1. Consumer’s Product Knowledge & Involvement
Com 343
Consumer Behaviour
Consumer’s Product Knowledge & Involvement
Chapter Four

2. MARKETERS NEED TO UNDERSTAND
CONSUMER REACTIONS TO
PRODUCT ATTRIBUTES AND BENEFITS

3. LEVELS OF PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE
LEVELS OF MEANING
ARE FORMED WHEN PEOPLE COMBINE SEPARATE MEANING CONCEPTS INTO LARGER CATEGORIES OF KNOWLEDGE.
EG. CAR BRAKING, ACCELERATION, CORNERING = HANDLING
FOUR LEVELS OF PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE
PRODUCT CLASS
MOST INCLUSIVE LEVEL
SOFT DRINKS
PRODUCT FORM
SEVERAL BRANDS COMMON TRAITS - DIET
BRAND
DIET COKE
MODEL
HAS UNIQUE FEATURES OR ATTRIBUTES (355ML ALUMINUM CAN)
NOTE:
MARKETING STRATEGIES TEND TO BE BRAND ORIENTED
Why?

4. BRAND IDENTITY TENDS TO BE COMPANY SPECIFIC HENCE A PROPRIETARY INVESTMENT
MARKETING RESEARCH TENDS TO FOCUS ON CONSUMER’S
KNOWLEDGE & BELIEFS ABOUT BRANDS
MARKETERS NEED TO UNDERSTAND HOW CONSUMERS ORGANIZE THEIR PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE IN RELATION TO THESE DIFFERENT LEVELS
(CLASS, FORM, BRAND, MODEL)
AS SEPARATE PURCHASE DECISIONS CAN BE MADE AT EACH LEVEL.

5. THREE TYPES OF PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE
ATTRIBUTES OR CHARACTERISTICS
BENEFITS OR POSITIVE CONSEQUENCES
VALUES THAT THE PRODUCT HELPS SATISFY OR ACHIEVE

6. THE BUNDLE APPROACH
PRODUCTS ARE PERCEIVED AS
BUNDLES OF ATTRIBUTES
(THIS IS HOW MARKETERS SEE THEIR PRODUCT)
MARKETERS CAN (AT THEIR PERIL)
ADD NEW ATTRIBUTES,
REMOVE OLD ONES,
MODIFY EXISTING ONES
CONCRETE ATTRIBUTES
PHYSICAL PRODUCT CHARACTERISTICS
ABSTRACT ATTRIBUTES
SUBJECTIVE INTANGIBLES (STYLE, COLOUR)

7. PRODUCTS AS
BUNDLES OF BENEFITS
(THIS IS HOW THE CONSUMER SEES A PRODUCT)
WITH
FUNCTIONAL CONSEQUENCES
TANGIBLE USAGE OUTCOMES
PSYCHOSOCIAL CONSEQUENCES
HOW YOU FEEL AND HOW OTHERS FEEL ABOUT YOU AFTER USEAGE

8. CONSUMERS STORE
BOTH
COGNITIVE & AFFECTIVE EXPERIENCES
AS KNOWLEDGE IN MEMORY
BENEFITS
ARE DESIRABLE CONSEQUENCES OF USEAGE
PERCEIVED RISK
NEGATIVE ASPECTS OF USEAGE
INFLUENCED BY
DEGREE OF UNPLEASANTNESS
PROBABILITY
PHYSICAL RISK
(AFTER TASTE, SHOCK)
FINANCIAL RISK
(WARRANTY LIMITATIONS)
PSYCHOSOCIAL RISK
(FRIENDS LAUGH)

9. PRODUCTS AS…
VALUE SATISFIER BUNDLES
VALUES
ARE PEOPLE’S BROAD LIFE GOALS AND NEEDS
(AFFECTIVE & COGNITIVE)
INSTRUMENTAL VALUES
PREFERRED MODES OF CONDUCT
(GOOD TIME)
TERMINAL VALUES
PREFERRED ULTIMATE STATES OF BEING
(HAPPY, SUCCESSFUL)
CORE VALUES
THE CENTRAL ASPECT OF PEOPLE’S SELF-CONCEPT
BECAUSE VALUES REPRESENT PERSONALLY RELEVANT CONSEQUENCES
THEY ARE OFTEN ASSOCIATED WITH STRONG AFFECTIVE RESPONSES.

10. AN ASSOCIATIVE NETWORK
MEANS-END CHAIN
IS CREATED FROM SEQUENCED PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE STARTING WITH
PRODUCT ATTRIBUTES
AND
ENDING WITH SELF-RELEVANT VALUES
ATTRIBUTES 
FUNCTIONAL CONSEQUENCES  PSYCHOSOCIAL CONSEQUENCES 
VALUES
CONSUMERS DEFINE PRODUCT ATTRIBUTES
IN PERSONAL, SUBJECTIVE TERMS

11. THE MEANS-END MODEL
PORTRAYS HOW CONSUMERS CREATE
KNOWLEDGE STRUCTURES OF LINKED MEANINGS THAT CONNECT
TANGIBLE PRODUCT ATTRIBUTES
TO MORE
ABSTRACT ATTRIBUTES AND CONSEQUENCES,
WHICH IN TURN ARE ASSOCIATED WITH MORE
SUBJECTIVE, SELF-RELEVANT VALUES
&
GOALS.
THE MEANS-END MODEL IS PREDICATED
ON THE PREMISE THAT THE MEANING OF
A PRODUCT ATTRIBUTE
IS GIVEN BY ITS CONSEQUENCES.

12. FOUR IMPORTANT POINTS ABOUT MEANS-END CHAINS
CHAINS VARY CONSIDERABLY IN NUMBER AND TYPES OF MEANINGS THAT THEY CONTAIN.
NOT EVERY MEANS-END CHAIN LEADS TO AN INSTRUMENTAL OR TERMINAL VALUE (CAN BE INCONCLUSIVE).
SOME MEANS-END CHAINS WILL BE INCOMPLETE WITH MISSING LEVELS OF MEANINGS.
CONSUMER’S MEANS-END CHAIN CAN HAVE CONFLICTING (POSITIVE & NEGATIVE) ENDS.

13. MEASURING MEANS-END CHAINS
(USING A ‘ONE ON ONE’ PERSONAL LADDERING INTERVIEW)
INFORMATION GAINED THRU RESPONSES TO SEQUENTIAL QUESTIONS STARTING WITH PRODUCT ATTRIBUTES (AS THE CONSUMER PERCEIVES THEM) TO ULTIMATELY PERSONAL VALUES AND GOALS.
THIS PROCESS HELPS MARKETERS TO UNDERSTAND THE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN EACH LINK
OF THE MEANS-END CHAIN FROM OR

14. ZMET INTERVIEW TECHNIQUE
THE PROCESS
PRE-INTERVIEW
SUBJECT SELECTS PICTURES FROM ADS THAT EXPRESS THEIR THOUGHTS & FEELINGS ABOUT A BRAND, SITUATION OR IDEA.
INTERVIEW
STORYTELLING: SUBJECT READILY DESCRIBES THE FEELINGS THOUGHTS PORTRAYED BY THE PICTURE (SIC)
EXPAND THE PICTURE SIZE TO FURTHER REINFORCE THE FEELING OR THOUGHT.
SENSORY IMAGES: SUBJECT ASKED TO SUPPLEMENT EXISTING IMAGES, METAPHOR WITH SENSORY METAPHORS
VIGNETTE: SUBJECT IS ASKED TO DEVELOP SHORT STORY / MOVIE WITH THE BRAND HAVING A PART AS A CHARACTER. THIS HUMANIZING OF THE BRAND REVEALS ELEMENTS FOR A BRAND PERSONALITY.
DIGITAL IMAGE: SUBJECT MORPHS THE KEY IMAGES FROM THE ADS HE ORIGINALLY CHOSE INTO A COLLAGE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT IMAGES AND PROVIDES A NARRATION OF THEIR PROCESS.
THE CONCEPT
THRU ILLUSION & TRANSFERENCE TECHNIQUES SUBJECTS EMOTE DEEPER & MORE COMPLEX FEELINGS & BELIEFS THAN THEY COULD/WOULD NORMALLY BE ABLE TO ARTICULATE.

15. CONSUMERS AND PRODUCT INVOLVEMENT
INVOLVEMENT IS THE PRECEIVED IMPORTANCE OR PERSONAL RELEVANCE OF AN OBJECT OR EVENT
AND
HAS BOTH COGNITIVE AND AFFECTIVE ASPECTS.
THE LEVEL OF PRODUCT INVOLVEMENT
A CONSUMER EXPERIENCES DURING DECISION-MAKING
IS DETERMINED BY
THE TYPE OF MEANS-END KNOWLWEDGE
THAT IS ACTIVATED IN THAT SITUATION.

16. THE FOCUS OF THE INVOLVEMENT
CAN BE:
PRODUCTS, BRANDS
PEOPLE (SALESPERSON, BARTENDER)
PHYSICAL OBJECTS (ADVERTISEMENTS)
ENVIRONMENTS (PUB)
ACTIVITIES (SPORTS)
MARKETING RELATED ACTIVITY
(COUPON COLLECTING, BARGAIN HUNTING)
MARKETERS NEED TO UNDERSTAND
THE FOCUS
OF THE CONSUMERS INVOLVEMENT

17. FACTORS INFLUENCING
CONSUMER INVOLVEMENT
INTRINSIC SELF-RELEVANCE
PERSONAL SOURCES OF INVOLVEMENT
MEANS-END KNOWLEDGE STORED IN CONSUMERS’ MEMORY.
INFLUENCED BY OTHER PRODUCT FACTORS SUCH AS: SOCIAL VISIBILITY (WILL PEOPLE KNOW)
SITUATIONAL SELF-RELEVANCE
SITUATIONAL SOURCES OF INVOLVEMENT
ARE ASPECTS OF THE IMMEDIATE PHYSICAL AND SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT THAT ACTIVATE IMPORTANT CONSEQUENCES AND VALUES AND LINK THEM TO PRODUCT ATTRIBUTES, THUS MAKING
PRODUCTS AND BRANDS SEEM SELF-RELEVANT.
MARKETERS NEED TO UNDERSTAND BOTH THE FOCUS OF CONSUMERS INVOLVEMENT AND THE SOURCES THAT CREATE IT.

18. NOTE:
A CONSUMER MAY NOT BE PERSONALLY INVOLVED
WITH THE PRODUCT BUT MAY WELL BE INVOLVED
WITH THE PROCESS OF BUYING THE PRODUCT
E.G. A WATER HEATER.
MARKETING STRATEGY IMPLICATIONS
MARKETERS NEED TO DEVLOP MARKETING STRATEGIES THAT WILL CONNECT THEIR PRODUCTS AND SERVICES TO CONSUMERS’ GOALS AND VALUES AND INFLUENCE CONSUMERS’ PRODUCT INVOLVEMENT.

19. UNDERSTANDING THE KEY REASONS
TO PURCHASE
USE THE MEANS-END CHAIN TO IDENTIFY
THE KEY ATTRIBUTES AND CONSEQUENCES
UNDERLYING A CONSUMER’S
PRODUCT PURCHASE DECISION
EG. FAST FOOD INDUSTRY
MAJOR FACTORS ON DECIDING WHERE TO EAT ARE:
TIME OF DAY
TIME AVAILABLE
PRICE

20. UNDERSTANDING
THE CONSUMER/PRODUCT RELATIONSHIP
MARKETING MANAGEMENT’S TASK IS TO MANAGE THIS RELATIONSHIP
MARKETING STRATEGIES SHOULD BE DSIGNED TO CREATE AND MAINTAIN MEANINGFUL CONSUMER / PRODUCT RELATIONSHIPS AND TO MODIFY RELATIONSHIPS THAT ARE NOT OPTIMAL
ATTEMPT TO SEGMENT CONSUMERS IN TERMS OF THEIR PERSONAL INVOLVEMENT (A POSITIVE MEANS-END OR FAVOURABLE BELIEFS AND FEELING ABOUT THE BRAND)

21. FOUR DIFFERENT SEGMENTS
BASED ON DIFFERENT
PERSONAL SOURCES OF INVOLVEMENT
BRAND LOYALISTS - ONE FAVOURITE BRAND AND HIGH LEVELS OF INVOLVEMENT DURING DECISION MAKING.
ROUTINE BRAND BUYERS - LOW PERSONAL SOURCES OF INVOLVEMENT BUT DO HAVE A FAVOURITE BRAND BASED ON OTHER TYPES OF CONSEQUENCES (EASE OF PURCHASE)
INFORMATION SEEKERS - POSITIVE MEANS-END KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE CATEGORY.
LITTLE BRAND LOYALTY.
BRAND SWITCHERS - LOW PERSONAL INVOLVEMENT WITH EITHER A BRAND OR THE CATEGORY.
RESPOND TO ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS SUCH AS PRICE OR PROMOTION

22. INFLUENCING PERSONAL SOURCES
OF INVOLVEMENT
REQUIRES THAT…
MARKETERS UNDERSTAND THE MEANS-END KNOWLEDGE THAT MAKES UP A CONSUMERS’ PERSONAL SOURCES OF INVOLVEMENT,
THEY CAN DESIGN PRODUCT ATTRIBUTES THAT CONSUMERS WILL CONNECT TO IMPORTANT CONSEQUENCES AND VALUES. EG CHRYSLER’S MINI VAN.
INFLUENCING SITUATIONAL SOURCES
MARKETERS CAN USE NUMEROUS STRATEGIES
SEMI-ANNUAL CLEARANCE SALES
PREMIUMS
LINK PRODUCT TO A SOCIAL CAUSE