Marketing Consumer Behavior URGENT

Topic: Consumer Decision Making and Promotion/Marketing Strategies (15% of the final grade) Background Written Assignment #2 The purpose behind much of advertising is to influence each of the five Consumer Decision Making process (Problem Recognition, Information Search, Evaluation of Alternatives, Product Choice (i.e. Purchase) and Outcomes (i.e. Postpurchase). Each stage of the Consumer Decision Making process has techniques that help consumers to manage the stage and then move onto the next one successfully. Eventually, the consumer moves to purchase (where we get excited to make the sale) but don't underestimate how important the last stage (post purchase) is to making additional sales in the future. Below are guidelines that show basic techiniques used to target and manipulate each Consumer Decision Stage through advertising. Below are some issues that you will want to consider as you evaluate each of the five chosen advertisements. Please remember that your goal is not simply to answer these questions, but to provide insights into the consumer’s decision making process that you feel would be useful to a marketing manager (e.g., if an ad triggered the consumer’s decision to purchase the product). Other areas to comment on would be level of involvement, etc. Consumer Decision Making Stage: Considerations for Stage: Common Ad Techniques: Problem Recognition ● What pr obl em s doe s thi s pr oduc t s ol ve for the cons umer? • W hat tr igge re d t he de cis ion to pur cha se t hi s produc t? • W as t hi s t he fir s t t im e t he cons umer purcha se d s uch a produc t?

● Define and di sc ern t he Actua l a nd De sir e d State s ● Ask a que stion ( What’ s for di nne r t oni ght?) ● Show befor e ( actua l sta te ) a nd a fte r ( de sir e d sta te ) ● Use t he w ord “ new” or “int roduc ing” to i nitia te cur ios ity.

Information Search • Di d the cons umer s eek inf ormation a bout the pr oduc t and a bout various brands ? How was t hi s i nf ormation c olle cte d, and how m uch i nformation wa s col le cte d? • W as t he cons umer se arc hi ng f or any adve rtis e m ent s f or the pr oduc t?

What wa s t he cons umer’s re action t o these adve rtis e m ent s?

● Matc h a mount of inf ormation w ith t ype of produc t.

● Dir e ct c ons umers t o webs ite , f re e ki t or other inf ormation ve nues.

● Show rol e m ode ls t ha t “look” like the targe t marke t.

● Show the ent ir e l ine of produc t of fe rings (all t he fla vor s a nd c olor s, e tc .) ● Testim oni als , e tc .

Evaluation of Alternatives • How m any a lte rna tive s we re cons ide re d? How we re t he y se le cte d? • W hat f eatur es a nd cha ra cte ris tic s of the pr oduc t were m ost i m por ta nt to t he cons umer? Sa lie nt and Dete rm ina nt de fine d a ttr ibut es.

• How i mpor ta nt wa s t he br and of the pr oduc t t o t he cons umer?

● Featur ing s pecif ic varia bl es t ha t t he pr oduc t is know n for (ex.

Vol vo=Sa fe ty) . Thi s i s known as “ pos itioni ng” a produc t.

● Com petitive m ethod (br and c ompare s the mse lve s t o “ le adi ng brand or cate gor y”) ● Com para tive m ethod (br and c ompare s the mse lve s t o a not her brand by na me ( C oke vs.

Pepsi) Product Choice • Di d any ot her pe opl e pl ay a rol e i n t he de cis ion pr ocess?

Desc ribe the rol es t ha t e ach pers on pl aye d.

• How wa s t he fina l c hoi ce dete rm ine d? How c are ful ly wa s the de cis ion m ade ?

• W here di d the cons umer m ake the pur cha se ? W hy? • Di d the ● Tell c ons umers w here and how the pr oduc t i s sol d.

● Offe r m any w ays to pa y for the pr oduc t.

● Divi de pa ym ent s.

● Offe r s ale s pr om otion (c oupons , reba te s) cons umer pa y full pr ic e f or the produc t?

Post-Purchase Evaluation • How i s t he pr oduc t us ed a nd cons umed? How doe s t he cons umer f eel whe n he or she uses t he pr oduc t?

• W hat i s t he m eani ng of thi s produc t t o t he cons umer?

Does i t m ere ly se rve a func tion f or the cons umer, or doe s i t s ay som ethi ng a bout who t he cons umer i s?

Does t he Ad e ncour age repe at purcha se or loya lty t o the br and- how? ● Show aw ards the br and has w on.

● Show how a br and shoul d be cons umed.

● Allow cons umers m any ways to r etur n t he produc t.

● Allow cons umers t o easily pr ovide feedba ck.

● Rew ard c ons umers loya lty This assignment asks you to find one ad that addresses each of the needs of the five stages (in other words five different ads). This means that there must be five different ads for the total project, one for each stage (all ads are different from one another). Create a Power Point Presentation that shows how the advertiser is addressing the needs of the consumer for the specific Consumer Decision Making stage. First, show the ad in a slide and then follow-up with a slide which explains (bullet form) why the ad slide targets the Consumer Decision Making process stage. ALL ADS MUST BE STILL ADS (NO VIDEOS or LINKS). Therefore the ad MUST be able to be copied and pasted within the power point slide (NO LINKS). Here is the format of the presentation: Slide 1: Name, date Slide 2: ​Problem Recognition Ad Slide 3: Explanation why it addresses this stage Slide 4: ​Information Search Ad Slide 5: Explanation why it addresses this stage Slide 6: ​Evaluation of Alternatives Ad Slide 7: Explanation why it addresses this stage Slide 8: ​Product Choice (Purchase) Ad Slide 9: Explanation why it addresses this stage Slide 10: ​Outcomes ​ ​(Postpurchase) Ad Slide 11: Explanation why it addresses this stage Slide 12: Conclusion In the conclusion of the slide presentation choose which ad is most effective (overall) and why. Logistics Run Down: -No more than 18 slides in length (includes cover page and bibliography) -Include a cover page and bibliography of sources. Outside sources (esp. learning resources from weeks covered) are encouraged to be cited and used. -Organize and utilize the headings given above. -No more than 2 grammatical/spelling errors are allowed (please proof before submitting). -Text is required to be in Times Roman, 12 pt font, double space the text. - Keep voice in business third person. Do not include visuals in text analysis, if need to add create an appendix and refer your reader to such. Consumer Behavior UMUC Written Assignment #2- Decision Process Grading Rubric Requirement Points Problem Recognition (15) Information Search (15) Alternative Evaluation (15) Product Choice (Purchase) (15) Outcomes (Postpurchase) (15) Summary (15) Technical Perspectives (10) TOTAL POINTS: