Assignment 2: Analysis of Internal Influences (Factors) on Consumer Behaviour

In this module, you have explored a variety of internal influences on consumer behaviour. You will now apply what you have learned by analyzing and investigating internal factors or influences on consumer behaviour to practical marketing situations.

Instruction: You will continue to focus on your chosen product and market for the course. In this assignment, you will examine various aspects of internal factors/influences and their implication to a marketer. Follow the specific instructions to each part of the assignment and complete all sections as required.

Section 1: Motivation and Involvement

Using the product that you have chosen to research, produce a 3-4-page report examining the level of motivation and involvement that a typical customer would display in the purchase of your product.

Consider the following:

1. Select one level of from Maslow's Hierarchy of Human Needs that can be used to segment the market and position your chosen product. Explain your choices. Justify the application of Maslow's need hierarchy for segmentation and positioning of your product.

2. Identify possible motivational conflicts that a prospective consumer of your chosen product may have. Discuss how the marketer can reduce or resolve these motivational conflicts.

3. Develop an involvement profile for a typical consumer of your chosen product and discuss any key issues that would be relevant to a marketer. Use Figures 3-5 and 3-6 from your textbook in assessing the level of involvement that a prospective customer of your chosen product may have.

Section 2: Personality

Produce a 1-2-page report answering the following questions:

1. Given your thinking on your product thus far, select two theories or traits from Figure 4-9 in the textbook that should prove helpful in targetting, branding, and related strategies. Provide examples of print ads (with URL, in-text citation, scan or attachment) that would appeal to those with similar personalities/traits. (Note: The ads do not have to be for your chosen product.) Explain your choices.

2. Using the concept of brand personality, describe a personality for your chosen product.

Section 3: Perception and Positioning

Produce a 2-3-page report answering the following questions:

1. Draw an attribute-based perceptual map for your chosen product. Include the main competitive brands and discuss any opportunity for repositioning. (You may refer to page 165 of your textbook.)

2. What extrinsic and intrinsic cues would be used in assessing the perceived quality of your chosen product, and how would you as a marketer use extrinsic cues to improve the perceived quality of your product? Also, comment on the price-quality relationship in general and of your chosen product.

3. Comment on the type and degree of perceived risks likely to be associated with your chosen product.

Section 4: Reinforcing Consumer Learning

How would you apply the concept of "shaping" (step-wise operant conditioning) to reinforce desired pre-purchase behaviour and attract customers?

Section 5: Consumer Attitude Formation/Change

Explain the strategies you would use to change consumer attitudes towards a particular brand of your chosen product by:

1. Changing beliefs about the brand

2. Changing beliefs about competing brands

3. Changing the relative evaluation of attributes

4. Adding an attribute

Do you think the "foot-in-the-door" technique (page 230 of your textbook) is applicable to your chosen product?

Section 6: Communication and Consumer Behaviour
Using Figure 8-3 from your textbook, recommend two advertising media for your product and explain your choices.
For the objective of promoting sales, what type of message structure, presentation style, and appeal would you use? Would you use a comparative message?

Completion Guidelines
Submit your assignment using the Assignments function in Blackboard. Be sure to save your assignment as a Word document and name it: MKTG3471_Lastname_Assign2

Reminders before submitting assignment:

• Did you put your name and student number on the front page of the document?

• Did you complete all of the required elements?

• Did you use information and terminology learned in this course?

• Did you support your statements with specific examples?

• Did you cite references, using correct APA referencing format?

• Did you ensure that there are no spelling mistakes?

• Is your report grammatically correct, clear, and well organized?