MARK2051 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Consumer Sovereignty, Decision Rule, Marketing Communications
Lecture 3: Problem Recognition & Consumer Goal
Definitions:
Need: Desired state – actual state
Desired state: Customer’s goal i.e. expectation, aspiration, social norm
What is problem recognition?
Conscious awareness of a need state (actual – desired) that requires action to
eliminate it (as tension is created, action is required to return to homeostasis)
Need state
(change is triggered through internal or external stimuli)
Changes in actual state:
a. Physical and physiological functions e.g. depletion, deprivation, wear out
b. External stimuli can change perception of actual state e.g. Marketing
communications, group influences
c. Consumption
Changes in desired state:
a. Physiological states: hardwired, difficult to change (Maslow)
b. Cognitive states: subject to learning, can be changed
Influencing need states:
• Create a desired state
• Discount actual state (change perception that actual state could be better
e.g. suggest dangers of current behaviour, explain difficulty of using old
product)
• Factors influencing desired: culture/social class, reference groups, household
characteristics, financial status/expectations, motives
• Factors influencing actual: normal depletion, product/brand performance,
consumer/government groups, availability of products
Awareness
: problem recognition requires conscious awareness of a need state
• Limited by attention (strength of need directs consumers’ awareness) i.e.
awareness is selective
• IMPLICATION: marketers need to create awareness and focus attention on
the desired state, or discount actual state.
Document Summary
Desired state: customer"s goal i. e. expectation, aspiration, social norm. Conscious awareness of a need state (actual desired) that requires action to eliminate it (as tension is created, action is required to return to homeostasis) Need state (change is triggered through internal or external stimuli) Changes in actual state: physical and physiological functions e. g. depletion, deprivation, wear out, external stimuli can change perception of actual state e. g. marketing communications, group influences, consumption. Changes in desired state: physiological states: hardwired, difficult to change (maslow, cognitive states: subject to learning, can be changed. Awareness: problem recognition requires conscious awareness of a need state: limited by attention (strength of need directs consumers" awareness) i. e. awareness is selective. Implication: marketers need to create awareness and focus attention on the desired state, or discount actual state. Implication: after there is awareness of a need state, marketers must offer a way to achieve the desired state i. e. offer a product to be purchased.
