4
Todays ProductKnowledge
andInvolvement
Chapter Objectives
Define consumer knowledge
Examine different levels and
types of product-related
knowledge
Understand means-end chains
Understand involvement
Explore factors that influence
involvement and its effects
What is a product?
A product can be a tangible item, a
service, a combination of the two, a
person, a country, or an idea
A product is a bundle of attributes,
benefits, and values
Understanding Consumer Knowledge
Consumer knowledge is the subset of
the total amount of information
stored in memory that is relevant to
product purchase and consumption
Itinfluencesourdecisionmakingprocesses
Itmaydeterminethefinaldecisionitself
Levels of Consumer
Knowledge
More
abstract
Productclassknowledge
Productformknowledge
Brandknowledge
Model/featureknowledge
Less
abstract
Types of Consumer Knowledge
Bene
fits
Attributes
Values
Types of Consumer Knowledge
Three types of product knowledge
Types of Consumer Knowledge
Attributes are characteristics of a
product
Concrete vs. abstract attributes
Types of Product Knowledge
Benefits are the desirable
consequences consumers seek
when buying and using products
and brands
Functional vs. psychosocial
consequences
Benefits vs. perceived risks
Perceived risks may include:
Physical risks
Financial risks
Functional risks
Psychosocial risks
Types of Product Knowledge
Values are consumers broad life
goals
Instrumental
Terminal values
Core
Form key elements in a self-schema
Not typically accessed by marketers
Learned through socialization agents (i.e.,
parents, friends, and teachers)
More about Values
Values:
are subjective
are person-centered
may be personal or societal
are formed from personal experiences
tend to be enduring and stable
may be held by persons in a group or
subculture
are critically important
organize meaning representations
Means-End Chains
A means-end chain links consumers
knowledge about product attributes
with their knowledge about
consequences and values
Attributes
Functional
Consequences
Psychosocial
Consequences
Values
Identifying Consumers Means-End
Chains
Measured by one-on-one personal
interviews (i.e., qualitative methods)
Involves two steps:
Researcher must identify/ elicit the product
attributes most important to each consumer
Laddering interview designed process to
reveal how the consumer links product
attributes to more abstract consequences
and values
Examples of MeansEnd
Chains
More about Means-End Chains
Means-end chains:
help identify the consumer-product
relationship
provide a deeper understanding of
product knowledge
can vary considerably between
consumers
may be incomplete and not always lead
to a value
can have fuzzy distinctions
Understanding Product Involvement
Involvement is a consumers
perception of importance or
personal relevance for an object,
event, or activity
is a matter of degree
is higher when the outcome of the
decision affects the consumer
directly
is higher when theres some
perceived risk in purchasing or using
TwoFactorsinfluencingInvolvement
Instrinsic self-relevance is a
consumers personal level of selfrelevance for a product, based on
the consumers means-end
knowledge stored in memory
Situational self-relevance entails the
temporary feelings of self-relevance
due to specific external physical and
social stimuli in the environment
Factors Affecting Product Involvement
Personcharacteristics
Involvement
Situationcharacteristics
Productcharacteristics
Conceptualizing Involvement
Effects of Product Involvement
Highly involved consumers:
are knowledgeable
consume more
are less price sensitive
seek out extensive information
act as lead users
Effects of Low Product
Involvement
Low involved consumers:
are less knowledgeable
are very price sensitive cheaper
can be persuaded by peripheral
cues
act as laggards wait and see
group
Strategies to Increase Involvement
Appeal to needs and wants
1.
Use novel stimuli
2.
e.g. unusual cinematography, sudden
silences, etc.
Use prominent stimuli
3.
4.
e.g. using sensory appeals to generate
attention
e.g. larger ads, more color
Include celebrity endorsers or testimonials
Using Celebrity Testimonials
Advertisers use the recognition-factor to draw on the halo
effect. In theory, source credibility transfers from the celebrity
to the advertised product, brand, and manufacturer. Any
concerns with using celebrities?
Any negative publicity that the celebrity might get will also
transfer back to the product, thereby reducing brand equity!
Non-celebrity testimonial can be very
effective
Should come from a person with a
similar demographic profile as the
target market.