Student Name_________________________________

                                                                      Section (circle one):  Sec. A 10 a.m.

    Sec B 11:30 a.m.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

STONEHILL COLLEGE

Spring 2007

 

BA342 Consumer Behavior

Final Exam


 

 Dr. Geoffrey P. Lantos

 

Part 1  20 points ______

Part 2  41 points ______

Part 3  108 points ______

 

Total Points Deducted ______

 Total Points Earned  176 points ______

Your Grade ______

PART I: CONCEPTS  (20 points - 4 points each)

 

Please briefly define in your own words, and in one or two sentences, five of the following six concepts as each relates to consumer behavior.  You may use examples to help clarify your answers where examples are not specifically asked for.

 

1. Experiential paradigm –

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Internal search -

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Advertising icons (Define and cite an example) -

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. Upward pull strategy -

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. Projection -

 

 

 

 

 

 

6. Objective self -

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PART II: DESCRIPTIVE SHORT ANSWER (41 points) 

 

Please briefly answer the required number of questions for each Section as they relate to consumer behavior in either a short paragraph or else in outline form—complete sentences need not be used.  You may use graphs, figures, charts, equations, etc., where appropriate.  Be sure you answer all parts of all questions that you choose to answer.

 

Section A (24 points): Answer six of the following seven 4-point questions

 

1. (4 points) What is the purpose and importance of brand positioning in today’s marketplace?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. (4 points) For a given product, can a particular brand marketer practice undifferentiated marketing simultaneously with market segmentation or are they mutually exclusive (inconsistent) strategies?  Explain.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. (4 points) “Dissonance is just a fancy-dancy psychological word for dissatisfaction.”  Comment on the accuracy of this statement. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. (4 points) Be honest now: Cite an example of a cultural (not social group) norm that you broke and how you broke it. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. (4 points) Cite the four major bases for subcultural target marketing according to your textbook.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6. (4 points) What was the role of your family in your consumer socialization?  Why is this important for a marketer to know? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7. (4 points) Cite in chronological order the four stages in the selective perception (consumer information processing) model. (You need not explain them)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Section B (24 points): Answer three of the following four 8-point questions

 

8. (8 points) In general, which is the better proxy/surrogate variable for social class: income or occupation?  Explain a major advantage of using your selected variable and four problems/disadvantages of using the other variable that is not as good to use as a surrogate for social class.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9. (8 points) Cite four reasons why marketers should consider the family as the most important of all social groups

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10. (8 points)

a. (4 points) Name and describe the two general dimensions upon which the VALS 2 system is based.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

b. (4 points) What is your primary VALS 2 type?  Briefly describe your psychographic profile according to your VALS type.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11. (8 points) Cite three general situations in which a marketer would like to make alterations in one or more of her marketing stimuli to be below the consumer’s just noticeable difference.  Identify a major ethical issue here. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

12. EXTRA CREDIT (5 points)

Cite (by name) and briefly describe the five purposes of the purpose-driven life according to Rick Warren.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PART III: APPLIED SHORT ANSWERS (94 points)

 

Please briefly answer the required number of questions for each Section as they relate to Consumer Behavior in either a short paragraph or else in outline form—complete sentences need not be used.  Be sure to answer all parts of all questions that you choose to answer.

 

Section A (42 points): Answer seven the following nine 6-point questions

 

Section A1: Scenarios

 

1. (6 points) Which marketing management philosophy is illustrated in each of the following scenarios?  Briefly explain.

 

a. The President of the Above Board Conglomerate has sent down this directive to the marketing Department: “Never do anything to harm the environment or jeopardize the employees in making your products.  Make sure our products are always good for consumer health and well being, and try to ‘give back’ to the community in which you do business while also remaining profitable.” 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

b. Nirvana Corp. is laying off one-fourth of their labor force in order to reduce overhead costs and thereby lower the product’s price for buyers during a cash-strapped recession.  They will also work to get full-line distribution in discount outlets so that 80% of the target market lives within five miles of a store carrying their brands.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. (6 points) Which of the various traditional consumer behavior motivational theories (Pavlov, Marshall, etc.) is illustrated by each of the following scenarios?  Briefly explain how each scenario suggests that theory.

 

a. Sue Mee thinks the best way to succeed in life is to buy the best of everything.  She drives a BMW, wears a Rolex, and has a Gucci handbag.  She wouldn't be caught shopping in anything less than Saks 5th Avenue.  If there were a way to display her high-end fashion labels on the outside of her clothes, she would.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

b. Pat O'Cake bought some subliminal tapes to help her quit smoking.  Every night she lays the tape machine under her pillow and subconsciously hears the voice hidden under the ocean waves tell her things like, "You shouldn't smoke cigarettes.  Cigarettes are bad for you.  Cigarettes make you stink.  Cigarettes are going to kill you someday."  Over, and over, and over again she plays the tape.  And, while she still smokes, she's smoking less now and enjoying it less too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. (6 points) Which target marketing strategy (undifferentiated marketing, etc.) is being used in each of the following scenarios?  Briefly explain.

 

a. The cosmetics giant L’Oreal offers several different product lines at a variety of prices.  It targets the luxury market with such brands as Lancôme and Helena Rubenstein, whereas less expensive offerings such as Elseve and L’Oreal are targeted to large department stores and discounters. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

b. The cosmetics company Hard Candy sells its funky line of pastel nail polish and other extreme cosmetics only to twentysomething women (or those who wish they still were that young).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Section A: Ad Analysis (Ads are on the last three pages.  You may rip them out if you wish.)

 

4. (6 points) Which Hippocratic personality type do you think Citre Shine Fresh Lotion is?  Briefly describe the personality traits of this personality type and a typical occupation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. (6 points) Create a sociocultural dimensions brand image for Citre Shine Fresh Lotion using three key dimensions of sociocultural brand image.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6. (6 points) Cite and very briefly explain three concepts from Freudian personality theory that are being appealed to (explicitly or implied) in the ads for Citre Shine Fresh Lotion and/or Boca meatless products. (Note: be sure to use the technically correct Freudian terminology for each concept.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7. (6 points) Clearly explain which motivational conflict situation is being appealed to in the ad for Boca meatless products.  How is the marketer attempting to resolve the conflict?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8. (6 points) Cite three ways how the ad for Quaker Chewy Granola Bars is attempting to either combat or take advantage of selective perception and/or subjective perception.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9. (6 points) Explain how well the ad for Quaker Chewy Granola Bars performs on each of the following principles of gestalt perceptual organization:

 

a. Figure and ground organization

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

b. Closure

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Section B (8 points): Answer one of the following two 8-point questions,

 

10. (8 points)

a. (4 points) Is Citre Shine Fresh Lotion the kind of product for which brand image should be important?  Explain in terms of three criteria for assessing whether a product or brand should be given a brand image.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

b. (4 points) Explain Citre Shine Fresh Lotion’s possible use of the image congruence hypothesis. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11. (8 points)

a. (4 points) Cite and briefly describe two levels in the original five-level Maslow's hierarchy of needs that are either appealed to or could be appealed to in the ad for Citre Shine. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

b. (4 points) Cite and briefly describe how this ad does and/or could appeal to two of the three additional high levels in the updated version of Maslow’s hierarchy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Section C (9 points): Answer the following 12-point question

 

12. (9 points)

a. (3 points ) How is the ad for Quaker Chewy Granola Bars using the just noticeable difference??

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

b. (3 points) Cite three possible surrogate indicators in the ad for Quaker Chewy Granola Bars

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

c. (3 points) Cite three reasons why consumers might rely on a surrogate indicator for such a product.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Section D (16 points): Answer the following 16-point question

 

 

13. (16 points) Read the following case study about the ethics of marketing to college students, and then answer the questions that follow. 

 

    Max E. Mum was the Chief Marketing Officer for Down The Hatch beer, a local brew sold in the Cleveland market.  Although the firm had successfully penetrated the adult male 25-54 primary target market and the adult female 25-54 secondary target market, Max was concerned about the aging of his target markets and the fact that, quite frankly, the brew was acquiring a reputation as “your father’s beer.”  While he knew that targeting the under-21 age group was a legal “no-no,” he also knew that marketing to college students, the majority of whom were under 21 at colleges and universities in the Cleveland market, would help freshen up the brew’s image, not to mention increasing sales, market share, and profits.

     While Max knew that some listeners to local hard/active rock station Z-ROX were under 21 and college students, the station’s primary demographic was young men 21-34, the perfect market to further penetrate.  Since Max was well aware that most college students drink heavily anyway, he figured his commercials run on Z-Rox aimed at this demographic wouldn’t be enticing kids to drink so much as it would be suggesting they drink Down The Hatch rather than their usual beer.  And, all of the big breweries run ads featuring very young adults who often appear to be college students. 

     Max came up with the slogan: “Down The Hatch Beer: The Weekend wicked brew, for when the bosses and professors are out of sight and out of mind.”  The radio commercials would feature young people partying hard with Down the Hatch in scenarios that appear to take place at private parties, some of them clearly fraternity parties and others dorm beer busts.  Everything was legal, he figured, so everything was ethical.  Moreover, stockholders would get more profits, students would be introduced to what he believed is a superior beer, and everyone would be happy (literally). 

 

 

 

 

a. (8 points) Explain how the following two ethical standards could be used, rightly or wrongly, either to justify marketing Down The Hatch beer as targeted to college students as proposed, or else how one or both of these ethical standards could each be used to argue for refraining from using the proposed advertising plan:

 

(1) Cultural relativism

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(2) Utilitarianism

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

b. (4 points) What would be a college’s’ role-related responsibility regarding allowing or disallowing Down The Hatch Beer to advertise on the college radio station?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

c. (4 points) Assume your first job out of college is as Max’s advertising assistant and he asks you to write some commercials for this college-skewing ad campaign.  For whatever reason, you believe it is morally wrong.  You can’t afford to quit the job—you’ve got college loans to pay off—and advertising jobs are extremely hard to come by for recent college grads.   But, you know it’s morally wrong to go along, claiming “I was just following orders.”  How could you handle this unethical boss? (

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Section D (32 points): Answer the following 32-point question

 

14. (32 points) The ad for Boca meatless products appeals to consumer motivation at many levels.  Answer each of the following questions concerning this ad’s appeal to the various ways of classifying motives.  Briefly explain your answer in each part.

 

a. (4 points) Does the ad appeal to an innate need, a psychogenic need, or both?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

b. (4 points) Does the ad appeal to a utilitarian need, a hedonic need, or both?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

c. (4 points) Describe the motivational strength and the consequent involvement level suggested by the ad.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

d. (4 points) Does the ad appeal to primary demand, selective demand, or both?

 

 

 

 

 

 

e. (4 points) Does the ad mainly discuss an approach object or an avoidance object?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

f. (4 points) Does the ad appeal to overt motives, covert motives, or both?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

g. (4 points) Does the ad appeal to a cognitive need, an affective need, or both?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

h. (4 points) Is the ad’s appeal attitude based, attribute based, or both?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HAVE A GREAT SUMMER! 

BEST WISHES TO GRADUATING SENIORS—PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS BELOW IF YOU HAVEN’T YET DONE SO, SO WE CAN STAY IN TOUCH.   I HOPE YOU’LL ALL LET ME KNOW HOW YOUR STUDIES AND CAREERS PROGRESS.

 

~ Prof Geoff—over and out!