CONSUMER

LEARNING
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 acquired learning acquired
as a result of a by accident or
careful search for without much
information effort
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
Conditioned Stimulus
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
Conditioned Stimulus
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 unfamilier

 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
wearout.
 Cosmetic variations
reduce satiation.
 Substantive
Variations are the
changes in
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
Stimulus specific stimulus
Discriminatio from among similar
n stimuli because of
perceived
differences.

Positioning

Differentiation
A Model of Instrumental Conditioning

Unrewarded
Try
Legs too
Brand A
tight
Try Unrewarded
Stimulus Brand B Tight in seat
Situation Unrewarded
(Need good- Try
looking
Baggy in
Brand C
jeans) 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.
 Massed versus Distributed Learning
Reinforcement

 Positive  Negative
Reinforcement: Reinforcement:
Positive outcomes Unpleasant or
that strengthen the negative outcomes
likelihood of a that serve to
specific response encourage a specific
 Example: Ad behavior
showing beautiful  Example: Ad showing
hair as a wrinkled skin as
reinforcement to reinforcement to buy
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,
Observationa
and consequences
l Learning
of 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
Learning characteristics of
Theory human beings is
problem solving,
which enables
individuals to gain
some control over
their environment.
Appeal to
Cognitive
Processin
g
 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
Memory Long
Sensor Sensor
(Short- -term
y y Store Rehears Encodin
term Store Retrieva
Input al g l
Store)

Forgotte Forgotte Forgotten;

n; n; unavailabl
lost lost e
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

Innovatio
Decision- n Innovation
Promotion Tricompeten Making Adoption Decision
al Model t Model Model Model Process
Attention Cognitive Awareness Awarenes
Sequential
Knowledge s Knowledge
Stages
of Interest Affective Interest
Processing Desire Evaluation Evaluatio Persuasion
Action Conative Purchase n
Trial Decision
Postpurcha Adoption Confirmatio
se n
Evaluation
 A theory of consumer
learning which
postulates that
consumers engage
in a range of
Involvemen information
t Theory processing activity
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
Encouragin
g Right and
Left Brain
Processing
Issues in Involvement Theory

 Involvement Theory and Media Strategy

 Involvement Theory and Consumer
Relevance
 Narrow categorisers
 Broad categorisers

 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 that
Central and focus on the specific
Peripheral attributes of the product
(the central route) while
Routes to uninvolved consumers
Persuasion can be attracted through
peripheral advertising
cues such as the model or
the setting (the peripheral
route).
 A theory that
suggests that a
Elaboratio person’s level of
involvement during
n
message processing
Likelihood
is a critical factor in
Model determining which
(ELM) route to persuasion
is likely to be
effective.
The Elaboration Likelihood
Model
Involvement
HIGH LOW

Peripheral
Central Route
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
 Conative Loyalty– refers to behavioural
intention or willingness to act.
 Action / Behaviour Loyalty.
Brand Loyalty As A Function of
Relative Attitude and Patronage
Behavior

Repeat Patronage

High Low

Latent
High Loyalty
Loyalty
Relative
Attitude
Spurious No
Low
Loyalty Loyalty