Consumer Attitude

An Introduction

Attitudes

How do marketers get consumers to form

a certain attitude towards their product?

How do marketers change consumers

attitudes towards products/brands?

What is an attitude?

A learned predisposition to respond to an

object or a class of objects in a
consistently favorable or unfavorable way.

Attitudes are relatively enduring.

Attitudes are situation-related.

What are the sources of attitudes?

Experience:

Early experience
Family influence

Knowledge:

What we know
What we have seen/heard

Attitudes - defined

An attitude may be defined as a learned predisposition

to respond in a consistently favourable or
unfavourable manner with respect
to a given object

How are attitudes formed?

Conditioning

Modelling

Learning can occur from repeated exposure to stimuli

We are more likely to develop a positive attitude
towards behaviour that continually brings rewards
Develop attitudes by watching others that we trust or
respect

Cognitive Learning

Involves problem solving or reaching logical

conclusions based on information

Forming Attitudes, continued

Attitudes are created directly.

Behavioral learning
Mere exposure

Attitudes are created by first creating

behaviors.

Consumers respond to strong situational or

environmental forces, and after engaging in the
behavior, form attitudes about the experience.

Attitudes

Attitude components:

Cognitive
Affective
Behavioral

AttitudeComponents

Cognitiveindividualsknowledgeaboutan
objectorconcept.

Affectivedealswithfeelingsoremotional
reactions.

Behavioraltendenciestoactinacertainmanner.

Marketers decide which attitude component will

drive consumer preferences

Attitude Components and

Manifestation

Attitude Components
Cognitive Component
The cognitive component consists of a consumers beliefs
about an object.
The multi-attribute attitude model provides a measure of a
consumers overall attitude and evaluation of a brand.
The overall cognitive component becomes more favorable as:
The number of positive beliefs increase
The extent to which each belief is more extremely
positive
The ease of recall of positive beliefs increases

Attitude Components
Affective Component

Feelings or emotional reactions

to an object represent the
affective component of an
attitude.
Marketers are increasingly
turning their attention to the
affective or feeling component
to provide a richer understanding
of attitudes than that based
solely on the cognitive or
thinking component.

Attitude Components
Behavioral Component
The behavioral component of an attitude is ones tendency
to respond in a certain manner toward an object or activity.
Actual behaviors reflect
these intentions as they are
modified by the situation in
which the behavior will
occur.

Attitude Components
Attitude Component Consistency
Attitude componentscognitive,
cognitive affective,
affective and behavioral
tend to be consistent.
However, the degree of apparent consistency can be
reduced by a variety of factors.
Marketers must incorporate these factors when
developing persuasive messages and strategies.

Attitude Components
Attitude Component Consistency
Seven factors may account for inconsistencies:
1. Lack of Need
2. Lack of Ability
3. Failure to Consider Relative Attitudes
4. Weakly Held Beliefs and Affect
5. Failure to Consider Interpersonal Influence
6. Failure to Consider Situational Factors
7. Measurement Issues
11-15

Attitude Component Consistency

All 3 components tend to be consistent.

Very important in marketing strategy.
Research often finds only a limited relationship
factors that can reduce consistency between
measures of beliefs and feelings and
observations of behavior

The nature of attitudes

Attitudes vary in their strength

Attitudes reflect a consumers values

Attitudes are learned

Different situations influence attitudes

Consumer attitude trends

By keeping in touch with changing

consumer attitudes, marketers are better
able to appeal to consumers through their
marketing messages and appeals.

Change the Cognitive

Component

Change the affective component :

Change the behavioral component

classical conditioning
affect toward the ad
mere exposure
operant conditioning

Change the cognitive component

change beliefs
shift importance
add beliefs
change ideal

Functions of Attitudes

Utilitarian function- attitudes are formed to reach a

particular goal. Instrumental attitudes are formed
because of the activation of certain needs.
Ego-defensive function-it is associated with
psychology, it is formed to avoid certain
frustrations and threats.
Knowledge function-it is used to express a
persons value.
Value-expressive function- it helps organize and
form meaningful structure which he will evaluate
the various aspects of his world.

Measuring Attitude Components

Cognitive Component (Measuring Beliefs about

Specific Attributes Using the Semantic Differential Scale)

Diet Coke
Strong taste

Mild taste

Low priced

High priced

Caffeine free

High in caffeine

Distinctive in
taste

Similar in taste to
most

Measuring Attitude Components

Affective Component

(Measuring Feelings about Specific

Attributes Using Likert Scales)

Strongly
Agree Agree

Neither
Agree
nor
Strongly
Disagree Disagree Disagree

I like the taste of Diet Coke.

Diet Coke is overpriced.

Caffeine is bad for your health.

I like Diet Coke.

Measuring Attitude Components

Behavioral Component (Measuring Actions or Intended
Actions)
The last soft drink I consumed was a ___________________.
I usually drink________________soft drinks.
What is the likelihood you will buy Diet Coke
Definitely will buy
the next time you purchase a soft drink? Probably will buy
Might buy
Probably will not buy
Definitely will not buy