1. Consumer Knowledge CHAPTER 9
Roger D. Blackwell, Paul W. Miniard, and James F. Engel, Consumer Behavior, Ninth Edition
Copyright© 2001 by Harcourt, Inc.

2. Type of Consumer Knowledge

3. Type of Consumer Knowledge
Knowledge of Product’s Existence

4. Type of Consumer Knowledge
Knowledge of Product’s Existence
Gaining awareness among consumers
Assessing awareness:
Top-of-the-mind: how many brands can be recalled from memory
Recognition: identifying known brands from a list
Recall-based measures are more conservative than recognition-based

5. Type of Consumer Knowledge
Knowledge of Product’s Attributes and Associations

6. Type of Consumer Knowledge
Knowledge of Product’s Attributes and Associations
Products within awareness set are likely to have associations between them and information from memory
Product image: defined by entire array of associations
May involve physical properties and feelings that come from consumption
May also include symbols

7. Type of Consumer Knowledge
Knowledge of Product’s Attributes and Associations
Image analysis: involves examining what consumers know about a product’s attributes and associations
Identify attributes and associations that determine a product’s image
Assess strengths of associations
Examine what an association represents in the consumer’s psyche

8. Type of Consumer Knowledge
Purchase Knowledge

9. Type of Consumer Knowledge
Purchase Knowledge
Encompasses the various pieces of information consumers possess about buying products
Includes information about the product’s price, where it can be purchased, and whether it can be purchased less expensively later

10. Type of Consumer Knowledge
Purchase Knowledge: How much does it cost?
Knowledge about typical range of prices for a product helps consumer evaluate fairness of the price of a particular brand
The less consumers know about price, the less concerned are companies about price differences from competitors
Image analysis includes what consumers know about absolute price and relative price

11. Type of Consumer Knowledge
Purchase Knowledge: When to buy?
Knowledge about when a product is typically goes on sale may delay purchase
May determine when new innovations are purchased--many consumers do not purchase new innovations when introduced because they believe the price will drop over time

12. Type of Consumer Knowledge
Purchase Knowledge: Where to buy?
Knowledge about where to buy a product guides purchase decision
Internet firms advertise in a variety of media to build consumers’ knowledge of alternative places to buy
Where product is located in the store--when consumer are unfamiliar with store layout, they rely more on in-store information

13. Type of Consumer Knowledge
Consumption and Usage Knowledge

14. Type of Consumer Knowledge
Consumption and Usage Knowledge
Encompasses the information in memory about how a product can be consumed and what is required to use it
Consumers are unlikely to buy a product when they lack information about use

15. Type of Consumer Knowledge
Consumption and Usage Knowledge
Encompasses the information in memory about how a product can be consumed and what is required to use it
Consumers are unlikely to buy a product when they lack information about use
Sometimes consumer have incomplete information about different ways a product can be consumed
New uses for existing products may lower product’s attractiveness

16. Type of Consumer Knowledge
Persuasion Knowledge

17. Type of Consumer Knowledge
Persuasion Knowledge
Information about what consumers know about the goals and tactics of those trying to persuade them
Persuasion knowledge influences how consumers respond to persuasion attempts
Knowledge about a particular tactic may eliminate its effectiveness

18. Sources of Consumer Knowledge

19. Sources of Consumer Knowledge
People--from family to salesperson
Nonpersonal sources: media, the Internet, publications
Experience from buying and consuming a product
Direct experience increases confi-dence in knowledge and makes it more likely to be used in decision

20. Understanding Consumer Knowledge

21. Understanding Consumer Knowledge
Lack of Knowledge

22. Understanding Consumer Knowledge
Lack of Knowledge
Knowledge gaps: an absence of information in memory
Firms need to identify knowledge gaps which may prevent consumers from making purchases
Knowledge gaps may exist for new and current products
Public policy may focus on gaps which undermine consumer welfare

23. Tums educates consumers about the need for calcium and the high calcium content of this product.

24. Understanding Consumer Knowledge
Undesirable Knowledge

25. Understanding Consumer Knowledge
Undesirable Knowledge
Consumers may possess knowledge that is undesirable from the firm’s perspective
Misperception: things that people believe to be true when they are not

26. Understanding Consumer Knowledge
Undesirable Knowledge
Consumers may possess knowledge that is undesirable from the firm’s perspective
Misperception: things that people believe to be true when they are not
Firms must combat misperceptions which make a brand unattractive
Often leads to modification of image

27. Understanding Consumer Knowledge
Gauging Positioning Success

28. Understanding Consumer Knowledge
Gauging Positioning Success
Has the brand achieved its desired positioning in the marketplace?
Examine product’s image among target consumers
How well has the product created the desired mindset among consumers?

29. Understanding Consumer Knowledge
Discovering New Uses

30. Understanding Consumer Knowledge
Discovering New Uses
Consumers often use knowledge about a product to “invent” new uses

31. Mr. Clean introduced a new form of antibacterial wipes based on how consumers used the liquid version of the cleaning product.

32. Understanding Consumer Knowledge
Discovering New Uses
Consumers often use knowledge about a product to “invent” new uses
Understanding how consumers use products, marketers may discover new uses that can be promoted as a means of broadening product appeal

33. Understanding Consumer Knowledge
Gauging Severity of Competitive Threats

34. Understanding Consumer Knowledge
Gauging Severity of Competitive Threats
How much do consumers know about competitive products?
Understanding how consumers compare competitive brands can guide marketing activities with respect to those competitive brands

35. Understanding Consumer Knowledge
Enhancing the Effectiveness of Customer Recruitment Activities

36. Understanding Consumer Knowledge
Enhancing the Effectiveness of Customer Recruitment Activities
Identifying what needs to be changed in brand position and attributes
How might these changes best be accomplished? Advertising, personal sales, or public relations?
Should sales messages focus on technical information or easy to understand product attributes?

37. Consumer Behavior Roger D. Blackwell Paul W. Miniard James F. Engel
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