CB: Session 8 Consumer Learning

When Eureka Forbes lunched water purifiers in India, there was a need to educate the Indian consumer about the product which was relatively new. They follow the principle of learning, and introduce the concept of fresh and pure water. Through years of exposure and repeat advertising and reminder advertising, they have become a generic brand for water purifier.

Repeating advertising messages about brands and their benefits, rewarding people for purchase behaviour by selling products that provide superior benefit, getting consumers associated with the product are important elements of consumer learning. How consumers learn using variety of products is always a matter of great interest of marketers and academicians.

 Reckiit Benckinser did the same when they had a new concept of stain remover (not a detergent) "Vanish" to bring to Indian markets.

Consumer learning is a process by which individuals acquire the purchase and consumption knowledge and experience that they apply to future behaviour. It is a process; that is, it continually evolves and changes as a result of newly acquired knowledge or from actual experiences.

Elements of Consumer Learning

1. Motivation:

Consumers' learning is directly proportional to the level of motivation towards a product/brand. Each one to us differ in basic motivation and degree of relevance to a product. A consumer's involvement determines the consumer's level of motivation to search for knowledge or information about a product. Ladies who want to look younger by loosing weight may get motivated by dabur honey ad. Learning will happen faster if the need set matches with the product.

2. Cues

Motives stimulate learning, cues are the stimuli that give direction to these motives. An advertisement in the newspaper may serve as cue and consumers may realize a need for vacation. Cues serve to direct consumer drive when they are consistent with consumer expectations. Marketers must be careful to provide cues that do not upset those expectations. For example, in a store, less expensive cloths are displayed together and expensive cloths are displayed separately. Designer cloths are not available in normal store, rather they are available in exclusive stores.

3. Response

Individual reaction to the cues constitute their response. Response may not be overt every-time. A consumer thinking favourably about the product is also a response. A consumer having favourable image may consider buying the product at the later stage.

Expedia an online travel portal, repeatedly advertise to create a favourable image. Even if a consumer is not planning an immediate vacation he may consider it later or even recommend it to others over other competing portals. Which response the consumer makes depends upon previous learning and how related responses are reinforced.

 

4. Reinforcement

Reinforcement increases the likelihood that a response will occur in the future as a result of a cue. For example, Dove shampoo ad represents a new intense repair that is ten times stronger and fight against hair damage. The ad shows full range of hair care product that acts as reinforcement. 

Learning through positive reinforcement takes place if the product lived up to the expectations.

Reference: Consumer Behaviour by Schiffman, Kaunk and Kumar

Coming up: Theories of Consumer Learning