Chapter 8

Communication and Consumer

Behaviour

Consumer Behaviour
Canadian Edition
Schiffman/Kanuk/Das

Copyright © 2006
Pearson Education Canada Inc.
 Opening Vignette
 What is Mad Cow Disease?

- communication is the key to changing attitudes

- Communication can be written, verbal, visual
or a combination of all three

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 What is Communication?

 The transmission of a message from a

sender to a receiver via a medium of
transmission.

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 Elements of the
Communications Process
 The Message Initiator (the Source)
 The Sender
 The Receiver
 The Medium
 The Message
 The Target Audience (the Receivers)
 Feedback - the Receiver’s Response

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 Medium can be:
– Impersonal (mass media)
– Interpersonal (with salesperson or a friend)
– Interactive (direct feedback possibility exists)

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 Factors That Affect The
Communication Process
 Characteristics of the source
 Message characteristics
 Characteristics of the receiver
 Characteristics of the medium

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 Issues in Credibility
 Credibility of Informal Sources
– Opinion leaders
 Credibility of Impersonal, Neutral Sources
 Credibility of Marketer-Related Sources
 Credibility of Spokespersons and Endorsers
 Sleeper Effect

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Endorser Credibility Is High
When
 Match exists between product attributes and
endorser attributes
 Match exists between demographic
characteristics of target audience and
endorser
 The product lies within the competence of
the endorser

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Endorser credibility – Cont’d

 Endorser credibility is not a substitute for

corporate credibility
 Is important when message
comprehension is low

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 Sleeper Effect

 The idea that both positive and negative

credibility effects tend to disappear after a
period of time.
 Differential decay: memory of negative
cues disappear faster than the message itself
 Source is forgotten before the message

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 Message Characteristics

 Message Credibility
– Reputation of the retailer
– Consumer’s previous experience with product
– Reputation of the medium

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Message Characteristics- cont’d

 Message Structure and Presentation

– Resonance or wordplay
– Message Framing: positive or negative
– One-sided versus Two-sided Messages
– Comparative Advertising
– Order Effects
– Repetition

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Message Characteristics- cont’d
 Advertising Appeal Used
– Factual or Emotional
 Types of Emotional Appeals
– Fear
– Humor
– Abrasive advertising
– Sex in advertising

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Copyright © 2006 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
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 Characteristics of the Target
Market
 Demographic Characteristics
 Involvement and Congruency
– central route to persuasion for high
involvement products
– peripheral route to persuasion for low
involvement products
 Mood

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 Characteristics of the Medium -
Newspaper
 Access to large  Not selective
audiences  Short message life
 Effective for local
reach
 Clutter
 Flexible  Cost varies based on
 Fast ad size and vehicle
circulation
 Feedback possible
through coupon
redemption, etc.

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 Characteristics of the Medium -
Magazines
 Highly selective  Long lead time
 Selective binding  High clutter
possible  Delayed and indirect
 High quality feedback
production  Rates vary based on
 High credibility circulation and
 Long message life selectivity
 High pass along rate

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 Characteristics of the Medium -
 Large audiences
Television
 Long lead time
possible  High clutter
 Appeals to many senses
 Short message life
 Emotion and attention
possible  Viewers can avoid
 Demonstration possible exposure with
 Very high costs overall zapping, etc.
 Low costs per contact  Day-after recall tests
for feedback

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 Characteristics of the Medium -
Radio
 High geographic  Short exposure time
and demographic  Audio only
selectivity  High clutter
 Short lead time  Zapping possible
 Relatively  Delayed feedback
through day-after
inexpensive
recall tests
 Good local
coverage
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 Characteristics of the Medium -
Internet
 Potential for audience  Demographic skew to
selectivity audience
 Customized tracking  Very high clutter
possible and other  Zapping possible
feedback tools
possible
 Great variation in
pricing
 Useful for branding
and reinforcement of
 Privacy concerns
messages

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 Characteristics of the Medium –
Direct Mail
 High audience  Perception of junk
selectivity mail
 Personalization  Feedback possible
possible through response
 Novel, interesting  High cost per contact
stimuli possible
 Low clutter

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Characteristics of the Medium –
Direct Marketing

 Development of  Privacy concerns

databases  Measurable responses
 High audience  Cost per inquiry, cost
selectivity per sale, revenue per
 Relatively free of ad can be calculated
clutter

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 Barriers to Communication

 Selective Perception
– Wandering, Zapping, Zipping, and Channel
Surfing
– Combat with Roadblocking
 Psychological Noise
– Combat with repeated exposures, contrast in the
copy, and teasers

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 Communication and Marketing
Strategy
 Establish communication objectives
 Select target audience
 Choose the best media
 Develop suitable message strategies
– Match message with audience characteristics
– Develop suitable message structure, presentation
– Develop suitable message appeals
 Reduce barriers to effective communication
 Measure effectiveness of marketing
communications
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