1. Attitudes

2. The Power of Attitudes
Attitude: a lasting, general evaluation of people, objects, advertisements, or issues
Attitude object (AO)
Help to determine a number of preferences and actions

3. Functional Theory of Attitudes
Katz: Attitudes exist because they serve some function
Determined by a person’s motives
Attitude functions:
Utilitarian
Value-expressive
Ego-defensive
Knowledge
Marketers emphasize the function a product serves for consumers

4. Smoking Attitudes
Norwegian ad: “Smokers are more sociable than others…while it lasts.”

5. Fan Attitude “Profiles”
Die-hard, highly committed fans
Marketing: provide sports knowledge and relate attendance to personal goals/values
Unique, self-expressive game experience
Marketing: “brand switchers” who seek thrills wherever they can get them
Looking for camaraderie
Marketing: provide benefits related to small-group activities

6. ABC Model of Attitudes Three interrelated attitude components:
Affect
Behavior
Cognition
Hierarchy of effects
Relative impact/importance of attitude components depends on consumer’s motivation toward attitude object

7. Hierarchy of Effects
Figure 7.1

8. Hierarchy of Effects Standard Learning Hierarchy
Results in strong brand loyalty
Assumes high consumer involvement
Low-Involvement Hierarchy
Consumer does not have strong brand preference
Consumers swayed by simple stimulus-response connections
Experiential Hierarchy
Consumers’ hedonic motivations and moods
Emotional contagion
Cognitive-affective model vs. independence hypothesis

9. Contextual Marketing
Providing customers with information about competitors at the exact time when they are searching for details/shopping for a particular product category
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10. Attitude Toward the Ad
We form attitudes toward objects other than the product that can influence our product selections
We often form product attitudes from its ads
Aad: attitude toward advertiser + evaluations of ad execution + ad evoked mood + ad arousal effects on consumer + viewing context

11. Ads Have Feelings Too Commercials evoke emotion Pleasure Arousal
Intimidation

12. Forming Attitudes Classical conditioning Instrumental conditioning
Cognitive learning/modeling

13. Attitude Commitment
Degree of commitment is related to level of involvement with attitude object
Compliance
Identification
Internalization

14. Consistency Principle
Principle of cognitive consistency
We value/seek harmony among thoughts, feelings, and behaviors
We will change components to make them consistent

15. Cognitive Dissonance & Harmony
Conflict of attitudes and behavior motivates us to reduce dissonance
We make them fit by eliminating, adding, or changing elements
Explains why evaluations of products increase after purchase
Horse race experiment
Marketers: post-purchase reinforcement

16. Discussion
Think of a behavior someone does that is inconsistent with his or her attitudes (e.g., attitudes toward cholesterol, drug use, or even buying things to make him or her stand out or attain status)
Ask the person to elaborate on why he or she does the behavior, then try to identify the way the person has resolved dissonant elements

17. Self-Perception Theory
We use observations of our own behavior to determine what our attitudes are
We must have a positive attitude toward a product if we freely purchase it, right?
Low-involvement hierarchy
Foot-in-the-door technique
Low-ball technique
Door-in-the-face technique

18. Social Judgment Theory
We assimilate new information about attitude objects in light of what we already know/feel
Initial attitude = frame of reference
Latitudes of acceptance and rejection
Assimilation and contrast effects
“Choosy mothers choose Jif peanut butter”

19. Balance Theory Triad attitude structures
Person
Perception of attitude object
Perception of other person/object
Perception can be positive or negative
Balanced/harmonious triad elements
Unit relation and sentiment relation

20. Figure 7.2: Balance Theory+
Larry
Alex
Earring O
Figure 7.2: Balance Theory

21. Balance Theory (Cont’d)
Marketing Applications
“Basking in reflected glory”
Unit relation with popular product = positive sentiment relation in other people’s triads
Celebrity endorsers of products

22. Discussion
Students often bask in reflected glory by taking credit for victories their teams earn over other colleges
Should students who just watch the games rather than play them take credit for their team’s performance?
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23. Multi-attribute Attitude Models
Three elements
Attributes of AO (e.g., college)
e.g., Scholarly reputation
Beliefs about AO
e.g., University of North Carolina is strong academically
Importance weights
e.g., Stressing research opportunities over athletics

24. Fishbein Model Most influential multi-attribute model
Three components of attitudes
Salient beliefs about AO
Object-attribute linkages
Evaluation of each important attribute
Aijk = ΣβijkIik
Overall Attitude Score = (consumer’s rating of each attribute for all brands) x (importance rating for that attribute)

25. Saundra’s College Decision
Beliefs (β)
Attribute
Import (I)
Smith
Princeton
Rutgers
Northland
Acad rep 6 8 9 3
All women 7
Cost 4 2
Proximity
Athletics 1 5
Party Scene
Library
Attitude Score
163
142
153
131
Figure 7.1 (Abridged)

26. Fishbein Model (Cont’d)
Marketing applications
Capitalize on relative advantage
Strengthen perceived product/attribute linkages
Add a new attribute
Influence competitors’ ratings

27. Extended Fishbein Model
Research: low correlation between reported attitude and actual behavior
We love commercials, yet still not buy!
Theory of reasoned action
Intentions vs. behavior
Conviction and past purchase behavior
Behavioral intentions
Social pressure
SN = NB + MC
Attitude toward act of buying

28. Obstacles to Predicting Behavior
Many researchers do not use Fishbein Model appropriately
A few of the many obstacles (full list on pages ):
Actual behavior vs. outcomes of behavior
Outcomes beyond consumer’s control
Voluntary vs. nonvoluntary acts across cultures
Relative impact of SNs vary across cultures

29. Trying to Consume Theory of trying
Criterion should be trying to reach goal
Intervening factors between intent and performance
Several new components to account for act of trying

30. Theory of Trying
Figure 7.3

31. Discussion
Construct a multi-attribute model for a set of local restaurants
Based on your findings, suggest how restaurant managers can improve an establishment’s image via the strategies described in this chapter

32. Tracking Attitudes over Time
Attitude-tracking program
More like a “movie” than a “snapshot” of attitudes
Ongoing tracking studies
Gallup Poll or Yankelovich Monitor
Changes to look for…
Changes in different age groups
Scenarios about the future
Identification of change agents
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