Ch.5 - Advertising, Integrated Brand Promotion, and Consumer Behavior

Homework Questions

Tina finds out that Kraft cheese, her usual brand, is not available, she buys another brand of cheese. As cheese isn't the most important item on her list, she spends very little time picking an alternate brand of cheese. This is an example of:

Limited problem solving.

Kiara’s freezer doesn’t seem to be staying as cold as it should, and she wants to buy a new one before it completely stops working. The first brand she thinks of is Frigidaire. Other brands that come to mind are GE, LG, and Samsung. She asks her friends for suggestions. Two of them have Whirlpools, one has a Bosch, and one has a KitchenAid. She now has seven brands that she wants to look into. Of these brands, which one has achieved top-of-mind awareness for Kiara?

Frigidaire.

As clothing and accessories retailer Gap, Inc. attempted to carry its brand to greater heights, executives felt that a great way to refresh the company’s logo would be to change it all together. However, perhaps even quicker than the initial decision to change the logo, the masses reacted so negatively to the change that the company went back on its decision. A number of consumers stated that the new logo looked “cheap, like a crummy PowerPoint presentation,” and that was all company executives needed to hear. Gap admitted that the idea of changing the company’s logo was probably not the right move, nor was it the right time to do so. Clearly, Gap’s reaction to consumer sentiments serves as proof that the company cares a great deal about consumer thoughts and opinions. Gap's logo had been extremely popular, and most of its customers had sought out and used Gap products for years. This is an example of:

Brand loyalty.

Gap’s loyal customers generally believed the company’s products were high-end and sophisticated. Judging by the initial responses, consumers felt Gap’s new logo represented low-end products, and would, therefore, appeal to a lower social class. This concept of differing social levels is called:

Stratification.

Sofia needs to buy a tent, sleeping bag, and hiking boots for a two-week camping trip in the mountains. She has never bought camping equipment before and assesses what other equipment she may require during her trip. She also asks her friends, who have gone camping before, what equipment she should buy. Once she has purchased all the camping gear, she evaluates whether she made the right purchases. In this situation, Sofia is engaging in:

Extended problem solving.

Which of the following is a difference between brand loyalty and a habit?

Habit involves low involvement, whereas brand loyalty involves high involvement.

Advertisements—just like books, movies, posters, and paintings—can act as sociocultural “texts” that are read and interpreted by consumers. In this case, advertising:

Helps to transmit meaning within a culture.

What assumption do marketers make about social strata?

Consumers in the same social strata consume in similar ways.

What, specifically, about one’s occupation might help determine one’s social class?

The prestige of the occupation.

Which of the following is true of the idea of identity?

Identity exists solely within a social context.

Which of the following best describes the social meaning approach?

It involves making connections with people in relation to their consumption practices.

According to McCracken’s model, the ultimate goal is to move meaning where?

To the individual consumer.

A young mother consistently buys Chips Ahoy for a special treat. However, every now and then, she buys Keebler Animal Crackers for a change in taste. Which mode of consumer decision making does this demonstrate?

Variety seeking.

Ben was preparing to host a graduation party for his friends and relatives when he suddenly realized that he did not have a grill for the barbeque his friends wanted. Having never purchased a grill before, he felt that he needed to shop carefully and take his friends' suggestions on which brand to buy. After visiting several stores and examining numerous models and brands, he settled on a Grillmate model that cost $240. The consumption process for the grill began when Ben:

Realized he did not have a grill for the party.

Ben asked his friends for suggestions on which brand of grill he should purchase. This is an example of:

Information search.

Which of the following best describes Ben’s mode of consumer decision making in buying a grill?

Extended problem solving.

Every evening after dinner, Melinda fixes herself a cup of Sleepytime tea and sips it while writing in her journal about her day. This routine helps her wind down at the end of the day, and she plans to never change it. What is this describing?

A consumer who is resistant to changing rituals.

At what point does a consumer convey the meaning that a product has to others?

When the consumer uses the product.

Kraft cheese tries to get its customers to buy its cheese more than once. This is known as:

Conversion.

According to McCracken’s model, which of the following concepts would give a product social meaning?

Present the product in selected slice-of-life scenes.

Carol needs a new car. Before doing any research, she immediately considers buying a Honda, Ford, Kia, or Subaru; this is her:

Evoked set.

Apple has increased its advertising but so have its competitors. While searching for a phone with the best camera, Rosie finds seven different advertisements stating that their phones have great camera features when compared to others. Rosie is now confused about which brand to choose. This is an example of:

Advertising clutter.

After purchasing a phone, Kathy states that she should have purchased an iPhone rather than the one she purchased because the iPhone is more popular and elegant. This is an example of:

Cognitive dissonance.

Which of the following is true regarding gender and consumption?

There is not a comprehensive list of gender differences in consumption.

Which of the following statements would be made by someone experiencing cognitive dissonance?

“I've bought a Toro lawn mower, but I now realize the new John Deere might have been a better choice.”

Kraft cheese management asked all store managers to ask their customers which cheese they preferred and thought was popular. When customers were asked this question, they quickly said Kraft because they thought it had a huge market share. Kraft cheese has created a(n):

Accessibility bonus.

A young man tends to buy things that allow him to experience pleasure, avoid guilt, feel pride, or relieve fear. In doing so, he chooses products based on:

Emotional benefits.

A commercial for roses says that it’s not Valentine’s Day unless there are flowers for a gift to women, and it’s not a Valentine’s Day dinner without this florist’s roses. This ad attempts to tie the product to a:

cultural ritual.

Tony is about to buy a limited edition motorcycle from Sing. It is most likely that Tony is what type of consumer, since this will be his family’s third purchase from Sing?

High involvement.

Why is it often difficult to “get” a foreign film?

The viewer doesn’t understand the cultural code.