs to be placed in the ad. Describe each of the target markets the advertiser is trying to reach.
Hint: If you’re stuck, try a Google search using key words like “popular songs ads” or take a peak on what others have posted for this activity and ad your comments.
Consumer Attitude Formation and Change
Introduction
In this activity, you will learn more about the characteristics of attitudes, the functions of attitudes, the formation of attitudes, and the related marketing applications.
Provide a description, URL link, digital photo, or scanned image of at least one example of a magazine or newspaper advertisement for each of the four functions of attitudes:
- Utilitarian
- Ego-defensive
- Value-expressive
- Knowledge
Post these to the discussion board. If you’re stuck, visit sites like Gallup and Robinson AdGames, the Magazine Publisher’s of America Kelly Awards, or (includes historical ads).
Include observations and remarks in your postings about how each function is employed in the advertising message, and respond to some postings of other students (if you’re one of the first taking this course, you may need to come back later and do that).
Communication and Marketing Strategy
Introduction
In this activity, you will examine targeted advertising and how marketing communications relate to marketing strategy.
(Online Discussion)
Visit the TRU Library article databases and search for articles relevant to this topic, particularly focusing on communications and marketing strategies. (You may use communications and marketing strategy as possible search criteria.)
This is intended as a fairly open-ended activity, suited to particular interests, which may also provide you with ideas for your Integrative Report and Module 2 assignment work. Spend a bit of time browsing the abstracts and select one article that is relevant. Adjust the search criteria if you would like to focus your selections more.
You may want to read up on current trends effecting choice of media. You may also want to consider the two examples below:
•Benady, D. (Oct 2005). "Heineken turns away from TV advertising" by Marketing Week. UK
•Stone, B. & Foroohar, R. (May 2005). "New Ways to Drive Home the Message." Newsweek.
Briefly report on one article that was particularly insightful to you, trying to avoid duplicating other’s choices. Read the postings of others and add your comments or insights to their thread.
Note (you can use your own sources as long as it’s reliable)