Chapter 4

Memory & Knowledge

Learning Objectives~ Ch. 4

Distinguish among sensory, working, long-term, implicit, and explicit memory, and explain why marketers must be aware of these different types of memory.

Describe how schemas and scripts affect consumers’ knowledge content.

Explain how and why the content and structure of knowledge, including associative networks, categories, and prototypicality, are relevant to marketers.

Discuss what memory retrieval is, how it works, and how marketers try to affect it.

Memory

Consumer memory/retrieval

Knowledge, attitudes, & memory

Memory, retrieval, & decision making

Memory & Retrieval

Sensory Memory

Echoic—Hearing

Iconic—Seeing

Characteristics

Short-Term Memory

Imagery processing

Discursive processing

Characteristics– Limited– Short lived

Imagery

May help create liking for product

Stimulates memories of experiences

Impact:– Evaluation– Satisfaction

Long-Term Memory

Autobiographical (episodic)

– Affects decision making

– Promotes empathy/identification

– Cueing/preserving

– Reinterpreting

Semantic

What are some of your childhood memories with brands?

Are those brands still in your life?

Enhancing Memory

There are techniques to enhance your memory:

Chunking

Rehearsal

Recirculation

Elaboration

Why are these techniques key for advertisers/marketers to understand?

Long-Term Memory Organization

Semantic/associative networks– Trace strength– Spreading of activation

Retrieval failures– Decay– Interference

Primacy & Recency

Retrieval errors

Semantic (Associative) Network

Types of Retrieval

Explicit Memory– Recognition– Recall

Implicit Memory

Retrieval for Marketers

Communication objective

Affects consumer choices

Relates to advertising effectiveness

Consumer segments

Enhancing Retrieval

Stimulus

Processing

Consumer characteristics– Mood– Expertise

Characteristics of Stimuli

A stimulus is a cue that triggers something in your memory

What are examples of advertising/marketing stimuli?

Characteristics of Stimuli:

Salience

Prototypicality

Redundant cues

Medium

Processing in short-term memory

Ad Stimuli: Old Spice Guy

A successful campaign to revamp a brand

©adage.com; ecosalon.com

Linking Stimulus-Retrieval Cues

Brand Name

Logos

Package

Category Names

Typefaces

Knowledge & Understanding

Knowledge content

Knowledge structure

Categorization

Comprehension

Knowledge Content

Schemas & Associations

- Types of associations

- Favorability

- Uniqueness

- Salience

Types of schemas

Images

Scripts

Images

Brand image

Brand’s personality

Brand extension

Licensing

Brand alliance

Protecting brand images

Brand Personality Framework

Marketing Implications

Creating new schemas, images, & personalities– Brand extensions– Licensing– Brand alliances

Developing existing schemas, images, & personalitiesChanging schemas, images, & personalitiesProtecting brand images

Scripts

Special type of schemas that represent our knowledge of a sequence of actions involved in performing an activity– Helps marketers understand how consumers

buy & use an offering– May want consumer to consider brand as

part of scripted activity

Knowledge Structure

Categories & their structures

Taxonomic structures

Goal-derived structures

Why consumers differ in their knowledge

Taxonomic Category Structure

Taxonomic Categories

Graded structure

Position to prototype

- Close

- Away

- Competitive

- Retail store & site design

What affects prototypicality?

Correlated associations

Hierarchical structure

Hierarchical Structure Levels

Superordinate

Basic

Subordinate

Goal-Derived Categories

Things belong in the same category if they fulfill same consumer goal

What are examples of your goal-derived categories?

Construal Level Theory

Low-level construal—concrete

High-level construal—abstract

Why Consumer Knowledge Differs

Cultural system– Associations linked to concept– Category members– Category prototypes– Correlated associations– Goal-derived categories

Level of product/service expertise

Knowledge to Understand:

CategorizationInferences

Elaboration

Evaluation

Consideration & choice

Satisfaction

Knowledge to

Understand: ComprehensionObjective

Subjective

Miscomprehension

Effects of:

- MAO

- Cultural system

Improving objective comprehension

Comprehension & Product Warnings

Consumer Inference~1Brand names/symbols inferences

- Misleading names/labels

- Inappropriate/similar names

Product features/packaging

- Product attributes

- Country of origin

- Package design

- Color

Consumer Inference~ 2

Price

Retail atmospherics/display

Advertising/selling

Pictures

Language

Ethical issues

Atmospherics Influence

Language Inference

Juxtaposed imperatives

Implied superiority

Incomplete comparisons

Multiple comparisons

Consumers make inferences based on a brand’s country-of-origin. This ad for Barilla pasta shows pictures of Parma, Italy, and of delicious looking Italian pasta. Barilla wants consumers to infer that since the Barilla brand is Italian, it must produce great tasting pasta.

Courtesy Barilla America Inc.

Questions?