Marketing Communications

Download free eBooks at bookboon.com

Marketing Communications
Consumer Behaviour And Marketing Communication

Reference group influence is much less on small, inexpensive products but very high on large expensive
purchases. To serve as a means of identification with a particular reference group, a product must be
conspicuous enough so that it can be seen and identified by others – the product must also be socially
visible. It must serve to differentiate him from the masses and identify him as a member of a particular
group. As a product becomes more common, it loses its social visibility and it may not enjoy a high level
of sales among the members of a particular group.

SIGNIFICANCE OF ROLES IN PROMOTION

ROLE DEFINED: A person’s role is a pattern or types of behabiour which seems situationaly appropriate
to him in terms of the demands and expectations of those in his group.

There are two types of roles:

•    ASCRIBED ROLES: those assigned mainly on the basis of biological and physiological

factors for example age and sex role.

•    ACHIEVED ROLES: these are roles assigned on the basis of social inheritance or expected

position in society – such as in upper or lower income class and professional, white collar

or blue collar worker.

Role in promotion is significant because an individual who belongs or aspires to belong to a particular
group uses the symbols of that group to achieve role identification.

Advertisers build images for brands and supply role playing significance – for example, the masculine,
happy ultimate successful image in some beer advertisement, the consumer buys this product to enhance
their role – playing abilities within certain groups.

Individuals play different buying roles in the family according to the product or service to be purchased.

These roles can be categorized as:

1. INFLUENCERS: they inform, persuade or establish certain requirements to be met in the
   buying decision.


2. DECIDERS: have the final authority for making the buying decision.


3. PURCHASER: this role is usually assumed by the wife who is often just carrying out the
   wishes of the decider as regards the product to buy.


4. USERS: actually use or consume the product. They may or may not have influenced
   the buying decision directly, but they usually affect future buying decision, relating to
   same product.


5. DISPOSERS: this person performs the role of disposing of a product or discontinues the
   use of a service. For example, a father throws away a partially eaten meat pie or a mother
   stops a magazine subscription. The performer of such a role is capable of influencing repeat
   purchase of the disposed product or service.