Complete the following assignments, each job only needs to write one page.

Consumer Behavior ─ Extra Credit Project 9

Consumer Mindlessness ─ O'Malley

The purpose of this assignment is to have you become aware of &/or interested in ways in which certain firms appear to rely on ostensibly mindless behavior on the part of buyers.

1. Find some type of firm-sponsored marketing information (i.e., an advertisement, a sales-pitch, a package design or label, point-of-purchase display or pricing label, etc.) which you believe reveals an assumption on the part of the sponsoring store or manufacturer that buyers will engage in mindless, "scripted" behavior. Attach a copy, if possible. If not (e.g., a TV ad), describe it fully and include a link to the video ad. In what way do you believe it relies on mindless behavior?

Example: In the Zimmatore & Blumenfeld study, a "bogus" coupon was issued in which the discounted price of the auto inspection was printed as $2.99 (regularly priced at $3.00). The presumption, if such an action were intentional on the part of the company (tire dealership), was that a buyer would assume that a coupon was for a realistic discount which would result in saving money. Therefore, since buyers believed they would save money with the coupon, they would redeem it as readily ("mindlessly") as if the discount were more substantial. Thus, the company gets two benefits of the coupon program: 1) increased sales due to the coupon, and 2) only minimally reduced profit margin per auto inspection due to the extremely modest savings to the customer be coupon redemption.

2. What is the presumed "script" that buyers would use to make purchasing decisions? Model it (i.e., identify variables & how they relate to each other).

Example: Z. & B.: 

Obviously, that's not necessarily so!

3. Do you believe the example you have reported, above, was intentional or accidental on the part of the store or manufacturer? That is, was it "consumer mindlessness" or "management mindlessness?" Why do you think so? Present/discuss any evidence that leads to your opinion.

Example (Z. & B.): The researchers had no reason to believe that the "mistake" was intentional. That is, management showed them a copy of the order for the coupons which indicated a coupon price of $1.99. Therefore, it was an error by the printer. Any mindlessness which resulted was on the part of the printing firm and/or buyers ─ not on the part of the tire dealership.