Shaping Consumers’

Opinions
Opinion Formation

Opinion formation: the first time we

develop a belief, feeling, or attitude about
something
Comprehension: involves the
interpretation of a stimulus
When meaning is attached to the stimulus
The meaning depends on what occurs
during stimulus processing
Opinion Formation

Different advertisements require

different amounts of processing
A lot of information requires extensive
processing, while simple ads require
less processing
As consumers invest varying amounts
of cognitive effort in comprehending
information, they will have different
interpretations of advertisements
Opinion Formation
Stimulus categorization:
classifying stimulus using the
mental concepts and categories
stored in memory
After hearing a brand name,
consumers assign it to a category
of product
Products and advertisements can
be miscategorized
Opinion Formation
Different advertisements require
different amounts of processing
A lot of information requires
extensive processing, while simple
ads require less processing
As consumers invest varying
amounts of cognitive effort in
comprehending information, they
will have different interpretations of
advertisements
Opinion Formation
The amount of processing can
shape comprehension and opinion
formation
Cognitive responses
Affective responses
Because consumers tend to invest
few cognitive resources into
processing advertising messages,
ads often feature simple, easy to
comprehend messages
Opinion Formation
Classical conditioning
The unconditioned stimulus (US)
evokes an unconditioned response
(UR)
The unconditioned response can be
transferred to a conditioned stimulus
(CS) through classical conditioning
Since this response arises from the
conditioning it is called the
conditioned response (CR)
Classical Conditioning Approach to
Influencing Consumer Attitude

(US) Knives Sharpness (UR)

(CS) Product Sharp flavor (CR)

Opinion Formation:
The Content of Processing

Central Process of Opinion

Formation
Peripheral Process of Opinion
Formation
Central Process of Opinion
Formation
Central process: process in which
opinions are formed from
thoughtful consideration of
relevant information
These opinions are very sensitive
to the strength or quality of the
relevant information presented
Ads describing brand advantages
lead to more favorable opinions
Peripheral Process of Opinion
Formation
Peripheral process: leads to the
formation of opinions without
thinking about relevant information
Often attitude toward an ad is an
important determinant of
advertising effectiveness in
shaping opinions
Peripheral cues: stimuli devoid of
product-relevant information
How Businesses Influence
Opinion Formation
Advertising claims
Product endorsers
Use of free product samples
Product name
Product packaging
Colors
Reference Pricing
Advertising Claims Influence
Opinion Formation
Stronger claims create more
favorable product opinions
Relevancy makes claims stronger
Strength also depends on what the
ad conveys about the product’s
characteristics and benefits
Comparative ads offer stronger ad
claims and may lead to more
favorable opinions
Advertising Claims Influence
Opinion Formation
Ad claim substantiation is
important in opinion formation
Testimonials and product
demonstrations are effective ways
to substantiate claims
How can consumers verify an ad
claim’s accuracy or truthfulness?
Advertising Claims Influence
Opinion Formation
Search claims: claims that can be
validated before purchase by
examining information readily
available in the marketplace
Experience claims: claims that
require product consumption for
verification
Product Endorsers Influence
Opinion Formation
Endorsers can help shape product
opinions in several ways:
Association with brand may be
reason enough to buy it
Endorsers may embody meanings
that companies want attached to
their brands
Match-up hypothesis: endorsers
are more effective when perceived
as appropriate for the product
Free Product Samples Influence
Opinion Formation
Free samples can be effective
when introducing a new product
They encourage trial and help
foster positive opinions
The Product’s Name Influences
Opinion Formation
The meaning derived from the
name may influence the opinion
formed about the product
When it conveys the wrong
meaning, sales can suffer
Product Packaging Influences
Opinion Formation
Me-too product packaging, which
imitates packaging of a leading
brand, tries to create favorable
opinions with consumers
Stimulus generation occurs when,
for an existing stimulus-response
relationship, the more similar a
new stimulus is to the existing
one, the more likely it will evoke
the same response
Color Influences Opinion
Formation
Consumer opinions are often tied
to the product’s color
Color granules in detergents and
cold capsules serve as a visual
cue for products’ effectiveness
Colors of foods may change
expectations of flavor and also
change perceived flavor (green
orange juice)
Reference Pricing Influences
Opinion Formation
Reference pricing: involves
providing information about a
price other than that actually
charged for the product
Price tag may carry actual price
and “suggested retail price”
Designed to encourage consumers
to form a favorable opinion about
the reasonableness of the price
Opinion Change
Once an initial opinion has been
formed, any modification represents
opinion change
Whenever consumers have opinions
that may prevent them from buying
a product, businesses may strive to
change consumers’ opinions
Research is often used to identify
consumers’ beliefs and attitudes
about product attributes
Opinion Change
The need for changing consumers’
product opinions commonly occurs
for mature products
After years on the market, product
image, packaging, or claims may
need to be updated
Products may also require
“improvements” to change
opinions
The Difficulty of Changing
Opinions
Easier to change opinions at time of
formation than preexisting opinions
Some opinions are more resistant
to change than others
How an initial opinion is formed
may affect how resistant it is to
change (experienced a product
versus heard about it from friend)
The Danger of Changing
Opinions
Making changes to improve
opinions of some people, may hurt
the opinions of others
Changes designed to attract
customers must be weighed
against their potential for alienating
other customers