McGraw-Hill/Irwin

Copyright 2008 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Chapter 5

Attention and Comprehension

McGraw-Hill/Irwin

Copyright 2008 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Exposure to Information
Critical for consumers interpretation processes Consumers must be exposed first to information in the environment including marketing strategies for them to be able to understand information.

5-3

Two Types of Exposure

Intentional consumers are exposed to some marketing information because of their own intentional, goal-oriented search behavior Accidental random or semi-random events that occur as consumers move through their environments and accidentally come into contact with marketing information

Exposure to Information
Levels of intentional exposure to marketing information are rather low

Selective Exposure to Information

Increased amount of marketing information in the environment
Consumers become more adept at avoiding exposure Selective exposure

5-6

Exposure to Information- Marketing implications

Strategies to enhance consumers exposure to information and products:
Facilitate intentional exposure
by training salespeople to provide necessary information to consumers when and where they need it; brochures; websites, etc.

Maximize accidental exposure

through locating in high traffic areas such as malls, busy intersections, downtown; selection of appropriate media and using alternative ways to advertise in taxicab, sports stadium, boats, buses, blimps, shopping carts, etc.
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Exposure to Information- Marketing implications

Strategies to enhance consumers exposure to information and products:
Create appropriate level of exposure Maintain exposure
by consistently placing advertisements in TV, print, radio, etc.

5-8

Short Video
Product displacement

Attention Processes
Attention implies selectivity Attention connotes awareness and consciousness Consumers need to be:
Conscious Alert Aroused

5-10

Variations in Attention
Preconscious attention
Highly automatic, unconscious level

Focal attention
Controlled conscious level

5-11

Factors Influencing Consumers Attention

Affective states
Can influence attention processes

Involvement
Motivational state guiding stimuli selection for focal attention and comprehension

Environmental Prominence
Stimuli must be a prominent feature in the environment to attract attention

5-12

Some examples
Jennifer Aniston on Smart Water

Attention Processes- Marketing implications

Intrinsic self-relevance
Why do consumers find a product to be selfrelevant?

Situational self-relevance
Generates higher levels of involvement and motivation to attend to marketing information

Factors affecting environmental prominence

Vivid pictorial images Novel or unusual stimuli Clutter
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Ads

End of Part 1
Thank you!

Comprehension
Interpretation processes by which consumers understand or make sense of their own behavior

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Variations in Comprehension

5-18

Variations in Comprehension cont.

Automatic processing
Unconscious Automatic

Level
Shallow Deep

Elaboration
Less More

Memorability
5-19

Inferences During Comprehension

Inferences- interpretations that produce knowledge or beliefs that go beyond the information given
Large role in the construction of means-end chains Influenced by consumers existing knowledge in memory Consumers use cues in making inferences Marketers may try to stimulate consumers to form inferences during comprehension
5-20

Inferences about the Good Housekeeping Seal

Factors Influencing Comprehension

Knowledge in memory
Expert consumers Novice consumers Need to understand existing knowledge structures of target audience to develop effective marketing strategies

Involvement
Has a major influence on consumers motivation to comprehend marketing information at the time of exposure
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Factors Influencing Comprehension cont.

Exposure environment
Can affect consumers opportunity to comprehend marketing information Factors influencing consumer comprehension:
Time pressure Consumers affective states Distractions

5-23

Comprehension- Marketing implications

Marketers need to understand consumers comprehension processes to design effective marketing strategies
Knowledge and involvement Remembering Miscomprehension of marketing information Exposure environment

5-24

Summary
Discussed behavioral process of exposure, by which consumers come into contact with marketing information Emphasized the interrelated cognitive process of attention and comprehension Learned that exposure to marketing information can occur by accident or as a result of an intentional search for information

5-25

Summary cont.
Noted that once exposure has occurred the interpretation processes of attention and comprehension begin Considered that attention and comprehension are strongly influenced by two internal factors the knowledge structures activated in the exposure situation and the level of consumers involvement
5-26

Summary cont.
Noted that designing and implementing successful marketing strategies require that marketers consider three issues associated with three processes

1-27

End of Lesson 3
Quiz Time!