Consumer Attitude Formation and Change 30th Sept, 2011

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Attitude

A learned predisposition to behave in a consistently favorable or unfavorable manner with respect to a given object.

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What are Attitudes?

The attitude object specific consumption or marketing related concepts A learned predisposition result of a direct experience with product, word of mouth, exposure to advertising Attitudes have consistency with the behavior

Attitudes occur within a situation could be inconsistent with behavior

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Structural Models of Attitudes

Tricomponent Attitude Model Muliattribute Attitude Model The Trying-to-Consume Model Attitude-toward-the-Ad Model

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A Simple Representation of the Tricomponent Attitude Model

Conation

Affect

Cognition

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The Tricomponent Model

Cognitive Component The knowledge and perceptions that are acquired by a combination of direct experience with the attitude object and related information from various sources. Affective Component A consumers emotions or feelings about a particular product or brand. Conative Component The likelihood or tendency that an individual will undertake a specific action or behave in a particular way with regard to the attitude object.
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Multiattribute Attitude Models

Attitude models that examine the composition of consumer attitudes in terms of selected product attributes or beliefs.

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Multiattribute Attitude Models

The attitude-toward-object model Attitude is function of evaluation of product-specific beliefs and evaluations The attitude-toward-behavior model Is the attitude toward behaving or acting with respect to an object, rather than the attitude toward the object itself Theory-of-reasoned-action model A comprehensive, integrative model of attitudes

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Theory of Reasoned Action

To understand intention, we also need to measure the subjective norms that influence an individuals intention to act

Subjective Norm

Measured directly by assessing a consumers feelings as to what relevant others would think of the action being contemplated

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A Simplified Version of the Theory of Reasoned Action

Beliefs that the behavior leads to certain outcomes Evaluation of the outcomes Beliefs that specific referents think I should or should not perform the behavior Motivation to comply with the specific referents

Attitude toward the behavior

Intention Behavior
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Subjective norm

Theory of Trying to Consume

An attitude theory designed to account for the many cases where the action or outcome is not certain but instead reflects the consumers attempt to consume (or purchase).

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Selected Examples of Potential Impediments That Might Impact Trying

POTENTIAL PERSONAL IMPEDIMENTS Im going to try to get tickets for a Broadway show for your birthday. Im going to attempt to give up smoking by my birthday. I am going to increase how often I go to the gym from two to four times a week. Tonight, Im not going to have dessert at the restaurant. POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPEDIMENTS The first ten people to call in will receive a free T-shirt. Sorry, the shoes didnt come in this shipment from Italy. There are only three bottles of champagne in our stockroom. You better come in sometime today. I am sorry. We cannot serve you. We are closing the restaurant because of a problem with the oven.

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AttitudeTowardthe-Ad Model

A model that proposes that a consumer forms various feelings (affects) and judgments (cognitions) as the result of exposure to an advertisement, which, in turn, affect the consumers attitude toward the ad and attitude toward the brand.

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A Conception of the Relationship among Elements in an Attitude-Toward-the-Ad Model

Exposure to an Ad Judgments about the Ad (Cognition) Feelings from the Ad (Affect)

Beliefs about the Brand

Attitude toward the Ad

Attitude toward the Brand

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Attitude Formation
How attitudes are learned
Shift from no attitude to attitude is a result of learning Only 2 or 3 important beliefs likely to dominate attitude formation

Sources of influence on attitude formation

Personal experience, influence of family and friends, direct marketing, mass media, internet

Impact of Personality
Need for cognition

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Strategies of Attitude Change

Changing the Basic Motivational Function Associating the Product With an Admired Group, Event or Cause Resolving Two Conflicting Attitudes Altering Components of the Multiattribute Model Changing Beliefs About Competitors Brands
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Changing the basic Motivational Function

The Utilitarian Function
Showing people that it has a utilitarian function that they may not have considered

The Ego-defensive Function

Offering reassurance to consumers self concept

The Value-expressive Function

Overall attitude to category a reflection of attitude to product

The Knowledge Function

Based on the consumers need to know

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Strategies for Attitude Change

Associating the Product With an Admired Group, Event or Cause Mention of philanthropic acts in ads Sponsorship of worthy causes Resolving two conflicting attitudes Natural products are not as effective Changing beliefs about Competitors Brands
Avoid giving undue visibility to competitors brands

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Altering components of a Multiattribute Model

Changing the relative evaluation of attributes
When the category is divided on benefits, consumers can be persuaded to cross over

Changing brand beliefs

Most common form...repositioning

Adding an attribute
Either previously ignored or an improvement

Changing the overall brand rating

Alter consumers overall assessment of the brand than a particular attribute
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Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM)

A theory that suggests that a persons level of involvement during message processing is a critical factor in determining which route to persuasion is likely to be effective e.g. the central route or he peripheral route

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Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM)

Central Route
Relevant when consumer involvement is high Learning through information relevant to the attitude object itself

Peripheral route
When consumer motivation is low Attitude change through secondary inducements
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Why Might Behavior Precede Attitude Formation?

Cognitive Dissonance Theory Attribution Theory
Behave (Purchase)

Form Attitude

Form Attitude

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Cognitive Dissonance Theory

Holds that discomfort or dissonance occurs when a consumer holds conflicting thoughts about a belief or an attitude object. - When they think of the unique,
positive qualities of the brands not selected, after commitment to buy a selected brand

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Reducing Cognitive Dissonance

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Cognitive dissonance that occurs after a consumer has made a purchase.

Postpurchase Dissonance

Consumers resolve this dissonance through a variety of strategies designed to confirm the wisdom of their choice.

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Attribution Theory

A theory concerned with how people assign causality (blame or credit) to events and form or alter their attitudes as an outcome of assessing their own or other peoples behavior.

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Issues in Attribution Theory

Self-perception Theory
Foot-In-The-Door Technique

Attributions Toward Others Attributions Toward Things How We Test Our Attributions

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SelfPerception Theory

A theory that suggests that consumers develop attitudes by reflecting on their own behavior.

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Defensive Attribution

A theory that suggests consumers are likely to accept credit for successful outcomes (internal attribution) and to blame other persons or products for failure (external attribution).

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Criteria for Causal Attributions

Distinctiveness Consistency Over Time Consistency Over Modality Consensus

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