Name: Nguyễn Minh Dương

Student ID: HS173263

Class: MKT1720

Lecturer: Trịnh Trọng Hùng

INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT – MKT201

Q1. Define consumer addiction and give three examples of it.

As far as I know, Consumer addiction is the term used to describe "excessive"

consumers who do not have any self-control over their purchases and who buy more for the

sensation of possession than for their own necessities. Even consumer junkies who are unaware

of their addiction struggle to quit using their products. "Addiction" is often thought of negatively.

Hoarding, shopping addiction, and workaholism are just a few ways that consumption

addiction may show up. It may be hard to avoid using something that everyone else is using, or

you may just feel angry or disappointed if you don't purchase something within a given time

frame. This is due to the overpowering urge to constantly be "in style" and "on trend". But

consumerism is the incapacity of consumers to distinguish between their own value and the items

they own.

I have three examples of consumer addictions:

1. Shopping addiction: When a person buys clothes, shoes, accessories or gadgets that

they do not need or use, and that exceed their budget or income. They may shop online or in

physical stores and may feel a rush of excitement or happiness when they make a purchase, but

later feel remorse or dissatisfaction with what they bought. They may also hide their purchases

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from others or have trouble getting rid of them. Shopping addiction can affect their personal,

professional and financial well-being, and may also indicate other psychological issues such as

low self-esteem, depression or anxiety.

2. Hoarding: An example of hoarding is when a person collects large amounts of things

or animals that are often not needed or have no value and has difficulty discarding or parting

with them. Hoarding can have negative effects on the health, safety, well-being, and

relationships of the hoarder and others. Hoarding is sometimes linked with mental disorders like

depression and anxiety. Hoarding is different from collecting as a hobby, which does not

compromise the intended use of premises or cause distress. (ADAA Cor., 2022)

3. Workaholism: when a person works excessively hard and long hours, beyond

workplace or financial requirements, and finds it difficult not to work. Workaholism can affect

the physical health, mental well-being, and relationships of the workaholic and others.

Workaholism may be driven by various factors, such as perfectionism, insecurity, fear of failure,

or escape from personal problems. (Harpaz, 2003)

Q2. Find examples of electronic recommendation agents on the Web. Evaluate these. Are

they helpful? What characteristics of the sites you locate are likely to make you buy

products you wouldn't have bought on your own?

Electronic recommendation agents are software tools that help users find and select

products or services online by eliciting their preferences and making personalized suggestions.

They can be helpful for users who are looking for products or services that match their needs,

preferences, or interests, but they can also have some drawbacks or limitations, such as

influencing or biasing the user’s preference or decision-making process, reducing the user’s

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control or autonomy over their own choices, or not capturing the user’s preference accurately or

completely. The effectiveness and usefulness of electronic recommendation agents depend on

various factors, such as the characteristics of the agent, the user, the product or service, and the

context.

According to my research on the internet, I had some examples of electronic

recommendation agents on the Web are:

Amazon.com: This is an online retailer that offers personalized recommendations based

on the user’s browsing and purchase history, ratings and reviews, and items in the shopping cart

or wish list. The recommendations are displayed on various pages of the website, such as the

home page, product detail page, checkout page, and thank you page. The user can also access a

personalized store that shows recommendations for different categories and subcategories of

products.

Netflix.com: This is an online streaming service that offers personalized

recommendations based on the user’s viewing history, ratings, preferences, and profile. The

recommendations are displayed on the home page and other pages of the website, such as the

genre page, search page, and watch list page. The user can also browse through different rows of

recommendations that are tailored to different themes, moods, or interests.

Spotify.com: This is an online music streaming service that offers personalized

recommendations based on the user’s listening history, preferences, and profile. The

recommendations are displayed on the home page and other pages of the website, such as the

browse page, radio page, and playlist page. The user can also access a personalized discover

weekly playlist that shows new songs that match the user’s taste.

In my opinion, I find them is very useful. These electronic recommendation agents can

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be helpful for users who are looking for products or services that match their needs, preferences,

or interests. They can also help users discover new or relevant products or services that they

might not have found on their own. They can reduce the information overload and complexity of

online searches by filtering and sorting the alternatives based on the user’s preference structure.

However, besides the positives, I find these electronic recommendation agents can also

have some drawbacks or limitations. For example, for the Vietnamese market:

 They may not capture the user’s preference accurately or completely, especially if

the user does not provide enough or consistent feedback to the agent. They may

also rely on implicit feedback that may not reflect the user’s true preference or

intention.

 They may influence or bias the user’s preference or decision-making process by

presenting certain alternatives more prominently or frequently than others. They

may also affect the user’s satisfaction or regret by creating unrealistic

expectations or comparisons.

 They may reduce the user’s control or autonomy over their own choices by

limiting their exposure to other alternatives or sources of information. They may

also reduce the user’s variety or diversity of choices by recommending similar or

familiar products or services.

Q3. Why is it difficult to place a product in a consumer's evoked set after the person has

already rejected that product? What strategies might a marketer use to accomplish this

goal?

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 An evoked set is a term used in marketing that refers to the group of brands or products

that a consumer considers when making a purchasing decision1. It is the subset of brands or

products that come to the consumer’s mind when they think about a specific product category.

For example, when a customer wants to buy a new smartphone, they may think of Apple,

Samsung, and Huawei as their evoked set.

It is difficult to place a product in a consumer’s evoked set after the person has already

rejected that product because the consumer has already formed a negative attitude or perception

towards that product. The consumer may have had a bad experience with the product, heard

negative word-of-mouth, or seen unfavorable reviews or comparisons with other products. The

consumer may also have strong loyalty or preference for another product in their evoked set.

These factors make it hard for the marketer to change the consumer’s mind and convince them to

reconsider the rejected product.

With these 3 strategies I think marketers can use to achieve this goal are:

 Informing the consumer about the benefits, features, or improvements of the product that

they may not be aware of. This can be done through advertising, social media,

testimonials, or demonstrations.

 Persuading the consumer that the product is superior, unique, or more suitable for their

needs than the other products in their evoked set. This can be done through comparative

advertising, endorsements, incentives, or guarantees.

 Reminding the consumer about the product and its availability, especially when they are

in the process of making a purchase decision. This can be done through repetition,

reminders, or promotions.

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Q4. List three types of consumer involvement, giving two examples of each type.

Consumer involvement is the degree of interest or concern that a consumer has in a

product or service. It reflects how personally important or relevant the product or service is to the

consumer. Consumer involvement can vary depending on different factors, such as the

consumer’s experience, knowledge, motivation, perceived risk, and personal values. There are

different types of consumer involvement, but here are three common ones:

1. High-involvement:

a) Buying a car: Purchasing a car typically involves significant financial investment and

requires careful consideration of various factors such as brand, model, features, performance, and

reliability.

b) Planning a vacation: Planning a vacation involves extensive research, comparing

destinations, accommodations, activities, and considering factors like budget, preferences, and

reviews to ensure an enjoyable and memorable experience.

2. Medium-involvement:

a) Buying a smartphone: Selecting a smartphone involves moderate financial investment

and requires considering factors like specifications, brand reputation, user reviews, and personal

preferences regarding features, operating systems, and design.

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 b) Choosing a laptop: Selecting a laptop involves moderate financial investment and

requires evaluating factors such as processing power, storage capacity, battery life, brand

reputation, user reviews, and intended usage (e.g., gaming, work, multimedia).

3. Low-involvement:

a) Purchasing groceries: Buying groceries is a routine activity with low involvement.

Consumers may make quick decisions based on convenience, price, familiar brands, and

immediate needs without extensive research or evaluation.

b) Buying bottled water: Choosing bottled water is often a low-involvement decision

where consumers may prioritize convenience, brand familiarity, price, and personal preferences

for factors like taste or mineral content without extensive deliberation.

Q5. Some consumer advocates have protested the use of super-thin models in advertising,

claiming that these women encourage others to starve themselves to attain the "waif” look.

Other critics respond that the media's power to shape behavior has been overestimated,

and that it is insulting to people to assume that they are unable to separate fantasy from

reality. How do you think?

I think that both sides of the argument have some validity, but I also think that they are

oversimplifying the issue. On one hand, the media’s power to shape behavior is not absolute, and

that people have different levels of exposure, interpretation, and resistance to media messages. I

agree that it is insulting to people to assume that they are unable to separate fantasy from reality,

and that they are passive and uncritical consumers of media. On the other hand, I also agree that

the use of super-thin models in advertising can have negative effects on some people’s body

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image, self-esteem, and health. To conclusion these models can create unrealistic and unhealthy

standards of beauty and attractiveness that can influence people’s perceptions and expectations

of themselves and others.

Therefore, I think that the issue is not whether the media has power or not, but rather how

much power it has, how it uses it, and how it affects different people in different ways. Firstly,

The media has a social responsibility to be ethical and diverse in its representation of people,

especially women, and to avoid promoting harmful or discriminatory stereotypes or ideals.

Secondly, people have a personal responsibility to be aware and critical of the media messages

they consume, and to seek alternative sources of information and inspiration. Finally, both the

media and the people can play a role in creating a more positive and realistic culture of beauty

and body image.

Reference
ADAA Cor. (2022, 10 28). Hoarding: The Basics. Được truy lục từ ADAA - Anxiety & Depression:
https://adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/obsessive-compulsive-disorder-ocd/hoarding-basics

Harpaz, I. &. (2003). APA PsycNet. Được truy lục từ Workaholism: Its definition and nature.:
https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2003-02159-001