Question 1

Choose a print ad that attempts to:

(a) provide the consumer with a decision strategy to follow in

making a purchase decision

(b) reduce the perceived risks associated with a purchase.

Explain clearly how the ad tries to achieve (a) and (b).

(a)The printed advertisement has offered consumers some decision-

making strategy through the consumer buying decision model. The

advertisement manages to intercept the mind of consumer in every

step of the CDP model, which will lead to purchasing of the Good Year

product advertised.

For the first step of the model, Good Year send out a massage to the

SUV car users that the tyre they manufactured for the particular type

of vehicle is able to minimize noise and perform quietly even if the

thread wore over time. Therefore when the magazine readers read

about it, they will have an idea that the tyres they are using now are

not performing as well as what the advertisement had mentioned.

Thus, create a desire to know more about Good Year’s product.

Next, is the search for information stage where the advertisement

has offered details and particulars of the tyre, which will give a clearer

view of the product to all the readers, for example, the technology, the

performance and the company’s details.

Then, for the evaluation of alternative stage, Good Year tries to

lead the readers mind in selecting their product by presenting the

readers their technology and performance of the product. Hence,

consumers will pick Good Year as the ideal tyres for their SUV vehicle.

After that, it reaches the purchase stage where consumers had finally

decided to purchase the product. For this stage, Good Year had stated

in the advertisement that their product can be bought from their

dealers and also Du Pont and Kevlar authorised retailers (Blackwell,

Miniard and Engel 2001, 70-82).

(b)

To lead the consumers in preventing risk after making a purchase, the

advertisement ought to consist of sufficient information. In addition, an

effective advertisement would be one that do not require consumer

further search on the advertised product’s information. Even though

Good Year’s advertisement did not show any warranty or repair

services after sales, but it assure its consumers by providing high

standard quality tyres and that is why it makes Good Year one of the

top sellers among other tyres brand. It is clearly shown in the

advertisement that Good Year reduce after purchase’s risk by fulfilling

every doubts or enquiries consumers might have towards its new

product. With the information given, it shall be able to reduce the

perceived risk that consumers might face after the purchase.

In your view, is this an effective ad? Provide justifications.

Advertisement posted on magazines is much easier to capture the

consumers’ attention rather than choosing the newspapers. The

advertisement is generally filled with Good Year’s mascot color with a

matching background color of deep blue that outshine the brand and

the status that Good Year would like its consumers to perceive its

product as. This would definitely be an advantage in retaining the

consumers’ memory towards the product effectively than the black-

and-white newspaper’s advertisement. Moreover, Good Year has

covered 2 pages for this advertisement in the magazine. At this point,

the size is bigger comparing to other advertisement, and eventually

consumers would put more focus in reading the whole advertisement

instead of just flipping through it. Another merit goes for this

advertisement is due to the reason that the advertisement is more

straightforward and easily understood by readers. It shows the current

new product and describes its features in simple phrases that arouse

consumers’ needs, and in addition the message to be sent in the

advertisement can be easily retrieved and encoded by the consumers

as well once consumers approach the advertisement at first.

Goodyear ad successfully creates a role in shaping the consumers’

opinions specifically based on its advertising claims (Blackwell,

Miniard and Engel 2001, 469). Its product indicates the concerns and

involvement that is relevant to consumers’ needs in their lifestyle.

Relevancy is one of the significant elements in convincing the purchase

decision making by the consumers especially for a new product. Good

Year experts in producing advance vehicles’ tyre that provides better

safety or comfort to its target whom are mostly the automotives

lovers. It develops a latest design for its tyre and the advertisement’s

main claim has also indicated the newly-designed product’s

characteristics and benefits with pictures shown clearly regarding the

blueprint and its features that the consumers ought to know which

consequently would lead the consumers to form favourable opinions

towards this product.

This advertisement has also effectively captured the targeted

user and its market. In the advertisement, it has stated the fitting user

for its newly launched tyre design which is aiming on the SUV users.

SUV users are those who own the mini four wheel drive vehicles such

as Rav4. Providing another scenario for the non SUV user, even if this

advertisement does not seem to be appeal to their consideration in

purchase decision, but this advertisement may still attractive for

them and at least might make them screening through it. As what have

mentioned earlier, Good Year’s brand and mascot was placed in the

advertisement obvious enough to catch the eye of the readers of the

magazine, since with its eye-catching mascot color, it will create

brand awareness to those non SUV user and might eventually create

an interest for those consumers.

Question 2

Family consumption decisions involved at least 5 definable

roles.

Using the 5 definable roles, list the role children may play in

family purchases when making purchase decisions.

Children nowadays are more likely to be involved in family purchase

decision, and might portrait different roles in family purchases when

making the decisions. Basically, there are five different roles in family

purchases, consists of initiator, influencer, decider, buyer and user.

Nonetheless, children could only possibly be playing the role as

influencer and user throughout the family purchase decision process.

Nowadays, children act as the character of influencer. The way

children influence their parents on the purchase decision is by

convincing them to fulfill their intentions which consequently lead to

the purchase of a particular product. Children tend to influence on their

parents on purchasing a certain product every now and then during

their family shopping trip. Kids might even complain or keep begging

their parents convince them to buy the desirable product or visiting a

specific restaurant that they like (Marwick, 2006). For example, KFC

creates a new slogan that centralizes its target on seeking family

needs, especially from the parents and children’s perspectives. They

implement promotion that contains Disney characters such as Timon

and Pumbaa to capture the children’s attention. This kind of

promotional tactic will definitely draw children’s attention and directly

influence their parents in purchasing such meals when they go to KFC

for dinner (Blackwell, Miniard and Engel 2001, 365-367). Furthermore,

children’s influence on family purchase may initiated by their parents.

For example, low-educated parents may not know the way to access

the internet. At this point, they may need their children, who are

perceived as more modern and knowledgeable in the IT stuff, indirectly

influence the family purchases. Most of the children and pre-teenagers

from nine to seventeen years old assist their parents in surfing the

internet in order to obtain more information about a particular product

and service. (Shoham and Vassilis 2006, 344).

Besides influencer, children are potential to act as user in family

purchases. Although parents will always be the buyer and decider,

children are still the main user of the products such as toys and kids

meals in fast food restaurant. According to the research, parents are

most probably to purchase toys during festive season, especially on

summer break and Christmas. They are buying toys to fulfill their

children’s desire. 58% of the children desire to have a new toy on

summer whereas 87% of children desire one on Christmas (Frideres

n.d., 34-36). This indicated that children are the main user towards

toys product. Apart from that, another significant product which

children desire would be the kids’ meal set in fast food restaurant.

Children are always the user of those kids’ meal set. Although parents

are the one who brought them to the restaurant, children would still

end up being the user for the kids’ meal food purchased by their

parents (Blackwell, Miniard and Engel 2001, 365-367).

Is it important to understand how or whether children have

any influence in family purchases or consumption choices?

Provide reasons for your answers.

Since children nowadays act as the influencer in family, therefore it is

very important for the marketers to understand how the children

influence in family purchases or consumption choice. There are three

reasons why it is important to understand this concept. First, children

are the influencers of the family and it will increase the amount of

sales. Second, children are the most valuable asset for the parents and

the parents are willing to spend a lot of money on their children and

thus indirectly assist the marketers to detect the potential market.

Third, children also will affect the brand loyalty and market share

leadership of the future market.

Based on the research, there are around 73 million, which is a large

population is under 18 years old in United States. This group of

population had $250 billions of direct purchasing power. However, this

population have higher influence power on their family composition

choices which accumulate the spending amount more than $1 trillion

in Unites States (Roth 2008). For example, the family can have dinner

in KFC and McDonald just because the children want to do so. Parents

may be spend more money on some products such as toys, pets, food

and beverage, children’s wear and hand phone to fulfil children’s

wants. Therefore, the sales of this kind of products will increase if the

marketers recognize the children’s influence power in family purchases

by apply some effective marketing strategy such as advertise from the

children’s perspectives.

On the other hand, parents are willing to invest more money on

children because children are the most valuable assets for the parents.

Parents may buy health insurance, education insurance for their

children to ensure the children’s well-balanced growth and pursue high

education. In addition, parents buy high technology product and

service such as computer and internet for their children as well. It is

because they want their children expose to the latest knowledge and

technology. Besides, the increase of awareness among the parents in

United States regarding the importance of their children has made

them willing to spend more money on children but not country’s

military sector again (Eckels, 2006). Marketers can detect the potential

market such as education sector and insurance sector effectively

through understanding the children’s indirect influence in family

purchases.

At the same time, when children influence the family consumption

choice, the families will affect children’s perception and evaluation of

product and brand choice. Of course, the children will gradually grow

up and become the future market and their brand loyalty usually will

depend on their parents’ evaluation (Blackwell, Miniard and Engel

2001, 386). For the example, a boy would like to have a pair of sport

shoes and wanted the parents to buy him a new pair. Then, his

parents would fulfil his desire and buy a new pair of Nike sport shoes

for him eventually in the Nike retail store. This purchase decision will

affect his purchase decision later in his life as well. This is the side

effect of the children’s influence on family purchases decision. By

understanding the side effect of the children’s influence on family

consumption choice, marketers can identify child’s brand choice and

future market brand choice. This will help the marketers of the

branded product to predict and achieve the market share leadership in

future market and gaining competitive advantage over the competitors

as well.

Do marketers target the children or the parents in influencing

purchases? Provide at least one advertisement each for THREE

different product categories (e.g. toys, breakfast cereals,

clothes) of your choice to support your answers.

The family purchase decision making process can be multifaceted, but

answering the following questions helps identify different purchaser-

consumer relationship:

1. Who’s buying for whom?

2. Who are the principle characters?

3. What’s the plot for the purchase?

4. Who wants what when?

5. What can we assume?

Even though, these answers may not classify all essential relationships

marketers should be consider, they do identify a family plan, which

creates a relationship between individuals and products based on the

role each individual has in the influence or purchase of products. Thus,

marketers target the children and the parents in influencing purchases.

Nowadays, Children constitute an important target market segment

and merit attention from a marketing perspective. The role that

children play in making decisions concerning the entire family unit has

captured the attention of marketers worldwide. The amount of

influence exerted by children varies by product category and stage of

the decision making process. But, not only do children influence

choices, they are actually making purchases, with family money and

with their own. For some products, they are active initiators,

information seekers, and buyers such as toys; whereas for other

product categories, they influence purchases made by the parents

such as clothes and breakfast cereals (Blackwell, Miniard and Engel

2001, 366).

To support the above arguments, the following advertisements for

toys, breakfast cereals and clothes is provided. Toy’s function triggers

children attention and attract them to buy it. For example, function of

the toys shown by below such as dialogs. It can improve children’s

learning skill in conversation.

Besides, clothing advertisement and breakfast cereals advertisement

attract parents’ attention because parents understand what their

children needs. Majority of the parents nowadays pay more attention

on their children’s appearance. In this modern era, children decide

what they want in clothing and parents making the purchase decision

for them. As shown in the advertisement, the clothes main attraction is

on the color as it is very colorful because children fancy colorful things.

Although comprise of the eye-catching color, the clothing still maintain

simple and smart look. It will lead the parents to take into

consideration whether to purchase it or not.

Lastly, parents do also concern about children’s health in order to

prevent them to get obesity. As for today, breakfast cereals contain

high sugar which can cause obesity since children prefer to eat sweet

stuff. Hence, parents get more involve in this product.

References:

Blackwell, R.D., Paul, W.D., and James, F.E. 2001. Consumer Behavior.

R.R. Donnelley: South-Western, Thomson Learning.

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America.

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news/2006/09/20/Opinion/More-

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(accessed May 2, 2008)

Frideres J.S. n.d. Advertising, Buying Patterns and Children. Journal of

Advertising Research 13 (1):34-36.

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Marwick R. 2006. Target market: Children as consumers.

http://www.aboutkidshealth.ca/News/Target-market-Children-as-

consumers.aspx?articleID=8143&categoryID=news-type

(accessed May 2, 2008)

Roth, V. 2008. Small in stature, big in importance. 2008 Quirk’s

Marketing Research Review

www.marke tt ool s .com/re s ource s /file s /Reprin t _Quirk s .pdf

(accessed May 1, 2008)

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