Learning, Memory, and

Product Positioning

Sanjeev Varshney
The Role of Learning
Learning Theories and Involvement
Learning through Conditioning
Conditioning refers to learning based on association of a
stimulus and response.
• Classical (low involvement): using an established
relationship between a stimulus and response (Pavlov
Dog)
• Operant (high involvement): molding or shaping
behavior by using a reinforcement (Skinner’s pigeon)
Classical Conditioning
Affective Influence in Trial
Operant Conditioning
The Process of Shaping
 Cognitive Learning
Cognitive learning encompasses all the mental
activities of humans as they work to solve problems
or cope with situations.
• Iconic Rote (low involvement): the association
between two or more concepts in the absence of
conditioning
• Vicarious/Modeling (low or high involvement):
Observing the outcomes of others’ behaviors and
adjusting their own accordingly
• Reasoning (high involvement): Individuals engage in
creative thinking to restructure and recombine
existing information as well as new information to
form new associations and concepts.
Summary: Learning Theories & Involvement
 Linking Learning to Memory...
• Characteristics of Learning
– Strength of Learning
– Extinction
– Stimulus Generalization and Stimulus Discrimination
– Response Environment
• What is “memory”?
• How is memory like a computer?
– Sensory Memory
– Short-Term
– Long-Term
Example of Stimulus Generalisation
 Strength of Learning
• Importance
• Message Involvement (sing along)
• Mood
• Reinforcement/Punishment
• Repetition
• Dual Coding
 Exercise
• Read these words- Time: 30 sec
– Sholay
– Zanjeer
– Agnipath
– Baghban
– Paa
– Viruddh
– Deewar
– Abhimaan
– Mard
– Cheene kam
• Now try to recall these words: Time: 30 sec
 The Psychology of Learning (Tony
Buzan)
• The human brain primarily remembers the following:
– Items from the beginning of the learning period (the primacy
effect)
– Items from the end of the learning period (the recency effect)
– Any items associated with things or patterns already stored, or
linked to other aspects of what is being learned
– Any items which are emphasized as being in some way
outstanding or unique
– Any items which appeal particularly strongly to any of the five
senses
– Those items which are of particular interest to the person
 Increasing Retrieval
• Avoid competing Advertising
• Strengthen Initial Learning
• Reduce Similarity to Competing Ads
• Provide External Retrieval Cues
• Spacing
Influencing choice without altering brand evaluations:
Impact of Brand Priming on Other Brands

Product Class

Major Subcategory Minor Subcategory

Major Brand Minor Major Minor

Sensory Short Term Long Term

Attention Elaborative
Rehearsal
Schematic Memory
 Associative Networks Exercise
• In your groups take a major brand in the product
category chosen for your project. Develop associative
networks for the same and discuss results in next class.
• Please remember your imagery should have the
following:
– Product characteristics
– Usage situations
– Episodes
– Affective reactions
Word cloud from Indian Movies
Word Cloud from People’s Perception
 Group Exercise
• Based upon 2 word clouds , how will you
change the image of police:

»Time : 10 min
Connecting Memory to Marketing
Strategy
• Brand Equity: the value consumers assign to a
brand above and beyond the functional
characteristics of the product
• Brand Leverage: often termed family
branding, brand extensions, or umbrella
branding, refers to marketers capitalizing on
brand equity by using an existing brand name
for new products.
 Brand Equity

Brand
Perceived value

Brand Brand
Awareness
Brand Equity Associations

Brand Loyalty
 Brand Extension

Name
Namewellwell
established
established

Boost
Boostsales
sales Brand
Brandknown
known
ofofthe
thecore
core Benefits for
forhigh
high
brand Benefitsofof quality
brand using
using quality
same
samebrand
brand
name
name

Synergy
Synergy Marketing
Marketing
among
among costs
costs
the
theproducts
products are
arelower
lower
 Brand Dilution

Evaluate
Evaluateconsumer
consumer
Evaluate
Evaluatethethefit
fitbetween
between perceptions
perceptionsof ofthe
the
the
theproduct
productclass
class attributes
attributesof ofthe
thecore
corebrand
brand
of
of the
thecore
corebrand
brand and
andseek
seekout
outextensions
extensions
and
andthetheextension.
extension. with
with similar
similarattributes.
attributes.

Refrain
Refrainfrom
from Is
Isthe
thebrand
brand
extending
extendingthethe brand
brand extension
extensiondistanced
distanced
name
name tototoo
toomany
many enough
enoughfrom
fromthe
the
products.
products. core
corebrand?
brand?
 Brand Repositioning

New design
New message
New faces
New audience
New image
New packaging
New uses
Identify a Brand that needs repositioning. How would you
reposition the brand
 Measures of Consumer Learning
• Recognition & Recall Measures
• Cognitive Measures
– Comprehension (pre-testing & post-testing)
• Attitudinal and behavioral measures of Brand Loyalty
How to Carry out life style analysis
• Profile the customer on Activities, Interests, Hobbies, media habits,
value system etc.
• Once done clean data (drop respondents with insufficient data)
• Code
• Either use answer tree or identify the factor dividing consumers
into two large groups
• Now look for second variable which can divide the consumers into
further groups
• Continue this exercise till you reach a stage where further division
will not add value and the group becomes small enough to be
distinctly recognized.
• Now define each group