INDIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT TIRUCHIRAPPALLI

Consumer Behavior
Term 4, 2014
Guidelines on the laddering assignment
- You should talk to a consumer who is NOT a student of IIM Trichy. You can
choose any age group, gender or profile you are comfortable with. I would suggest
that you choose a consumer who is sufficiently articulate and reasonably
knowledgeable about the products involved.
- Talk to the consumer about two different products (in different product categories
the more different, the better) that (s)he has experience with, and employ the
laddering exercise to arrive at terminal values for both these products. Stick to
specific brands and not broad product categories (e.g., Nokia Lumia 520, not
mobile phones or smart phones).
- Provide a brief description of the consumers profile
- Provide means end chain(s) for both the products. In case of multiple attributes and
terminal values (which is usually the case), you are not expected to provide more
than three means end chains per product.
- How did your experience vary across both the products? Did you find it easier to
elicit responses in one product category vis--vis the other? Why do you think so?
- What did you learn from the laddering exercise? What were the problems you
faced?
- Are you convinced with the responses you got? Are they making sense? Do you
think this is a worthwhile exercise?
- Please confine your writing to a maximum of three typed pages, in readable font.