Chapter 5

Consumer Learning
 Consumer Learning
A process by which individuals acquire the purchase
and consumption knowledge and experience that they
apply to future related behaviour.
Types
1. Intentional
learning acquired as a result of a careful search for information
2. Incidental
learning acquired by accident or without much effort

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 Elements of Learning
Theories
• Motivation
• Teach motivated consumer how their products will fulfill their needs
(advertisements)

• Cues
• These are stimuli that direct the motivation

• Response
• Teach consumer how they respond to a cue

• Reinforcement
• A positive or negative outcome that influences the likelihood that a specific
behaviour will be repeated in the future in response to a particular cue or
stimulus.

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 Learning Theories
Behavioural Theories: Cognitive Theories:
Theories based on the premise A theory of learning based
that learning takes place as the on mental information
result of observable responses to
processing, often in response
external stimuli.
• Classical Conditioning
to problem solving.
• Instrumental Conditioning
• Modeling or Observational
Learning

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 Classical Conditioning
•Pairing a stimulus with another stimulus that causes a
known response to produce the same response when used
alone.
•Classical conditioning is the learning of associations
among events that allows us to anticipate and represent
our environment.
•From this viewpoint, classical conditioning is not reflexive
action, but rather the acquisition of new knowledge

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 Neo-Pavlovian
Conditioning
• Forward Conditioning (Conditioned Stimulus Leads
Unconditioned Stimulus)
• Repeated Pairings of Conditioned Stimulus
and Unconditioned Stimulus
• A CS and US that Logically Belong to Each
Other
• A CS that is Novel and Unfamiliar
• A US that is Biologically or Symbolically
Prominent

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 Strategic Applications of
Classical Conditioning
• Repetition
• Repetition increases strength of associations and slows
forgetting
• but over time may result in advertising wear out.
• Three Hit Theory
• Repetition is the basis for the idea that three exposures to an ad
are necessary for the ad to be effective
• 11 or 12 repetitions are needed

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 Stimulus Generalization
• Learning not only depends on reptation but
also on individuals’ ability to generalize
• Marketing applications
• Product Line extension
• Addition of related items to an established brand
• Form and Category Extensions
• Offering same product in a different form but under
same brand name
• Family Branding
• Marketing different products under the same brand
name
• Licensing
• Contractually allowing another brand to manufacture
Stimulus Discrimination
• The ability to select a specific stimulus from
among similar stimuli because of perceived
differences.
• Positioning
• Differentiation

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 Instrumental (Operant)
Conditioning
• Learning based on a trial-and-error process, with habits
forced as the result of positive experiences (reinforcement)
• Consumers learn by means of trial and error process in
which some purchase behaviours result in more favorable
outcomes (rewards) than other purchase behaviours.
• A favorable experience is instrumental in teaching the
individual to repeat a specific behaviour.

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 Reinforcement
 Negative
• Positive Reinforcement:
Positive outcomes that Reinforcement:
strengthen the Unpleasant or negative
likelihood of a specific outcomes that serve to
response encourage a specific
• Example: Ad showing behaviour
beautiful hair as a  Example: Ad showing
reinforcement to buy wrinkled skin as
shampoo reinforcement to buy
skin cream
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 Other Concepts in
Reinforcement
• Extinction and Forgetting
• Extinction occurred when a learned response is no longer reinforced and the link
between stimulus and the expected reward breaks down
• Customer Satisfaction and Retention
• High quality
• Best value for money
• Consumer expectations
• Reinforcement Schedules
• Continuous reinforcement
• Fixed ratio reinforcement
• Variable ratio reinforcement
• Shaping
• Reinforcement performed before the desired consumer behavior actually takes
place. It increases the probability that certain behavior will occur
• Massed Versus Distributed Learning
• All at once learning
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• Spread out over a time period
Observational Learning
• Individuals learn by observing the behaviour
of others, and consequences of such
behaviour.
• Also known as modeling or vicarious
learning.

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 Information Processing
• Storing Information
• Sensory Store
• The sensory store is the mental space in the human mind where sensory
input lasts for just a second or two. If it is not processed immediately, it
will lost.
• Short Term Store
• It is a space where information is held for brief period
• Long Term Store
• Brain space where information is stored for an extened period of time
• Information Rehearsal and Encoding
• The amount of information avaialble for delivery from short term to long
term storage depends upon the amount of reharsal it receives.
• Information Retention and Retrival
• Information does not remain in long term storage waiting to be retrived. It
is constantly orgnized and reorgnized 6-17
Cognitive Learning
• The systemiatic evaluation of information and
alternatives needed to solve a recognize but
unfilled need or unsolved problem.
• Learning involves mental processing of information.
• Motivation and mental processes in prodcucing a
desired information.
 Consumer Involvement
• Central and Peripheral Routes to Persuasion
• High involvement
• Highly involved consumers are best reached through ads
that focus on the specific attributes of the product (the
central route)
• Low Involvement
• Low involved consumers can be attracted through
peripheral advertising cues such as the model or the
setting (the peripheral route).
• Measurement of Consumer Involvement
• Through research
• Strategic Application of Consumer Involvement
Elaboration Likelihood Model
(ELM)
• a person’s level of involvement during
message processing determines which route
to persuasion is likely to be effective
 Cognitive Learning and
Marketing Strategy
• Use learning to teach consumers about the brand
• Use reasoning or problem solving for complex or high-
involvement products
• Use modelling or observational learning to extinguish
negative behaviour
• Use knowledge of information processing to help
consumers store, retain and retrieve messages.
 Outcomes and Measures of
Consumer Learning
• Recognition and Recall Measures
• Aided and Unaided Recall
• Brand Loyalty
• Covetous brand loyalty
• Not consistently purchasing a brand, in spite of strong attachment to it
• Inertia brand loyalty
• Purchasing a brand because of convenience and habit
• Premium brand loyalty
• Repeat purchase and higher attachment

• Brand Equity
• Intrinsic value of a brand name