Assignment:
Task
The below discussion questions/short-essay questions are designed to allow individual students to demonstrate their theoretical understanding and practical application of important aspects of consumer decision making and behaviour. Each student is to select two of the four questions below and answer each of the selected questions in no less than 800 and no more than 1,000 words. The answer to each question should be referenced with a minimum of three relevant up-todate sources (journal articles). The main text for this subject, Ling, Peter, D Alessandro, Steven and Winzar, Hume (2015) Consumer Behaviour in Action, Oxford University Press should form an information source but not be used as a major reference.
Questions: Select TWO of the following topics to answer.
Question 1 Can social class be generalised? Research what some authors have commented in regards to this statement and discuss if it is applicable to Australia. Cite two (2) examples where an organisation has either successfully utilised social class to target its consumers OR where they have used a general approach. (Note: It can be two (2) examples successfully using social class, two (2) examples using the general approach or one (1) of each).
Question 2 Research shows that changing the cognitive component in the tri component attitude model - cognitive, affective and conative - can change the attitude to a product or service. This approach is widely used in health campaigns and campaigns that seek to alter anti-social behaviours, for example, binge drinking.
The four strategies used to alter the cognitive component are:
(i) Changing beliefs
(ii) Changing the relative importance of those beliefs
(iii) Adding new beliefs
(iv) Changing beliefs about the attributes of the ideal brand
Using the example of an anti binge drinking campaign targeted at young women aged 18-25, discuss which of the four strategies would work best to change behaviour. Note you can discuss more than one strategy.
Question 3: How important is culture in the decision-making process? Discuss what some of the authors have found to be important on this issue. Cite 2 examples from the marketing mix (2 out of the 7 Ps) what a specific business of your choice can do or has done when appealing to the everIncreasing multicultural consumer in Australia.
Question 4 Associative reference groups are playing a larger role in consumer decision making. Using the basic Decision Process Framework - Problem Recognition, Information Search and Evaluation, Purchasing Process and Post Purchase Behaviour - and your knowledge of associative reference groups, discuss which associative reference group would influence the decision to purchase products from the ALDI chain of supermarkets. In your answer explore the company's advertising strategies in terms of encouraging consumers to switch from the major two supermarket chains, Woolworths and Coles.