Cognitive Learning, Memory, and Consumer Motivation in Marketing
Introduction and Administrative Notes
Midterm Preparation: The instructor notes that the class is slightly behind on chapters, which may result in less content being included on the midterm exam unless the missed material is recorded for later viewing.
Facility Issues: The instructor mentions an ongoing issue with an orange-tinted lightbulb in the classroom that facilities have not yet replaced.
Schedule: The current session occurs during Week 6 of the term.
Cognitive Learning and Internal Mental Processes
Definition of Cognitive: "Cognitive" refers to thinking and the internal mental process. It is not a passive observation but an active internalization of information.
Consciousness in Learning: There is a debate in research regarding whether learning must be conscious.
Incidental Learning: Casual or unintentional acquisition of knowledge (e.g., learning a song or a jingle by hearing it repeatedly without trying).
Vicarious Learning: Also known as observational learning, this occurs when we watch and observe others.
Marketing Application of Observational Learning: Marketers use models in advertisements to demonstrate product benefits.
Example: Toothpaste: Ads show models with extremely white teeth using a product. While teeth naturally have yellow tones and super-bleached white is a Hollywood standard rather than a health necessity, consumers strive for that look because of observational learning.
Strategic Product Consumption through Modeling
The Power of Advertisement Modeling: Marketers have control over how they instruct consumers to use products through visual cues.
Case Study: Toothpaste Quantity:
The Reality: The actual amount needed for brushing is only a pea size.
The Advertisement: Commercials show the toothpaste covering the entire length of the toothbrush head.
The Goal: By showing maximum product use, marketers encourage consumers to use more product at home, leading to faster depletion and more frequent repurchases.
Case Study: Laundry Detergent:
The Reality: High-efficiency (HE) washing machines only require approximately of liquid detergent.
The Advertisement/Packaging: Marketers provide large caps and suggest filling them to a quarter or half. This leads to "intense" smells because too much product is used. Using less would still clean the clothes effectively.
The Process of Observational Learning
Attention: The consumer focuses on the model’s behavior in an ad (e.g., watching a person apply a large amount of toothpaste).
Retention: The consumer remembers the behavior and the outcome (e.g., sparkly, white teeth).
Production Processes: The consumer has the opportunity to perform the behavior. This often happens after the consumer purchases the product and a specific situation arises (e.g., preparing for a photo date or wedding).
Motivation: The consumer performs the activity seen in the ad to achieve the same desired results.
Memory and Information Processing
The Computer Analogy: The human brain functions like a computer hard drive. We are born with a relatively empty "hard drive" and store data in "folders" as we learn.
Encoding: Inputing information into the system. Labeling information helps with storage and later retrieval.
Storage: Placing the information into memory folders (e.g., a "Personal Hygiene" folder for toothpaste).
Retrieval: The process of accessing stored data when needed (e.g., remembering a brand name while at the store).
Mnemonics: Memory shortcuts or techniques to help remember complex information.
Humans remember stories and pictures better than raw numbers or individual words.
Technique: The House/Loci Method: Imagining a familiar house and placing items in specific rooms to remember their order.
Number-Object Association: Visualizing numbers as shapes (e.g., as an arrow or as a swan/bird).
Knowledge Structures and Forgetting
Associative Networks: Also called knowledge structures, spider webs, or mind maps. These are webs of related terms and labels.
Classification: Consumers categorize products. For example, perfume might be categorized by scent (floral, sensual, playful) or lifestyle association (luxurious like Chanel, young like Justin Bieber’s ‘Girlfriend’).
Memory Decay: Information fades or becomes less prominent over time if it is not reinforced by reminders from marketers.
Interference: This occurs when one piece of knowledge prevents the retrieval of another.
Proactive Interference: Older memories interfere with new ones (e.g., an old phone number prevents you from remembering a new one).
Retroactive Interference: New memories interfere with old ones (e.g., learning a new language like French makes it harder to recall Spanish words learned previously).
Competitive Advertising and Legal Restrictions
Comparative Advertising (USA vs. Canada):
USA: Brands can explicitly show competitors' logos and products for comparison (e.g., Pepsi ads showing a Pepsi can in a Coca-Cola cape).
Canada: Strict laws (Competition Act) prevent companies from showing a competitor’s name, logo, or identifying features. A brand can only show a generic version of a competitor's product (e.g., a plain red can instead of a Coca-Cola can).
Risks of Comparative Ads: If an ad isn't clear, consumers may experience interference and mistakenly associate the positive message with the competitor instead of the advertiser.
Motivation as a Psychological Process
Definition: Motivation is the process that leads people to behave as they do. It is driven by the desire to satisfy a need.
Needs vs. Wants:
Needs: Biological requirements that are the same for all humans (e.g., hunger, thirst, sleep).
Wants: The specific manifestation of a need as influenced by culture and personality (e.g., a person in Canada might want breakfast cereal for hunger, while someone in an Asian country might want congee or rice).
The Motivation Process:
Need Arousal: A state of tension or imbalance (e.g., a rumbling stomach).
Drive: The urgency to reduce that tension.
Goal: Achieving the desired end state (Homeostasis).
Drive Theory: Focuses on biological needs and the unpleasantness of imbalance. Achieving Homeostasis means returning to a balanced state where the body functions properly.
Expectancy Theory: Focuses on cognitive expectations. We are "pulled" toward a product because we expect a positive outcome (e.g., expecting a coffee will make us feel alert).
Goal Valuations and Conflicts
Positive vs. Negative Valuations: Consumers approach things they value positively and avoid things they value negatively.
Avoidance Examples: Personal hygiene products often use the avoidance of social embarrassment (e.g., avoiding body odor [BO] or bad breath) as a motivator.
Types of Conflicts:
Approach-Approach Conflict: Choosing between two desirable alternatives (e.g., choosing between tacos or a hamburger). Marketers must highlight the "superiority" of their brand to win the choice.
Approach-Avoidance Conflict: Wanting a product but avoiding a negative consequence (e.g., wanting ice cream but avoiding weight gain). Marketers can solve this by offering low-fat or sugar-free versions.
Avoidance-Avoidance Conflict: Choosing between two undesirable options (e.g., eating healthy food that tastes bad vs. getting sick). Marketers try to overcome the negative attributes (e.g., focusing on making healthy food taste better).
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Application
Physiological/Biological: Air, food, water, sleep.
Brand Examples: President's Choice bottled water, Sleep Country mattresses.
Safety: Protection, security, shelter.
Brand Examples: ICBC (government-mandated car insurance in BC), real estate companies (RE/MAX), alarm/security monitoring companies, sunscreen/protection.
Belongingness: Love, friendship, social acceptance.
Brand Examples: Smartphones (Apple iPhone) for communication, gaming/anime communities, Tim Hortons (community-focused ads).
Ego/Prestige: Status, accomplishment.
Brand Examples: Starbucks (positioned higher/more luxurious than Tim Hortons), high-end cars, expensive imports.
Self-Actualization: Self-fulfillment, enriching experiences.
Brand Examples: Travel, bucket-list items.
Legal Nuances in Marketing: Puffery and Disclaimer Labels
Puffery: Legal exaggeration that a "reasonable consumer" would not take literally.
Example: Claiming a coffee is the "best in the world."
Case: Red Bull: A famous lawsuit involved the claim that Red Bull "gives you wings." The instructor argues a reasonable person would not expect literal wings to sprout, yet the company paid dollars in a settlement.
Product Claims: Marketers must be honest and transparent. Exaggerating claims can lead to litigation under the Competition Act.
Liability and Disclaimers:
McDonald's Hot Coffee Case: Led to "Caution: Hot" labels on cups.
Plastic Bags: Disclaimers about suffocation risks were added to prevent lawsuits from illogical or improper use of packaging.
Questions & Discussion
Student Inquiry on Urgency: A student asked about the use of urgency in marketing.
Response: Urgency should be used sparingly. If a store (like one mentioned in the Boise Mall) has a constant "going out of business" sale for years, it loses credibility. In Canada, sales and contests must follow federal laws regarding duration and quantity availability.
Student Inquiry on Emotions: A student discussed the fear of missing out.
Response: Fear, guilt, and embarrassment are effective emotional appeals, but if they are too extreme, consumers will "shut down" and ignore the message.
Student Inquiry on Global Hierarchy: A student noted that the position of a brand on Maslow’s hierarchy depends on location (e.g., Starbucks is everyday in North America but prestigious in Asia).
Response: The instructor agreed, citing the beer brand Dos Equis (XX), which is common in Mexico but marketed as exotic and high-end in Canada.