Basic Marketing: A Global Managerial Approach

Perreault−McCarthy: Basic
Marketing: A
Global−Managerial
Approach, 14/e

6. Behavior Dimensions of
   the Consumer Market

Text © The McGraw−Hill

Companies, 2002

Behavioral Dimensions of the Consumer Market 163

will buy are particularly interested in the intention to buy. Forecasts would be easier

if attitudes were good predictors of intentions to buy. Unfortunately, the relation-

ships usually are not that simple. A person may have positive attitudes toward

Jacuzzi whirlpool bathtubs but no intention of buying one.

Research on consumer attitudes and beliefs can sometimes help a marketing man-

ager get a better picture of markets. For example, consumers with very positive

attitudes toward a new product idea might provide a good opportunity—especially if

they have negative attitudes about competitors’ offerings. Or they may have beliefs

that would discourage them from buying a product.

Marketing managers for Purina Dog Chow faced this challenge. Research showed

that one segment of consumers thought that Purina was a great dog food, but they

didn’t buy it all of the time. They believed that their dogs would get bored with it.

After all, people don’t like eating the same thing all of the time. But dogs are not

people. Vets have found dogs benefit from a good, consistent diet. So, Purina devel-

oped an ad campaign to convince these dog owners that what they believed was

not true. Each ad gives a dog’s-eye-view reaction to being fed a different dog food.

In one ad, after taking a few bites, the dog looks into the camera with a pained

expression and walks away. He returns with a packet of antacid, which he drops in

his water bowl. Advertising research and sales results both showed that the soft-sell

ad hit the bull’s-eye in convincing occasional customers that switching foods was

not good. Many bought Purina more regularly, and Dog Chow sales increased by

$36 million. Consumer beliefs—right or wrong—can have a significant impact on

whether a strategy succeeds.^5

Purina’s efforts were successful in changing beliefs. But marketers generally try to

understand the attitudes of their potential customers and work with them. We’ll dis-

cuss this idea again when we review the way consumers evaluate product

alternatives. For now, we want to emphasize that it’s more economical to work with

consumer attitudes than to try to change them. Attitudes tend to be enduring.

Changing present attitudes—especially negative ones—is sometimes necessary. But

that’s probably the most difficult job marketers face.^6

Companies that sell soy-based

products are developing new

marketing mixes to help

overcome negative attitudes that

some consumers have about the

taste of soy. For example, White

Wave Silk is now packaged like

milk and promotion focuses on

the health benefits. In the same

vein, CardioLink’s name and

trade ads help position its soy

powder as healthy for the heart.

Try to understand

attitudes and beliefs

Most marketers work

with existing attitudes