CONSUMER

LEARNING
MFM-2
Importance of Learning
 Marketers must teach consumers:
 where to buy
 how to use
 how to maintain
 how to dispose of products
Consumer Learning
 A process by which individuals acquire the
purchase and consumption knowledge and
experience that they apply to future related
behavior
Learning Processes

 Intentional:  Incidental: learning

learning acquired as acquired by accident
a result of a careful or without much
search for effort
information
Elements of Learning Theories

 Motivation
 Cues
 Response
 Reinforcement
 A positive or
negative outcome
that influences the
likelihood that a
specific behavior
Reinforcement
will be repeated in
the future in
response to a
particular cue or
stimulus.
Behavioral Learning Theories

 Classical Conditioning
 Instrumental Conditioning
 Modeling or Observational Learning
Classical Conditioning
 A behavioral learning theory according to which a
stimulus is paired with another stimulus that elicits
a known response that serves to produce the same
response when used alone.
Instrumental (Operant) Conditioning

 A behavioral theory of learning based on a trial-

and-error process, with habits forced as the result
of positive experiences (reinforcement) resulting
from certain responses or behaviors.
Pavlovian Model of Classical
Conditioning

Unconditioned Stimulus
Meat paste
Unconditioned Response
Salivation
Conditioned Stimulus
Bell

AFTER REPEATED PAIRINGS

Conditioned Stimulus Conditioned Response

Bell Salivation
Analogous Model of Classical
Conditioning

Unconditioned Stimulus
Dinner aroma
Unconditioned Response
Salivation
Conditioned Stimulus
6 o’clock news

AFTER REPEATED PAIRINGS

Conditioned Stimulus Conditioned Response
6 o’clock news Salivation
Relevance to Marketing
 Conditioned Stimuli – Brand Image
 Unconditioned Stimuli – New Additions to the
Brand
 Response – Acceptance of the Brand
Cognitive Associative Learning
 Classical conditioning is viewed as the learning of
associations among events that allows the organism to
anticipate and represent its environment.
 For the conditioning to happen,
 The conditioned stimuli should precede the Unconditioned
stimuli
 Repeated pairing of Conditioned and Unconditioned stimuli
 Conditioned stimuli is new and unfamiliar
 Unconditioned stimuli is biologically or symbolically salient.
Strategic Applications of Classical
Conditioning

 Repetition
 Stimulus Generalization
 Stimulus Discrimination
Repetition
 Repetition increases
strength of associations
and slows forgetting but
over time may result in
advertising wear out.
 Cosmetic variations
reduce saturation.
 Substantive Variations
are the changes in
advertising content.
Three-Hit Theory
 Repetition is the basis for the idea that three
exposures to an ad are necessary for the ad to be
effective
 The number of actual repetitions to equal three
exposures is in question.
Stimulus Generalization
 The possibility of other similar stimuli replacing a
known conditioning stimuli.
Stimulus Generalization and Marketing

 Product Line, Form and Category Extensions

 Family Branding
 Licensing
 Generalizing Usage Situations
 The ability to
discriminate a specific
Stimulus stimulus from among
Discrimination similar stimuli
because of perceived
differences.

Positioning

Differentiation
A Model of Instrumental Conditioning

Try Unrewarded
Brand A Legs too tight

Try Unrewarded
Brand B Tight in seat
Stimulus
Situation
Try Unrewarded
(Need good-
looking jeans) Brand C Baggy in seat

Try Reward
Brand D Perfect fit
Repeat Behavior
Instrumental Conditioning
 Consumers learn by means of trial and error
process in which some purchase behaviors result in
more favorable outcomes (rewards) than other
purchase behaviors.
 A favorable experience is instrumental in teaching
the individual to repeat a specific behavior.
Instrumental Conditioning and
Marketing
 Customer Satisfaction (Reinforcement)
 Extinction and Forgetting
 Reinforcement Schedules
 Total / continuous reinforcement
 Fixed / systematic reinforcement
 Variable / random reinforcement
 Shaping
 Performance of Reinforcement before the actual
consumer behaviour.
Reinforcement

 Positive  Negative
Reinforcement: Reinforcement:
Positive outcomes that Unpleasant or negative
strengthen the outcomes that serve to
likelihood of a specific encourage a specific
response behavior
 Example: Ad showing  Example: Ad showing
beautiful hair as a wrinkled skin as
reinforcement to buy reinforcement to buy
shampoo skin cream
Other Concepts in Reinforcement
 Punishment
 Choose reinforcement rather than punishment
 Extinction
 Combat with consumer satisfaction
 Forgetting
 Combat with repetition
 A process by which
individuals observe
the behavior of
others, and
Observational
consequences of
Learning
such behavior. Also
known as modeling
or vicarious
learning.
Consumers
Learn by
Modeling
 This theory is based
on the premises that
the kind of learning
Cognitive most characteristics
Learning of human beings is
Theory problem solving,
which enables
individuals to gain
some control over
their environment.
Appeal to
Cognitive
Processing
 A cognitive theory of
human learning
patterned after
computer information
Information processing that
Processing focuses on how
information is stored
in human memory
and how it is
retrieved.
Information Processing and Memory
Stores

Working
Working
Memory
Memory Long-
Long-
Sensory Sensory
Sensory (Short-
(Short- term
term
Input Store
Store Rehearsal Encoding Retrieval
term
term Store
Store
Store)
Store)

Forgotten; Forgotten; Forgotten;

lost lost unavailable
Rehearsal and Learning
 Rehearsal is repeating the information or relating it
to other information.
 Rehearsal makes the information available for short
term memory so that the encoding can happen.
 Encoding is the process where a word or visual
image is selected to represent a perceived object.
Retention

 Information is stored in
long-term memory
 Episodically: by the order in
which it is acquired
 Semantically: according to
significant concepts
 Models of Cognitive Learning

Decision- Innovation Innovation

Promotional Tricompetent Making Adoption Decision
Model Model Model Model Process
Attention Cognitive Awareness Awareness
Sequential
Knowledge Knowledge
Stages
of Interest Affective Interest
Processing Desire Evaluation Evaluation Persuasion
Action Conative Purchase Trial Decision
Postpurchase Adoption Confirmation
Evaluation
 A theory of consumer
learning which
postulates that
consumers engage in a
range of information
Involvement
processing activity
Theory
from extensive to
limited problem
solving, depending on
the relevance of the
purchase.
 Split Brain
Figure 7.14 Theory

 Right/ Left Brain

Hemispheres
specialize in certain
functions
Encouraging
Right and
Left Brain
Processing
Issues in Involvement Theory

 Involvement Theory and Media Strategy

 Involvement Theory and Consumer Relevance
 Narrow categorizers
 Broad categorizers
 Central and Peripheral Routes to Persuasion
 High involvement – Central route of persuasion
 Low involvement – Peripheral route of Persuasion.
 Measures of Involvement
 A theory that proposes that
highly involved consumers
are best reached through ads
Central and that focus on the specific
Peripheral attributes of the product (the
central route) while
Routes to uninvolved consumers can
Persuasion be attracted through
peripheral advertising cues
such as the model or the
setting (the peripheral route).
 A theory that suggests
that a person’s level of
Elaboration involvement during
Likelihood message processing is
Model a critical factor in
(ELM) determining which
route to persuasion is
likely to be effective.
The Elaboration Likelihood Model

Involvement
HIGH LOW

Central Route Peripheral Route

Message Peripheral
Arguments Cues
Influence Influence
Attitudes Attitudes
Measures of Consumer Learning

 Recognition and Recall Measures

 Aided and Unaided Recall
 Cognitive Responses to Advertising
 Copytesting Measures
 Attitudinal and Behavioral Measures of Brand
Loyalty
Phases of Brand Loyalty
 Cognitive Loyalty- Peoples thought about object
 Affective Loyalty– refers to moods, feeling or
emotional responses to the object
 Cognitive Loyalty– refers to behavioural intention
or willingness to act.
 Action / Behaviour Loyalty.