MKT5006 - Lecture 4 - Socially Responsible Consumer Behaviour

Module Information

  • Leader: Dr. Hanne Knight

  • Contact: hanne.knight@plymouth.ac.uk | 01752 – 584975

Weekly Topics

  • Week 9: Digital marketing strategy planning (K&V chapters 2+3)

  • Week 10: Digital environment research, data and AI (K&V chapters 5, 6, 8)

  • Week 11: Socially responsible consumer behavior (K&V chapters 12+13)

  • Week 12: Campaign evaluation (K&V chapters 14, 19 + 20)

  • Week 13: Digital channels (Website design, K&V chapter 16)

  • Week 14 - 18: Ethics, SEO, E-commerce, social media, AI in digital marketing (various K&V chapters)

Learning Outcomes

  • Define socially responsible consumer behavior.

  • Understand motivations behind sustainability initiatives.

  • Explain concepts: greenwashing, woke-washing, triple bottom line, circular economy, sharing economy.

Socially Responsible Consumer Behavior

  • Considers ethical issues: environmental protection, employment rights, community support.

  • Consumers are increasingly motivated to buy responsibly.

  • Brands use socially responsible behavior to attract consumers.

Marketing and Communication

  • Marketing should engage social norms and moral values.

  • Consumers share sustainability messages based on argument quality and source credibility.

Consumer Motivations

  • High environmentally conscious (HEC): Knowledgeable, willing to pay more, skeptical of marketing.

  • Low environmentally conscious (LEC): Less informed, willing to consume sustainably but less engaged with details.

Consumer Behavior Models

  • I AM Model (Information Adoption Model):

    • Explains how consumers process and adopt persuasive information, especially relevant in digital marketing.

    • Key Components:

    • Argument Quality: Perceived strength and validity of the information presented.

    • Source Credibility: Trustworthiness and expertise of the information source.

    • Information Usefulness: Perceived relevance and benefit of the information to the consumer.

    • Information Adoption: The decision to accept and integrate the information.

    • This model is crucial for understanding how consumers respond to sustainability messages, where argument quality (proof of sustainability) and source credibility (reputable brand, certifications) influence adoption.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

  • A motivational theory in psychology comprising a five-tier model of human needs, often depicted as hierarchical levels within a pyramid.

  • Needs at the bottom are basic physical requirements, while higher needs become more related to personal growth and fulfillment.

  • Levels (from bottom to top):

    • 1. Physiological Needs: Basic biological requirements for human survival (e.g., air, food, drink, shelter, sleep, clothing).

    • 2. Safety Needs: Protection from elements, security, order, law, stability, freedom from fear.

    • 3. Love and Belonging Needs: Friendship, intimacy, family, sense of connection.

    • 4. Esteem Needs: Respect, self-esteem, status, recognition, strength, freedom.

    • 5. Self-Actualization Needs: Realizing personal potential, self-fulfillment, seeking personal growth and peak experiences.

  • In marketing, understanding these needs helps target communications and products to consumers' core motivations.

Brand Activism

  • Authenticity in brand activism: Distinction between genuine and inauthentic engagement with social causes.

  • Buycotting vs. Boycotting: Supporting or refusing brands based on ethical considerations.

Business Strategies

  • Triple Bottom Line: Focus on profit, people, planet.

  • Circular Economy: Reduces waste by keeping products/materials in use.

  • Sharing Economy: Peer-to-peer sharing of goods/services facilitated by platforms (e.g., Uber, Airbnb).