Chapter 1
Consumer Motives and Values
End-of-Chapter Questions: Suggested Approaches
1. Find some examples of Freudian symbolism in advertising and packaging
This allows students to bring in - or merely cite - current (or earlier) examples of what
might be Freudian symbolism.
The text discusses some examples that are relevant here, such as the MGB and Sanyo
advertisements.
Students should be encouraged to add to the list with their own examples.
Examples of phallic packaging can also be discussed - some will probably be drawn from
the toiletries/cosmetics market.
1. Using your course as a product/service context, construct a needs-features-benefits
framework and discuss its use in marketing the course.
The main point of this exercise is to reinforce the point that consumers don't buy
'things' or features of products and services, but rather that they buy what the product
or service can do for them. That is, the BENEFITS they derive.
The exercise can be used as a basic one to demonstrate how 'features' can be
converted into benefit
This is a useful exercise along the same lines, but the results can also be interesting and
helpful for our own marketing of our courses! Different needs should be identified (such
as 'learning for its own sake, to 'grow as an individual' or 'to get a job' etc. - together
with how these can be explained by motivation theory (for example, Maslow levels
4/5/6 for the first two and level 2 for the last mentioned).
Specific features of the course can be identified and linked with each need identified,
such as 'student centred learning' or 'industrial placement'. Then for each feature,
benefits should be shown to satisfy the identified needs'. Student centred learning for
example could be converted into the benefit of providing for individualised planning and
execution of work programmes which are more likely to lead to personal fulfillment and
growth because it is less passive than sitting back and saying 'teach me’!
The Industrial Placement can be converted into the benefit of providing work
experience and this can help at job interviews and can also help identify into which
areas of work the student does - and doesn't want to move.
, How about extending this exercise by asking for ‘objections’ to be catered for -? This is a
fun (if slightly dangerous) thing to do! It is, of course, what happens in reality. By
categorising each objection under the headings of ‘product’, ‘price’, ‘competition’ and
‘emotions’, the true nature of each objection can become clearer and a variety of
‘counters’ can be considered, depending on which category the objection is within.
The generation of objections is the dangerous bit, because you are asking students to
come up with criticisms of their course. They can usually do this within minutes! Many
objections will be petty, such as 'too many 9am lectures', 'not enough staff contact' and
'the out-of-town campus is isolated'.
Students are then forced to think of the basic nature of each objection. Is each to do,
fundamentally with the course itself is it therefore a 'product' related objection such as
'doesn't have an entire module in International Marketing and employers are
increasingly talking about global marketing'.
Objections can also be categorised as being 'competition based', such as the 'City
University of Poppleton is in the city centre, not out of town.'
Another category of objection can be 'price' related, such as 'taking a job rather than
coming to 'college would have been better financially', or 'apart from Consumer
Behaviour, the required reading is too expensive and I have to do a part time job'.
Objections are sometimes none of these. For example, 'I am away from my friends at
home'. In this instance the objection is more 'emotional'.
What is to be encouraged to for students to think of each objection as potentially being
under more than one heading. Actually, most can be listed under ALL headings and this
is useful countering each because more than one way of countering the same objection
can be used. For example, 'not enough staff contact', if seen by an objector as a fault
with the course (product) can be countered with the 'product related benefit' of
'student centred learning being more effective, more participative and less passive.
Others might be concerned about not enough staff contact because they've heard that
the City University of Poppleton has twice as many lectures. This can be countered with
the benefit that their lectures are in cohorts twice the size of ours and that in any case
WE got the excellent teaching rating when they were only satisfactory, so 'quantity isn't
the same as quality!
Some might worry about the lack of staff contact from an emotional point of view, in
that they feel isolated. The emotional benefit could come through self help groups that
are likely to spring up, leading not only to 'task orientated' benefits, but also in meeting
new people. Also, the lack of staff contact can bring the benefit of generally becoming
more self-reliant and therefore leading to personal growth and development, affectively
- that is, its 'character building’!!
2. Discuss the reasons why consumers go shopping.
Answers should draw from a range of research in this area, including the work of
Tauber, Westbrook and Black and Arnold and Reynolds.
,Students can relate the following sorts of motives to their own and others’ shopping
behaviour:
• to escape from daily drudgery and to alleviate depression
• to get some physical exercise (not for virtual shopping!)
• to experience products via our senses of touch, sight, taste etc and to experience
novel stimulations
• to engage socially with others
• to ‘pose’ by shopping in exclusive stores
• to keep up with trends and fashions
• etc.
, 1. Select THREE press advertisements and for each of these:
a. Discuss the likely target market and promotional objectives based on media
and message used and your knowledge of the competition within such
markets.
Students should analyse the messages used in terms of the likely readership
profile of the newspaper or magazine within which they are contained. National
Readership Surveys and the Target Group Index might be useful in this context;
otherwise they can rely on a more subjective understanding of readerships.
Evidence of competing brands’ advertising approaches can be expected as well.
In this way, the positioning with the market relative to other brands can
enhance understanding of the promotional objectives for the selected
messages.
b. What do Maslow and Freud contribute to explaining the message used
and motivational factors in the target market?
Analyse and evaluate the contribution of the work of Maslow and Freud to
explaining both the message employed and motivational factors in the market
targeted.
This allows students to not only analyse advertising messages in the light of
assumed objectives and market segmentation, positioning, and targeting, but
also to use the needs-features-benefits framework within which to apply
relevant motivation theories.
The exercise is fairly demanding if done properly. Many students tend not to go
much beyond the ‘advert. analysis’ level and although this can reflect much
thought and good analytical skills, the really good answers will those that apply
theory where it is seen to fit. Some try to apply all of Maslow, Freud, Hertzberg
etc., to every advertisement they pick. The better ones are much more selective
and will demonstrate a depth of not only analysis but also application.
For example an advertisement for private health cover might be seen to be
focusing on safety and security as defined by Maslow, offering protection from
fear and directed at stimulating the physiological motive emanating from the
biological need to avoid pain. Such a message might be based on the premise
that many sectors of today’s society are anxious about the dangers of modern
health problems. In this context anxiety was also recognised by Freud as an
emotion, which may affect man’s actions. Bayton’s ego-defensive classification
of psychogenic needs is also relevant because it relates to the human need to
protect the person from physical and psychological harm. The rational versus
emotional dichotomy first offered by M T Copeland could be applied - the
rational motives for purchasing private health care are evident but the
emotional motives for feelings of comfort and prestige are more subtle but
nonetheless apparent.
Consumer Motives and Values
End-of-Chapter Questions: Suggested Approaches
1. Find some examples of Freudian symbolism in advertising and packaging
This allows students to bring in - or merely cite - current (or earlier) examples of what
might be Freudian symbolism.
The text discusses some examples that are relevant here, such as the MGB and Sanyo
advertisements.
Students should be encouraged to add to the list with their own examples.
Examples of phallic packaging can also be discussed - some will probably be drawn from
the toiletries/cosmetics market.
1. Using your course as a product/service context, construct a needs-features-benefits
framework and discuss its use in marketing the course.
The main point of this exercise is to reinforce the point that consumers don't buy
'things' or features of products and services, but rather that they buy what the product
or service can do for them. That is, the BENEFITS they derive.
The exercise can be used as a basic one to demonstrate how 'features' can be
converted into benefit
This is a useful exercise along the same lines, but the results can also be interesting and
helpful for our own marketing of our courses! Different needs should be identified (such
as 'learning for its own sake, to 'grow as an individual' or 'to get a job' etc. - together
with how these can be explained by motivation theory (for example, Maslow levels
4/5/6 for the first two and level 2 for the last mentioned).
Specific features of the course can be identified and linked with each need identified,
such as 'student centred learning' or 'industrial placement'. Then for each feature,
benefits should be shown to satisfy the identified needs'. Student centred learning for
example could be converted into the benefit of providing for individualised planning and
execution of work programmes which are more likely to lead to personal fulfillment and
growth because it is less passive than sitting back and saying 'teach me’!
The Industrial Placement can be converted into the benefit of providing work
experience and this can help at job interviews and can also help identify into which
areas of work the student does - and doesn't want to move.
, How about extending this exercise by asking for ‘objections’ to be catered for -? This is a
fun (if slightly dangerous) thing to do! It is, of course, what happens in reality. By
categorising each objection under the headings of ‘product’, ‘price’, ‘competition’ and
‘emotions’, the true nature of each objection can become clearer and a variety of
‘counters’ can be considered, depending on which category the objection is within.
The generation of objections is the dangerous bit, because you are asking students to
come up with criticisms of their course. They can usually do this within minutes! Many
objections will be petty, such as 'too many 9am lectures', 'not enough staff contact' and
'the out-of-town campus is isolated'.
Students are then forced to think of the basic nature of each objection. Is each to do,
fundamentally with the course itself is it therefore a 'product' related objection such as
'doesn't have an entire module in International Marketing and employers are
increasingly talking about global marketing'.
Objections can also be categorised as being 'competition based', such as the 'City
University of Poppleton is in the city centre, not out of town.'
Another category of objection can be 'price' related, such as 'taking a job rather than
coming to 'college would have been better financially', or 'apart from Consumer
Behaviour, the required reading is too expensive and I have to do a part time job'.
Objections are sometimes none of these. For example, 'I am away from my friends at
home'. In this instance the objection is more 'emotional'.
What is to be encouraged to for students to think of each objection as potentially being
under more than one heading. Actually, most can be listed under ALL headings and this
is useful countering each because more than one way of countering the same objection
can be used. For example, 'not enough staff contact', if seen by an objector as a fault
with the course (product) can be countered with the 'product related benefit' of
'student centred learning being more effective, more participative and less passive.
Others might be concerned about not enough staff contact because they've heard that
the City University of Poppleton has twice as many lectures. This can be countered with
the benefit that their lectures are in cohorts twice the size of ours and that in any case
WE got the excellent teaching rating when they were only satisfactory, so 'quantity isn't
the same as quality!
Some might worry about the lack of staff contact from an emotional point of view, in
that they feel isolated. The emotional benefit could come through self help groups that
are likely to spring up, leading not only to 'task orientated' benefits, but also in meeting
new people. Also, the lack of staff contact can bring the benefit of generally becoming
more self-reliant and therefore leading to personal growth and development, affectively
- that is, its 'character building’!!
2. Discuss the reasons why consumers go shopping.
Answers should draw from a range of research in this area, including the work of
Tauber, Westbrook and Black and Arnold and Reynolds.
,Students can relate the following sorts of motives to their own and others’ shopping
behaviour:
• to escape from daily drudgery and to alleviate depression
• to get some physical exercise (not for virtual shopping!)
• to experience products via our senses of touch, sight, taste etc and to experience
novel stimulations
• to engage socially with others
• to ‘pose’ by shopping in exclusive stores
• to keep up with trends and fashions
• etc.
, 1. Select THREE press advertisements and for each of these:
a. Discuss the likely target market and promotional objectives based on media
and message used and your knowledge of the competition within such
markets.
Students should analyse the messages used in terms of the likely readership
profile of the newspaper or magazine within which they are contained. National
Readership Surveys and the Target Group Index might be useful in this context;
otherwise they can rely on a more subjective understanding of readerships.
Evidence of competing brands’ advertising approaches can be expected as well.
In this way, the positioning with the market relative to other brands can
enhance understanding of the promotional objectives for the selected
messages.
b. What do Maslow and Freud contribute to explaining the message used
and motivational factors in the target market?
Analyse and evaluate the contribution of the work of Maslow and Freud to
explaining both the message employed and motivational factors in the market
targeted.
This allows students to not only analyse advertising messages in the light of
assumed objectives and market segmentation, positioning, and targeting, but
also to use the needs-features-benefits framework within which to apply
relevant motivation theories.
The exercise is fairly demanding if done properly. Many students tend not to go
much beyond the ‘advert. analysis’ level and although this can reflect much
thought and good analytical skills, the really good answers will those that apply
theory where it is seen to fit. Some try to apply all of Maslow, Freud, Hertzberg
etc., to every advertisement they pick. The better ones are much more selective
and will demonstrate a depth of not only analysis but also application.
For example an advertisement for private health cover might be seen to be
focusing on safety and security as defined by Maslow, offering protection from
fear and directed at stimulating the physiological motive emanating from the
biological need to avoid pain. Such a message might be based on the premise
that many sectors of today’s society are anxious about the dangers of modern
health problems. In this context anxiety was also recognised by Freud as an
emotion, which may affect man’s actions. Bayton’s ego-defensive classification
of psychogenic needs is also relevant because it relates to the human need to
protect the person from physical and psychological harm. The rational versus
emotional dichotomy first offered by M T Copeland could be applied - the
rational motives for purchasing private health care are evident but the
emotional motives for feelings of comfort and prestige are more subtle but
nonetheless apparent.
