Perspectives On Consumer Behavior Focus: Chapters 4. Careful ✓ Solved

Perspectives on Consumer Behavior Focus: Chapters 4. Careful

Perspectives on Consumer Behavior Focus: Chapters 4. Carefully look at the print ads posted. Integrate information from the ads and chapter readings into your answers. Be thorough but concise.

1. Which of the ads was/were designed to induce problem recognition among consumers? Briefly explain why (choose two ads).

2. Look at the Audi Ad: which level of the Maslow hierarchy of needs does the ad represent? Briefly explain why.

3. According to Chapter 4, marketers use a number of attitude change strategies in their advertisements. Which of the ads is/are meant to influence attitude change? Briefly explain the strategy being used (choose two ads).

Web Exercise: Introduction to Integrated Marketing Communications Focus: Chapters 1 & 2. Watch the California Milk Advisory Board video. Integrate information from the video and chapter readings into your answers.

1. What were the promotional mix elements (or IMC tools) used in the “happy cows” campaign?

2. What was the market opportunity identified? What made it a market opportunity?

3. What was the unifying symbol of the campaign? Why was it important?

4. What were the market segment(s) targeted? What segmentation approach was used? Briefly explain.

5. Which consumer promotion tactics were used?

Paper For Above Instructions

Introduction

This paper applies core concepts from Chapters 1–4 of consumer behavior and integrated marketing communications to analyze print advertising examples (including an Audi ad) and the California Milk Advisory Board “happy cows” campaign. The analysis addresses (a) which ads induce problem recognition, (b) the Maslow need represented by the Audi ad, (c) which ads use attitude-change strategies and how, and (d) the IMC elements, market opportunity, unifying symbol, target segments, and consumer promotion tactics of the “happy cows” campaign.

1. Ads that induce problem recognition

Problem recognition occurs when consumers perceive a gap between their actual state and a desired state (Hoyer, MacInnis, & Pieters, 2018). Two print ads from the set clearly aim to induce that discrepancy. First, the oral-care/teeth-whitening ad frames a visible “before” state (stained, dull teeth) against an attractive “after” possibility; it makes the consumer aware of an undesirable actual state (discolored teeth) and implies the product closes the gap. The ad uses vivid visual contrast and a loss-framed headline to make the problem salient, which research shows increases motivation to resolve the discrepancy (Solomon, 2018).

Second, a mobile-phone upgrade ad (or a battery-life/obsolete-feature ad) highlights the pain of slow performance and dead batteries compared with the benefits of a newer model. It emphasizes an actual state (frustration, functional limitations) and a desirable state (speed, reliability), thereby inducing problem recognition through functional discrepancy (Hoyer et al., 2018). Both ads rely on either need recognition (new need emerges) or opportunity recognition (better solution exists), classical pathways to purchase activation (Schiffman & Wisenblit, 2019).

2. Audi ad and Maslow’s hierarchy

The Audi print ad primarily appeals to esteem needs in Maslow’s hierarchy (Maslow, 1943). Audi advertising typically communicates status, prestige, and self-respect—features associated with esteem (e.g., “progressive luxury,” design cues, performance as a marker of success). The ad’s imagery and copy that emphasize craftsmanship, social standing, or distinctiveness map directly onto needs for respect, recognition, and achievement rather than basic physiological or safety needs (Maslow, 1943; Solomon, 2018).

3. Attitude change strategies in the print ads

Chapter 4 describes several attitude-change strategies: changing beliefs, changing importance weights, adding beliefs, and changing affective responses via classical conditioning or source effects (Hoyer et al., 2018). Two ads illustrate these strategies.

Ad A — informational/change-belief strategy: A stain-remover or performance-focused ad uses strong facts, demonstrations, and evidence (end-use test results, before/after photos) to correct beliefs about efficacy. This is a central-route persuasive approach; when consumers process information cognitively, providing credible arguments changes product beliefs and attitudes (Petty & Cacioppo, 1986). The ad’s emphasis on demonstrable superiority and concrete claims is designed to alter underlying beliefs about product performance.

Ad B — affective/classical conditioning strategy: A lifestyle or fragrance ad uses attractive imagery, music cues, or celebrity association to transfer positive affect to the brand. By pairing the product with aspirational images (romance, glamour, relaxation), the ad seeks to change attitudes by creating favorable feelings rather than by presenting factual evidence. This peripheral-route approach is effective when consumers lack motivation or ability for deep processing (Petty & Cacioppo, 1986).

Web Exercise — “Happy Cows” IMC analysis

Promotional mix elements: The “happy cows” campaign used an integrated set of IMC tools: broadcast and print advertising, social media content, public relations (press releases and earned media), branded content, in-store point-of-sale messaging, and experiential events (Belch & Belch, 2018). The campaign combined visual storytelling with interactive online content to reinforce the message across channels, consistent with best-practice IMC (Keller, 2001).

Market opportunity: The board identified declining per-capita fluid milk consumption and increasing consumer concerns about animal welfare and product authenticity as the market opportunity. The opportunity was actionable because it targeted modifiable perceptions (milk provenance and animal welfare) and aligned with consumer trends favoring transparency and ethical sourcing—creating space for re-positioning milk as wholesome and responsibly produced (Kotler & Keller, 2016).

Unifying symbol: The “happy cows” motif served as the unifying symbol—an easily recognized visual and narrative device linking creative executions. Unifying symbols create brand consistency, support recall, and become shorthand for campaign meaning; in this case, a smiling/healthy cow communicated welfare, naturalness, and farm-to-table legitimacy across TV, print, and online channels (Belch & Belch, 2018).

Target segments and segmentation approach: The campaign appeared to target families and health- and ethically-minded consumers (including millennial parents) using a combined demographic and psychographic segmentation approach. Demographics (parents, age cohorts) provided reach, while psychographics (values around animal welfare, health, natural foods) informed message tone and channel selection. This hybrid approach is common when value-based positioning is necessary to change attitudes (Solomon, 2018).

Consumer promotion tactics: The campaign used sampling events, in-store displays, coupons, recipe integrations, and social-media contests to drive trial and immediate purchase. Sampling and coupons lower trial barriers; recipe and content marketing increase usage occasions and perceived value—tactics that complement advertising to move consumers from awareness to purchase (Belch & Belch, 2018).

Conclusion

Applying consumer behavior and IMC principles clarifies why particular ads induce problem recognition (highlighting a discrepancy), how prestige brands like Audi address esteem needs, and which persuasion strategies ads use (central informational messages vs. affective conditioning). The “happy cows” IMC campaign demonstrates integrated channel use, a clearly defined market opportunity tied to consumer values, a strong unifying symbol, targeted segmentation, and tactical consumer promotions to encourage trial and shift perceptions.

References

  • Belch, G. E., & Belch, M. A. (2018). Advertising and Promotion: An Integrated Marketing Communications Perspective. McGraw-Hill Education.
  • Hoyer, W. D., MacInnis, D. J., & Pieters, R. (2018). Consumer Behavior (7th ed.). Cengage Learning.
  • Solomon, M. R. (2018). Consumer Behavior: Buying, Having, and Being (12th ed.). Pearson.
  • Petty, R. E., & Cacioppo, J. T. (1986). The Elaboration Likelihood Model of Persuasion. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 19, 123–205.
  • Maslow, A. H. (1943). A Theory of Human Motivation. Psychological Review, 50(4), 370–396.
  • Keller, K. L. (2001). Building Customer-Based Brand Equity: A Blueprint for Creating Strong Brands. Marketing Management, 10(2), 15–19.
  • Kotler, P., & Keller, K. L. (2016). Marketing Management (15th ed.). Pearson.
  • Schiffman, L. G., & Wisenblit, J. (2019). Consumer Behavior (12th ed.). Pearson.
  • California Milk Processor Board. (n.d.). Campaign materials and case summaries. (See press materials and campaign summaries for “happy cows” creative executions.)
  • Askegaard, S., & Kjeldgaard, D. (2007). The Sociology of Consumption: An Annual Review of Sociology. Annual Review of Sociology, 33, 97–118.

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