ch. 6

5 Elements of Attitude

• Attitudes are learned predispositions to resonpd to an object favorably or not.
• Attitudes are learned and not innate
• Attitudes are acquired during our life through experience or information.
• Attitudes are targeted toward an object.
• The "object" is the focus of the attitude.
• Objects include anything, brand, product, company, class, movie.
• Attitudes cause responses, the reason people respond or act toward objects.
• Attitudes towards Coke and Pepsi influence consumption.
• Attitude-caused responses are consistent over time.
• Attitudes are inclinations residing in minds, predisposing people to act or think a certain way

Predisposition

• Possessing thoughts, opinions, evaluations, views, and feelings to act

Action in waiting

• Attitude as predisposition is useful for marketers in predicting future consumer actions

The ABC Model of Attitude

Belief (Knowledge as a Building Block)

• Beliefs are expectations about what something is or is not.
• Statements of belief connect an object to an attribute, property, or benefit.
• A brand belief relates to a specific property or quality of the brand.
• Consumers may not adopt a marketer's quality claim due to distrust, experience, or misperceptions

Cognition

• Belief is referred to as cognition, it is simply a thought

Affect (Feelings as a Building Block)

• Affect is a feeling or emotion in consciousness.
• Affect is experienced toward an object and forms either a positive or negative attitude

Connotation (Actions or Intentions as a Building Block)

• Connotation is an instruction in mind to do or buy something when the occasion arises.
• Positive attitudes towards intended or realized behavior

Hierarchies in Attitude

• Attitude Hierarchy is the sequence of the three components
• The types are: learning hierarchy, emotional, and low involvement

Learning Hierarchy

• Cognition (belief) comes first, followed by affect, then action (connotation).
• People first learn about a brand, form beliefs, develop feelings, and then purchase/use the product

Emotional hierarchy

• Feeling comes first, then action, and lastly thinking.
• People buy, use, avoid or embrace certain brands/person via emotion

Low Involvement Hierarchy

• Action comes first, then feeling, and lastly thinking.

Marketing Implication of Attitude Hierarchy

• For rational choices, consumers need lots of knowledge to base decisions on rational grounds
• For emotional purchases, consumers must be emotionally engaged first
• For products with low involvement, consumers need familiarity with the brand, followed by convenient promotions

4 Functions in Market Exchanges

• Utilitarian: Attitude object serves some utility
• Value expressive: Attitude object expresses values
• Knowledge: Attitude object reduces uncertainty and provides comfort
• Ego defense: Attitude object protects egos (self-esteem)

Theory of Reasoned Action (TORA)

• Attitude toward object based on consequences, weighted by desirability