MKTG90008 Consumer Behaviour Major Project

An Investigation of Consumer Desire

Assignment Objectives
- To make students aware of a consumption phenomenon: consumer desire
- To investigate the phenomenon using theory from the course
- To conduct some research and incorporate it into the analysis
- To evaluate the marketing implications of desire
- Prepare a formal business report

Assignment Overview
What do the lines outside of Gucci, decadent pastry displays on Instagram, the latest iphone
and champagne have in common? They are all instances of brands or products that ignite
consumer desire. Brands have become more attuned to creating feelings of desire for their
products through careful marketing strategies that develop hype, entice cravings and create
feelings of urgency.

For instance, champagne is a product that has always been associated with consumer
desire. When rappers began to sing about champagne in their songs, it created a new-wave
of champagne marketing, creating lavish advertising that conjured up a desired lifestyle that
could be yours. The desire of champagne meant that it is not only consumed for pleasure,
and synonymous with celebration, but it is something to be shared online via Instagram
(Canniford and Rokka 2017).

Greater than wants, or needs which we discuss in this subject, desire is more difficult to
define. It is an ambiguous concept in consumer research. Desire is related to craving,
passion, a need for social relationships or for otherness. There are other elements too –
desire is linked to inaccessibility, danger, longing and seduction (Belk et al. 2003; Ward and
Dahl, 2014).

In other words, desire means a lot of things! Maybe consumer desire stems from the
meaning attached to the product (Belk 2003). Maybe desire relates to the satisfaction of
consuming the product (Kozinets et al. 2017). Or, maybe what or how we desire as
consumers is linked to our social groups (Wilk 1997). We want you to work on unpacking
consumer desire using theories from the subject.

The Task
Your first step is to come up with a working definition of desire. How do you as a team view
desire – what makes something desirable? You should engage with the readings we have
set and conduct some research to come up with a working definition.

Your second step is to think of a product or brand which you believe has successfully
created consumer desire. Please try to be specific – is it the brand or the product which
consumers desire? Why they are so successful? How is success of your example different
to other products of desire and why? These considerations should in part influence your
definition of desire.
The assignment has three parts. You should assign 1000 words to Part A and 1500 words
each to Parts B and C.

Part A – Desire Definition and Case Summary - 1000 words

You should begin Part A with your working definition of consumer desire. It is recommended
that you begin by reading the papers we have given below, then begin your own
independent search. Make sure that you provide a definition of consumer desire that ties
specifically to your own example of desire.

Next, present a case summary that outlines the example of desire you have selected, as well
as how consumer desire is being created and managed by the brand. Is it a product, a
marketing campaign or activities beyond the brands control (i.e. social media) that are
creating desire for consumers? This section is intended to be a specific summary of your
example and how desire is used. You should refer to this summary throughout your
assignment.

Because desire is subjective, we would like you to capture consumers experiences with the
product or brand by conducting some research. Some things you could do:
• Each person in your group could talk to 1 or 2 people about their experience or use
of the product or brand you are using for your case.
• Visit the retail store, and write a field note of your experience
• Explore the brands social media (or follow tags) and write a field note of your
experience.
You should use these insights to explain how desire is being used by your chosen case
example and how it is being marketed, experienced or consumed by consumers.

Part B – Investigating the Process of Desire – 1500 words

In Part B, you are required to unpack how desire is utilised using theories from the course. It
is recommended that you choose topics that relate to your case example. You will need to
clearly demonstrate how the brand or product is utilising principals of consumer behaviour
to create feelings of desire.

You are expected to only use certain principals from the topic. For instance, if you select
learning and memory, select one or two concepts (i.e. classical conditioning) and
demonstrate how desire is being marketed using that theory. It is also important to clearly
outline how consumers would interpret the way that desire is being marketed using these
theories.

It is recommended that you choose 2-4 topics that help to unpack desire for your specific
case. A good assignment will engage deeply with fewer topics that are strongly related to
the case selected.

In the example of how champagne brand Moet and Chandon creates desire, a number of
consumer behaviour processes could be discussed:
Self-Concept: linking champagne to a desired self
Learning and Memory: pairing champagne with celebrities to create a desirable image
Social and Group Influence: the role of champagne at celebrations
Culture: creating an attractive and luxurious lifestyle in advertising

Again, alongside the lecture material and textbook, a great assignment would incorporate
some academic research in this section. Please note that you need to find the original
source for all material and cannot quote directly from lectures as it is a secondary source.

Part C - Marketing implications and evaluation – 1500 words

In Part C, you are required to evaluate the marketing strategy used by your case example.
You should unpack this section using things like marketing segments or the 4 P’s (Product,
Place, Price and Promotion). Consider how your example has been successful at marketing
consumer desire through their strategy. You might want to offer suggestions to improve the
marketing efforts of the brand or think about whether the strategy is good in the long term
and offer some additional suggestions.

A good assignment will link the implications derived in part C to parts A and B. For instance,
if you discussed how classical conditioning is used to sell desire, you could discuss whether
or not it is an effective strategy based on what you know about the brand, the theory and
consumers. A great assignment may also consider the limitations or ethics of the strategy.

Assignment Due Date

The assignment is due Wednesday May 22 (week 11) @ 5pm to
LMS
Please follow a business-report style format. This should include a one-page executive
summary which outlines the key takeaways of your assignment. A manager should be able
to read your report and know exactly what is inside and the main implications of your
findings.

Please note that assignments are not to go over 4000 words. This word limit does include
tables. The word limit does not include the executive summary, references, footnotes or
appendices. Please do not overuse footnotes or appendices, you should aim for your
assignment to be within your word limit. Consult your lecturer if you are worried about
overusing appendices.

References (all available within the consumer desire folder through readings online)

Belk, RW, Ger, G, & Askegaard, S. (2003). The Fire of Desire: A Multisited Inquiry into
Consumer Passion, Journal of consumer research, Vol.30(Dec), 326-351
Rokka, J, & Canniford, R. (2016). Heterotopian selfies: how social media destabilizes
brand assemblages.European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 50 (9/10), 1789-1813
Kozinets, R., Patterson, A., & Ashman, R. (2016). Networks of Desire: How
Technology Increases Our Passion to Consume. Journal of Consumer Research, Vol.43, 659-
682
Ward, M.K. and Dahl, D.W. (2014), Should the Devil Sell Prada? Retail Rejection
Increases Aspiring Consumers' Desire for the Brand, Journal of Consumer Research, Vol.41
(3), 590-609
Wilk, R.R. (1997), A Critique of Desire: Distaste and Dislike in Consumer Behaviour,
Consumption, Markets and Culture, Vol.1(2), 175-196
Online sources
https://www.fastcompany.com/3040348/meet-the-brand-that-got-millennials-
hooked-on-sparkling-wine
https://marketingland.com/transaction-companion-engaging-level-consumer-
journey-231803