Chap013 PDF

Chapter 13 Situational Influences
Multiple Choice Questions

1. What do Hispanic girls celebrate when they are fifteen years old?
A) ritual situation
B) bat mitzvah
C) quinceanera
D) Cinco De Mayo
E) a and c
Answer: E Page: 483 Difficulty: hard
2. Which of the following is an ancient solemn event marketing the coming of age of a
Jewish male?
A) bar mitzvah
B) bat mitzvah
C) Chanukah
D) Passover
E) Yom Kippur
Answer: A Page: 483 Difficulty: moderate
3. The purchase decision and consumption process always occur in the context of _____.
A) others
B) a specific situation
C) marketing communications
D) an extended decision-making process
E) a social surrounding
Answer: B Page: 484 Difficulty: moderate
4. To understand a consumer's behavior, we must know about the _____.
A) consumer
B) situation
C) stimulus object
D) a and b
E) a, b, and c
Answer: E Page: 484 Difficulty: moderate
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5. All those factors particular to a time and place that do not follow from knowledge of
the stable attributes of the consumer and the stimulus and that have an effect on
current behavior are known as _____.
A) situational influence
B) motivators
C) consumption triggers
D) consumption influencers
E) motivational influence
Answer: A Page: 484 Difficulty: easy
6. Which of the following also includes a situation-specific component?
A) personality
B) self-concept
C) involvement
D) demographics
E) brand image
Answer: C Page: 484 Difficulty: moderate
7. Which of the following is a situation in which consumer behavior occurs?
A) communications situation
B) purchase situation
C) usage situation
D) disposition situation
E) all of the above
Answer: E Page: 484 Difficulty: easy
8. Which of the following is NOT a situation in which consumer behavior occurs?
C) usage situation
E) all of the above are situations in which consumer behavior occurs
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9. Which of the following is a situation characteristic?
A) product
B) package
C) temporal perspective
D) demographics
E) social class
10. Sharon has to purchase a gift for her mother and only has this afternoon to do so
because her birthday party is that evening. She's wondering how she will be able get
to the mall in time to pick out the perfect gift. This is an illustration of which situation
characteristic?
A) physical features
B) social surroundings
D) task definition
E) antecedent state
11. Which of the following is NOT an individual characteristic influencing consumer
behavior?
A) culture
B) attitudes
C) task definition
D) social class
E) motivation
12. Which of the following is NOT a consumption response?
A) task definition
B) problem recognition
C) purchase
D) disposition
E) alternative evaluation
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13. The situation interacts with the marketing activity and the individual to determine
behavior. Which of the following is a marketing activity?
A) lifestyle
B) temporal perspective
C) package
D) purchase
E) task definition
14. Mark is developing the marketing strategy for his business, which is a retail store. He
knows that situation characteristics will interact with his marketing activity. Which of
the following is a situation characteristic he needs to consider?
A) social class
B) attitudes
C) lifestyle
D) task definition
E) all of the above
Answer: D Page: 485 Difficulty: moderate
15. The situation in which consumers receive information has an impact on their behavior
and is referred to as the _____ situation.
A) communications
B) purchase
C) usage
D) disposition
E) preliminary
16. In which situation do marketers attempt to place their ads in appropriate media
contexts to enhance their effectiveness?
A) communications
B) purchase
C) usage
D) disposition
E) preliminary
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17. When orange juice attempted to expand the various times of day when consumers
would see orange juice as an appropriate beverage to consume, they were trying to
influence which situation?
A) communication
B) usage
C) purchase
D) disposition
E) all of the above
Answer: B Page: 486 Difficulty: hard
18. Arm & Hammer baking soda has been very successful promoting other uses for this
product. Advertisements provide several uses other than baking, such as removing
odors from carpeting, the laundry, and kitty litter boxes. Finding more uses for a
product is known as _____.
A) disposition situation
C) communications situation
D) expanded usage situation
E) alternative usage situation
Answer: D Page: 486-487 Difficulty: hard
19. In the United States, a man usually gives a woman a diamond ring for her to wear on
her left-hand ring finger when they become engaged to be married. However, one
diamond distributor has developed the idea that women should wear diamonds on their
right hands as well. Marketing communications regarding the Diamond Right Hand
Ring stress the independence of women and their ability to buy a diamond for
themselves. One ad claims that a diamond on a left hand says we, while a diamond
on the right hand says me. This diamond distributor is attempting to _____.
A) influence the competitive situation
B) expand the usage situation
C) reduce the disposition situation
D) influence the social surroundings
E) influence the temporal perspective
Answer: B Page: 486-487 Difficulty: moderate
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20. Which situation involves consumers disposing of products or product packages after
or before product use?
C) usage situation
E) task situation
Answer: D Page: 487 Difficulty: easy
21. Decisions made by consumers regarding the _____ situation can create significant
social problems as well as opportunities for marketers.
A) disposition
B) purchase
C) communication
D) expanded usage
E) usage
22. Which group needs to understand how situational influences affect consumers'
disposition decisions?
A) marketers
B) government
C) environmental organizations
D) a and b
E) a, b, and c
23. Walker and his wife have two children. They have purchased a new computer for
their household every four years or so for almost twenty years. When Walker
purchases a new one, usually for him to be able to work at home, one of his children
will get the old one. However, they have a few old computers sitting in the attic and
garage because Walker doesn't really know how to get rid of them. This is an example
of which type of situation?
A) disposition situation
C) communications situation
D) expanded usage situation
E) replacement situation
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24. Gertrude is very environmentally-conscious, so she only uses paper bags at the
grocery store and tries to purchase items in packages that are recyclable. Her behavior
concerns which type of situation?
A) socially sensitive situation
B) disposition situation
C) usage situation
D) purchase situation
E) communications situation
25. Which of the following is NOT a key situational dimension or characteristic that
influences consumer behavior?
A) physical surroundings
C) alternative evaluation
D) temporal perspectives
E) task definition
26. Decor, sounds, aromas, lighting, weather, and configurations of merchandise or other
materials surrounding the stimulus object are included in which situational
characteristic?
C) temporal perspectives
D) task definition
E) antecedent states
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27. Melanie lives in a small city that does not have a lot of the interesting retail stores.
She and her two best friends take a trip twice a year to places such as Atlanta, Dallas,
and Chicago to go shopping. It's so exciting for them to go in some of the stores
because they are so unique, and they have only seen them online or in catalogs. Also,
several cities now have lifestyle centers or town centers that are reminiscent of
downtown in bygone days. All of the factors such as decor, sounds, aromas, lighting,
weather, and configurations of merchandise or other materials surrounding the
merchandise that Melanie and her friends make a special trip to experience comprise
which situation characteristic?
C) temporal perspectives
D) task definition
28. The sum of all the physical features of a retail environment is referred to as the _____.
A) store situation
B) retail ambiance
C) retail surroundings
D) store atmosphere
E) merchandising mix
29. Many of you have probably heard of Banana Republic retail stores and perhaps have
shopped there. Many of you may not know that the store used to look much different
than it does today. It used to be more like an adventure, and the merchandise
assortment was more appropriate for a safari. If you've ever seen an Indiana Jones
movie, you can get a pretty good idea of what Banana Republic used to look like. The
stores would have a jeep in the store, camouflage netting, and music from the 1940s
playing. The inside had wooden beams and maps hung on the wall that looked like
treasure maps. Much of the merchandise was accompanied by a sign that had a tale of
some adventure associated with it. These physical features of the retail environment
are referred to as the _____.
A) store situation
B) retail ambiance
C) retail surroundings
D) store atmosphere
E) merchandising mix
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30. A store's atmosphere can influence which of the following?
A) consumers' judgments of the quality of the store
B) store's image
C) shoppers' moods
D) shoppers' willingness to visit and linger
E) all of the above
31. _____ is the process managers use to manipulate the physical retail environment to
create specific mood responses in shoppers.
A) Servicescape
B) Psychographics
C) Atmospherics
D) Environmentalism
E) Landscaping
Answer: C Page: 488-489 Difficulty: moderate
32. Carmen is double majoring in fashion merchandising and graphic design in college.
When she graduates, she wants to design the physical environment of retail stores,
particularly those in women's fashions. She wants to create environments that create
specific mood responses in shoppers. Which field best describes what Carmen wants
to do?
A) architecture
B) retail atmospherics
C) art
D) graphic design
E) marketing
Answer: B Page: 488-489 Difficulty: hard
33. Atmosphere is referred to as _____ when describing a service business such as a
hospital, bank, or restaurant.
A) landscape
B) servicescape
C) ambiance
D) environment
E) servqual
Answer: B Page: 489 Difficulty: easy
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34. With respect to the typology of service environments, a bank would be categorized as
_____.
A) utilitarian
B) personal
C) hedonic
D) tangible
E) moderate
Answer: A Page: 489 Difficulty: hard
35. Marcie will soon be 50 years old, so to pamper herself, she decided to get a massage.
With respect to the typology of service environments, this type of service would be
categorized as _____.
A) utilitarian
B) personal
C) hedonic
D) intangible
E) moderate
Answer: C Page: 489 Difficulty: hard
36. Which of the following services would be classified as having an extended hedonic
consumption purpose?
A) bank
B) cruise
C) business dinner
D) exercise class
E) theater
37. Which of the following are components of the physical environment?
A) colors, aromas, music, and crowding
B) normal and expanded usage
C) utilitarian and hedonic product characteristics
D) moods and momentary conditions
E) internal and external influences
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38. Which color is arousing?
A) red
B) yellow
C) blue
D) a and b
E) a, b, and c
39. Which type of industry has developed around the use of ambient scents?
A) professional scenting
B) environmental fragrancing
C) scent motivation
D) environmental creationism
E) environmental construction
40. How does music influence consumer behavior?
A) subliminally
B) reduces consumers' perception of overcrowding
C) changes temporal perspective
D) influences mood
E) changes cognitive structures
41. Mike is the owner of a restaurant that also has a bar. Based on research that studied
the impact of background music on restaurant patrons, what can Mike expect if he
uses slow music in his establishment?
A) faster service time
B) customers spend less time at a table
C) larger amount of bar purchases
D) significantly more (i.e., 50% or more) spent on food purchases
E) greater number of customer groups leaving before seated
Answer: C Page: 490-491 Difficulty: hard
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42. Crowding generally produces which outcome for the retail outlet and the consumer?
A) generally positive outcomes for the retailer, but negative outcomes for the
consumer
B) generally negative outcomes for the consumer, but positive outcomes for the
retailer
C) generally positive outcomes for both
D) generally negative outcomes for both
E) none of the above
43. Which of the following statements is FALSE regarding crowding as a situational
characteristic?
A) Crowding generally produces negative outcomes for both the retail outlet and the
consumer.
B) Most consumers find crowded feelings to be unpleasant.
C) Crowding is unpleasant regardless of a consumers' culture.
D) Most consumers find feelings of crowding to be unpleasant and will spend less
time in the store.
E) Crowding causes most consumers to spend more money.
44. Under conditions of crowding, consumers tend to _____.
A) buy less
B) make faster decisions
C) use less information
D) be less satisfied
E) all of the above
45. Under conditions of crowding, consumers tend do to all of the following EXCEPT
_____.
A) buy less
B) make faster decisions
C) make more demands on the sales personnel
D) be less satisfied
E) all of the above
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46. A closed-in feeling created by a crowded store will result in adaptive strategies that
could _____.
A) lengthen shopping time, shorten purchases, and increase the use of in-store
information
B) shorten shopping time, increase purchases, and decrease the use of in-store
information
C) reduce shopping time, reduce purchases, and alter the use of in-store information
D) reduce shopping time, reduce purchases, and greatly increase the use of in-store
information
47. The other individuals present in the particular situation are referred to as the _____.
A) servicescape
C) physical surroundings
D) store atmosphere
E) temporal perspective
48. Jessica and her friends are 16 years old like to shop at Aeropostale, which is a clothing
store targeted to teens and young adults. They like to go in that store because there are
usually some pretty cute guys working and shopping there. Even though there are
some parents shopping with their teens, the other customers are usually teens like
themselves. The other individuals present in this store represent the _____.
A) servicescape
C) physical surroundings
D) store atmosphere
E) temporal perspective
49. Some consumers are highly susceptible to interpersonal influence, which is a _____.
A) norm
B) situation factor
C) product factor
D) personality trait
E) cultural factor
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50. Mimi is a teenager and wants to be accepted by her friends. In fact, she might act a
certain way not because she really wants to, but rather, she does it because others
around her are doing it. The influence these others have on Mimi represent which
situational characteristic?
A) temporal perspective
B) physical surroundings
C) task definition
D) antecedent states
E) social surroundings
51. Which of the following is a negative emotion influenced by both the product (e.g.,
hearing aids, feminine hygiene products) and the situation?
A) embarrassment
B) shame
C) fear
D) anger
E) disappointment
52. Clara is shopping with her friend, Jane, when they both went into a drug store. Clara
needed to buy medication for hemorrhoids, but she was reluctant to do so in front of
Jane. Which emotion was Clara probably experiencing in this situation?
A) embarrassment
B) shame
C) fear
D) anger
E) disappointment
53. Which situational characteristic deals with the effect of time on consumer behavior?
D) task definition
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54. One aspect of purchasing from QVC, one of the cable shopping channels on
television, is that the offer will expire within a certain amount of time, creating a
sense of urgency among consumers. Teresa watches this channel frequently, and
admitted that this aspect of the situation does influence her decision to buy something.
Which characteristic of the situation is influencing Teresa and others' behavior?
D) task definition
55. Shopping on the Internet provides which important time-related dimension?
A) It has the potential to reduce the amount of time required to make a specific
purchase.
B) It provides the consumer with almost total control over when the purchase is
made.
C) It eliminates the uneasiness of crowding experienced in many retail outlets.
D) a and b
E) a, b, and c
Answer: D Page: 493-494 Difficulty: hard
56. The reason the consumption activity is occurring is the situation characteristic of
_____.
D) task definition
Answer: D Page: 494 Difficulty: easy
57. Stacy is shopping to purchase new linens for her guest room. Which situational
characteristic is influencing her behavior?
D) task definition
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58. Which of the following is a reason consumers give gifts?
A) social expectations
B) ritualized consumption experiences
C) to elicit return favors
D) as an expression of love and caring
E) all of the above
59. James is giving his cousin, Conor, a new video game for his birthday. Which of the
following is the most likely reason James is giving this gift?
A) he is required to do so
B) it is a ritualized consumption experience
C) to elicit return favors
D) as a return favor
E) because he hopes the receiver will share the gift
Answer: B Page: 494 Difficulty: hard
60. John is a salesman and gave one of his customers an expensive watch. Which of the
following is the most likely reason John gave this gift?
A) social expectations
B) it is a ritualized consumption experience
C) to elicit a return favor
D) it is a business requirement
E) as an expression of loving and caring
Answer: C Page: 494 Difficulty: hard
61. One study found that wedding gifts tend to be _____ while birthday gifts tend to be
_____.
A) expensive; inexpensive
B) inexpensive; expensive
C) fun; utilitarian
D) utilitarian; fun
E) large; small
Answer: D Page: 494 Difficulty: hard
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62. Rachel is going to the mall to purchase a wedding gift for a co-worker. Based on
research, which type of product is she likely to buy?
A) expensive
B) inexpensive
C) expressive
D) utilitarian
E) hedonic
Answer: D Page: 494 Difficulty: hard
63. Which of the following is a way that gifts communicate symbolic meaning?
A) In many cases price can be known and can be interpreted as a measure of the
esteem the giver has for the receiver.
B) The image and functionality of the gift implies the giver's impression of the image
and personality of the receiver.
C) It reflects on the image and thoughtfulness of the giver.
D) It can signify the type of relationship the giver has or desires with the receiver.
E) all of the above
64. A person who shops a nicer store than normal because he or she is buying a gift is
influenced by the _____ characteristic of the situation.
B) antecedent state
C) task definition
D) temporal perspective
Answer: C Page: 494 Difficulty: easy
65. Features of the individual person that are not lasting characteristics, such as
momentary moods or conditions, are called _____.
A) personality
B) antecedent states
C) context effects
D) task definition
E) self-concept
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66. Transient feeling states that are generally not tied to a specific event or object are
known as _____.
A) noncontextual effects
B) traits
C) temporal effects
D) social surroundings
E) moods
67. Which of the following are antecedent states?
A) colors, aromas, music, and crowding
B) normal and expanded usage
C) utilitarian and hedonic
D) moods and momentary conditions
E) internal and external influences
Answer: D Page: 495-496 Difficulty: moderate
68. A market research study asked consumers to rate themselves with respect to several
adjectives, such as happy, cheerful, peaceful, sad, blue, and depressed. What is this
research trying to assess?
A) noncontextual effects
B) traits
C) temporal effects
D) social surroundings
E) mood
69. Which of the following statements is true regarding moods?
A) Mood are relatively stable states that are tied to a specific event or object.
B) Moods affect the consumption process, but they are not affected by the
consumption process.
C) Positive moods have not been shown to affect shopping behavior.
D) Consumers do not actively try to manage their mood states.
E) Ad and brand attitudes are often influenced in a mood-congruent manner.
Answer: E Page: 495 Difficulty: hard
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70. Which of the following reflects temporary states of being rather than temporary states
of mind?
A) moods
B) momentary conditions
C) task definition
D) personality traits
E) self-concept
71. Clark and his family normally live paycheck to paycheck. However, this month, they
found themselves with a little extra money, so they decided to go out to a nice
restaurant and to a movie. This is an example of the antecedent state of _____.
A) positive mood
B) good luck
C) momentary conditions
D) optimism
E) hedonism
72. Stan was feeling very tired and hungry in the mid-afternoon, so he ate a Snickers
candy bar. Stan is attempting to manage his _____.
A) personality traits
B) momentary condition
C) mood
D) self-concept
E) daily ritual
73. A socially defined occasion that triggers a set of interrelated behaviors that occur in a
structured format and that have symbolic meaning is referred to as a _____.
A) ritual situation
C) prescriptive
D) schema
E) holiday
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74. Every year around the 4th of July, families get together and celebrate a family reunion
as well as Independence Day. The Normans, one such family, does this every year,
and the party is pretty much the same every year. A cookout is held at one family
member's home, and games for the children are played, such as a three-legged race
and an egg toss competition. The family that wins the overall competition gets to take
home a hideous, but meaningful trophy for that year. This is an example of a _____.
A) ritual situation
C) prescriptive
D) schema
E) social schema
75. Giving out candy to children on Halloween, giving chocolate and roses to sweethearts
on Valentine's Day, and wearing green and drinking green beer on St. Patrick's Day
are all examples of _____.
A) ritual situations
B) momentary conditions
C) prescriptives
D) schemas
E) social surroundings
76. Which of the following statements is FALSE regarding ritual situations?
A) Rituals are receiving increasing attention by marketing scholars and practitioners.
B) Ritual situations are of major importance to marketers because they often involve
prescribed consumption behaviors.
C) There is enough shared behavior across individuals and households that marketers
can develop products and promotions around the common ritual situations that
arise each year.
D) Ritual situations can also result in injurious consumption.
E) Marketers cannot change or create consumption patterns associated with ritual
situations.
Answer: E Page: 497-498 Difficulty: hard
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77. Binge drinking among college students can be described as a(n) _____.
A) ritual behavior
B) socially desirable behavior
C) task accomplishing behavior
D) antecedent behavior
E) value-expressive behavior
78. Which of the following is a step in the approach for developing situation-based
marketing strategies that was given in the textbook?
A) Use observational studies, focus group discussions, depth interviews, and
secondary data to discover the various usage situations that influence the
consumption of the product.
B) Survey a large sample of consumers to better understand and quantify how the
product is used and the benefits sought in the usage situation by the market
segment.
C) Construct a person-situation segmentation matrix.
D) Evaluate each cell in terms of potential.
E) all of the above
79. Which of the following is the FIRST step in the approach for developing situationbased marketing strategies?
A) Use observational studies, focus group discussions, depth interviews, and
B) Survey a large sample of consumers to better understand and quantify how the
segment.
C) Construct a person-situation segmentation matrix.
D) Evaluate each cell in terms of potential.
E) Develop and implement a marketing strategy for cells that offer sufficient profit
potential given your capabilities
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80. Richard is studying how various usage situations influence the consumption of his
company's products. He conducted qualitative analyses (i.e., focus group discussions
and depth interviews) as well as surveyed a larger sample of consumers to better
understand and quantify how products are used and the benefits sought in the usage
situation by the market segment. Richard is performing the first two steps in an
approach to develop _____.
A) demographically-based marketing strategies
B) geographically-based marketing strategies
C) situation-based marketing strategies
D) momentary conditions
E) hedonic purchase situations
True/False Questions
81. To better understand a consumer's behavior, we must know about the consumer, about
the primary stimulus object, and about the situation.
Answer: True Page: 484 Difficulty: easy
82. Consumer behavior occurs within four broad categories or types of situations: the
communications situation, the purchase situation, the usage situation, and the social
situation.
Answer: False Page: 484 Difficulty: hard
83. Expanded usage situation strategies can produce major sales gains for established
products.
84. The disposition situation can create significant social problems as well as
opportunities for marketers.
Answer: True Page: 487 Difficulty: moderate
85. Physical surroundings represent the situational characteristic that has the greatest
impact on consumption behavior.
Answer: False Page: 488-491 Difficulty: hard
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86. Psychographics is the process managers use to manipulate the physical retail
environment to create specific mood responses in shoppers.
Answer: False Page: 488-489 Difficulty: moderate
87. Consumers typically attend the theater for utilitarian purposes.
Answer: False Page: 489 Difficulty: easy
88. The only aspect of music that influences consumer behavior is tempo.
Answer: False Page: 490-491 Difficulty: moderate
89. Personal space and resulting crowding perceptions can vary from culture to culture.
90. Individuals tend to comply with group expectations, particularly when the behavior is
visible.
91. The major task dichotomy used by marketers is between purchases for self-use versus
gift-giving.
92. Mood is an example of a momentary condition reflecting a temporary state of being.
Answer: False Page: 495-496 Difficulty: hard
93. Marketers do not attempt to change or create consumption patterns associated with
rituals.
Answer: False Page: 497 Difficulty: moderate
94. Individuals cannot create the situations they face.
Answer: False Page: 498 Difficulty: moderate
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95. Determining how products are currently used across situations can help the marketer
develop appropriate advertising and positioning strategies.
Essay Questions
96. Describe the nature of situational influence on consumer behavior, and briefly discuss
the four broad categories or types of situations.
Page: 484-487 Difficulty: moderate
Answer:
Situational influence is all those factors particular to a time and place that do not
follow from a knowledge of the stable attributes of the consumer and the stimulus that
have an effect on current behavior. Thus, with one exception, the situation stands
apart from the consumer and the stimulus. The exception is in the case of temporary
characteristics of the consumer or stimulus that are specific to the situation and
sometimes even caused by it (e.g., a bad mood caused by the surrounding media
context). Consumer behavior occurs within four broad categories or types of
situations:
a. Communications Situation--the situation in which consumers receive
information.
b. Purchase Situation--the situation in which a purchase is made.
c. Usage Situation--the situation for which a product is or may become appropriate.
d. Disposition Situation--the situation in which consumers dispose of products or
product packages after or before product use.
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97. Pablo is planning on opening a Mexican restaurant in the town where he lives. He is
considering how to design the physical environment of the restaurant. Discuss the
components of the physical surroundings that can influence consumption behavior and
make some recommendations to Pablo regarding each component.
Answer:
Four components of the physical environment were discussed in the text:
a. Colors--certain colors and color characteristics create feelings of excitement and
arousal which are related to attention. Bright colors are more arousing than dull
colors, and warm colors such as reds and yellows are more arousing that cool
colors such as blues and greys. The best colors to use depends on the type of store
or, in this case, restaurant. Cool colors tend to increase sales and customer
satisfaction and appear to reduce wait time perceptions by inducing feelings of
relaxation. Warm colors grab attention and can drive impulse purchases (e.g.,
ordering dessert in a restaurant).
b. Aromas--while there is increasing evidence that odors can affect consumer
shopping, it seems reasonable that they also affect consumption behavior in a
service environment such as a restaurant.
c. Music--music influences consumers' moods, which influence a variety of
consumption behaviors. One study found that slow tempo music resulted in an
increased gross margin, but that was true because of a greater amount of bar
purchases. If Pablo does not have a bar, he might want to consider faster tempo
music so he can have a quicker customer turnover.
d. Crowding--generally produces negative outcomes for both the retail outlet and the
consumer. While crowding may have a negative influence on Pablo's nonHispanic customers, this may not be a significant factor for Pablo's Hispanic
consumers.
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98. Tim is looking for a give for his relatively new girlfriend that he likes a lot but is not
sure if she's the one. He's facing somewhat of a dilemma with this gift because he
doesn't want to send the wrong message to her, but he doesn't want to appear cheap,
either. Moreover, he's not sure how she really feels about him. Explain the types of
symbolic meaning the gift he selects might hold.
Page: 494 Difficulty: moderate
Answer:
Gifts communicate symbolic meaning on several levels. The gift item itself generally
has a known, or knowable, price that can be interpreted as a measure of the esteem the
giver has for the receiver. The image and functionality of the gift implies the giver's
impression of the image and personality of the receiver. It also reflects on the image
and thoughtfulness of the giver. Finally, the nature of a gift can signify the type of
relationship the giver has or desires with the receiver, or it can alter the relationship
between the giver and receiver.
99. Explain why ritual situations are important to marketers.
Answer:
A ritual situation can be described as a socially defined occasion that triggers a set of
interrelated behaviors that occur in a structured format and that have symbolic
meaning. Ritual situations are of importance to marketers because they often involve
prescribed consumption behaviors. While there is significant variation across
individuals and households, there is enough shared behavior that marketers can
develop products and promotions around the common ritual situations that arise each
year. Marketers also attempt to change or create consumption patterns associated with
ritual situations. However, marketers must also be aware that ritual situations can also
result in injurious consumption (i.e., binge or excessive drinking).
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100. You are tasked with the responsibility of developing a situation-based marketing
strategy. Explain how you would go about doing that.
Answer:
Because most people create many of the situations they face, a marketer needs to
identify the different situations that might involve the consumption of a product and
determine which products or brands are most likely to be purchased or consumed
across those situations. One method of approaching this is to jointly scale situations
and products, and Figure 13-3 provides an illustration. Determining how products are
currently used across situations can help the marketer develop appropriate advertising
and positioning strategies. Or a marketer may try to change the situation for which a
product is used.
Another approach for developing situation-based marketing strategies is to follow
these five steps:
a. Use observational studies, focus group discussions, depth interviews, and
b. Survey a larger sample of consumers to better understand and quantify how the
segment.
c. Construct a person-situation segmentation matrix. The rows are the major usage
situations and the columns are groups of users with unique needs or desires. Each
cell contains the key benefits sought.
d. Evaluate each cell in terms of potential (sales volume, price level, cost to serve,
competitor strength, and so forth).
e. Develop and implement a marketing strategy for those cells that offer sufficient
profit potential given your capabilities.
349

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Chapter 13 Situational Influences

Multiple Choice Questions

Chapter 13 Situational Influences

Chapter 13 Situational Influences

Chapter 13 Situational Influences

Chapter 13 Situational Influences

Chapter 13 Situational Influences

Chapter 13 Situational Influences

Chapter 13 Situational Influences

Chapter 13 Situational Influences

Chapter 13 Situational Influences

Chapter 13 Situational Influences

Chapter 13 Situational Influences

Chapter 13 Situational Influences

Chapter 13 Situational Influences

Chapter 13 Situational Influences

Chapter 13 Situational Influences

Chapter 13 Situational Influences

Chapter 13 Situational Influences

Chapter 13 Situational Influences

Chapter 13 Situational Influences

Chapter 13 Situational Influences

Chapter 13 Situational Influences

Chapter 13 Situational Influences

Chapter 13 Situational Influences

Chapter 13 Situational Influences

Chapter 13 Situational Influences

Chapter 13 Situational Influences

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