9 using measurement scales to build marketing effectiveness

9 Using Measurement Scales to Build Marketing Effectiveness

Attitudes, Behavior, and Marketing Effectiveness

• Attitude: is a psychological construct, a way of conceptualizing an intangible. Attitudes cannot be observed/measured directly; their existence is inferred from their consequences. It is an enduring organization of motivational, emotional, perceptual, and cognitive processes with respect to some aspect of a person’s environment.


• An individual may have a specific attitude toward Disney World, based on beliefs about a need for entertainment, cartoon characters, fantasy, crowds of people, waiting in lines, and many other things. Disney World also may be highly valued as good, clean, wholesome fun.


Link between Attitudes and Behavior• The more favorable the attitude the higher the

incidence of product usage• The less favorable people attitudes toward a

product, the more likely they are to stop using it.• When attitudes are based on actually trying and

experiencing a product, attitudes predicts behavior quite well unlike the one based on advertising.


Enhancing Marketing Effectiveness• Marketing managers measure attitudes in an

attempt to predict behavior; correct predictions will enable managers to bring the right new product to the marketplace. This new product will be accompanied by the right marketing mix usually based on attitude research.

Scaling Defined

• Scaling: procedures for assigning numbers (or other symbols) to properties of an object in order to impart some numerical characteristics to the properties in question.

– Unidimensional scales: scales designed to measure only one attribute of a concept, respondent, or object.

– Multidimensional scales: scales designed to measure several dimensions of a concept, respondent, or object.

Attitude Measurement Scales

• Graphic rating scales• Itemized rating scales• Rank-order scales• Paired comparisons• Constant sum scales• Semantic differential scales• Stapel scales• Likert scales• Purchase-intent scales• Scale conversions• Net promoter score (NPS)

Attitude Measurement ScalesGraphic rating scales• Measurement scales that include a graphic

continuum, anchored by two extremes.


Itemized rating scales• Measurement scales in which the respondent selects

an answer from a limited number of ordered categories.


Rank-order scales• Measurement scales in which the respondent

compares two or more items and ranks them.


Paired comparisons• Measurement scales that ask the respondent to pick

one of two objects in a set, based on some stated criteria.


Constant sum scales• Measurement scales that ask the respondent to

divide a given number of points typically 100, among two or more attributes, based on their importance to him or her.


Semantic differential scales• Measurement scales that examine the strengths and

weaknesses of a concept by having the respondent rank it between dichotomous pairs of words/phrases that could be used to describe it; means of the responses are then plotted as a profile/image.


Stapel scales• Measurement scales that require the respondent to

rate, on a scale ranging from +5 to -5, how closely and in what direction a descriptor adjective fits a given concept.

Attitude Measurement ScalesLikert scales• Measurement scales in which the respondent

specifies a level of agreement or disagreement with statements expressing either a favorable or an unfavorable attitude toward the concept under study.


Purchase-intent scales• Scales used to measure a respondent’s intention to

buy or not buy a product.


Net promoter score (NPS)• A measure of satisfaction; the percentage of

promoters minus the percentage of detractors when answering the question, “Would you recommend this to a friend?”

Considerations in Selecting a Scale

• Type of scale to use: rating, ranking, sorting, or purchase-intent

• The use of balanced scale (the same number of positive and negative categories) vs. nonbalanced scale (are weighted toward one end or the other of scale)

• Number of scale categories, a related factor is whether to use an odd or even number of categories

• Forced vs. nonforced choice sets (with “don’t know” option)

9 using measurement scales to build marketing effectiveness

Documents