Attitude Change

Attitude change

happens when marketers influence how consumers think, feel, or act toward a product or brand. We can target three components: Cognitive, Affective, Behavioral,

Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM)

Explains how people are persuaded depending on how much they think about the message.

Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM): Central Route (High Involvement)

• Consumers pay attention to facts, arguments, and product information.

• Works for expensive, important products.

• Example: Car ads emphasizing safety, mileage, reliability.

Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM): Peripheral Route (Low Involvement)

• Consumers focus on cues like celebrity endorsements, visuals, music.

• Works for inexpensive, everyday products.

• Example: Soft drinks, snacks, or cosmetics with colorful ads and influencers

Change the Cognitive Component

Goal: Change beliefs or thoughts about a product.

Methods:

1. Provide Data or Testimonials

   • Facts or expert opinions to prove product benefits.

2. Demonstrations

   • Show the product in action so consumers see benefits themselves.Example: VAX vacuum ads, Dynamo washing powder ads.

3. Tests or Trials

   • Let consumers evaluate product performance.

   • Example: Volvo safety tests showing car stability.

4. Introduce Doubt

   • Challenge current beliefs or beliefs about competitors.

   • Example: Ads showing that a competitor product is less effective.

5. Change Attributes Considered

   • Add new features or beliefs to influence evaluation.

Related Theory: Cognitive Dissonance (Festinger, 1957)

• Occurs when new information conflicts with existing beliefs.

• Consumers feel discomfort and are motivated to resolve dissonance:

  1. Ignore conflicting info (perceptual defense)

  2. Defend existing beliefs

  3. Change beliefs/attitudes if the conflict is strong enough

• Example: A smoker ignoring “smoking causes cancer” until repeated exposure creates dissonance.

Change the Affective Component

Influence emotions and feelings toward a brand.

Methods:

1. Classical Conditioning

   • Pair a product with positive stimuli.

   • Example: Coca-Cola ads with happy families and music.

2. Emotional Appeals

   • Use humor, nostalgia, or sentiment in ads.

   • Example: Dove “Real Beauty” campaigns.

3. Mere Exposure Effect

   • The more consumers see a product, the more they tend to like it, even without analyzing.

   • Example: Repeated Under Armour or Nike ads increase familiarity and positive feelings.

Change the Behavioral Component

Goal: Encourage action that can shape attitudes.

Methods:

1. Free Trials / Samples

   • Consumers try the product → positive experience → attitude changes.

   • Example: Free Netflix trial, product samples, or Disney+ subscription.

2. Encourage Usage

   • The more someone uses a product, the more likely they’ll develop a positive attitude.

   • Example: Gym trial memberships, tasting food samples in stores.

methods of CHANGE THE COGNITIVE COMPONENT

provide data or testimonials, demonstrates, test or trials, introduce doubt, change attributes considered, related their: cognitive dissonance

methods to CHANGE AFFECTIVE COMPONENT

classical conditioning, emotional appeals, mere exposure effect

method for BEHAVIORAL COMPONENT

free trails/samples, encourage usage