Activity worksheet 9│Attitude

(Word count: 1415)

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Define the key concepts associated with this topic.

Attitude

An Attitude can be defined as a learned or acquired predisposition to portray particular behaviour in a manner that is constantly favourable or unfavourable in regard to a certain issue, object, topic, or situation (Neal, Quester, & Hawkins, 2002). It is also said to be an enduring mix of perceptual, cognitive, motivational, or emotional processes in regard to some aspects of an environment (Neal et al., 2002). Attitudes are informed by characteristics such as direction, intensity, salience, stability, situational, degree of confidence, transferability, consistency, and learned predisposition.

Functions of AttitudeFunctions of attitude are the basic and main motivations that influence the formation of a perception. They are also identified by Schiffman and Kanuk (2000) as the basis of an attitude change strategy, including the utilitarian, ego-defensive, value-expressive, and knowledge functions.

Utilitarian Function

In marketing, the utilitarian function is applied in leading consumers to products that attain a desired outcome. For example, a soap that keeps the body cool

Ego‐defensive

Is a function in attitudes that has a major role of protecting the ego from anxieties and threats. For example, a deodorant that helps men avoid body odor

Value‐Expressive

In marketing, value expressive functions help the consumer to express self‐image and values. For example, a deodorant that gives you confidence.

Knowledge

In marketing, it assists consumers in the organization of the mass of information to which they are exposed to on a daily basis. For example a soap that kills all germs and prevents accumulation of bacteria

Theory of Reasoned Action

In this attitude theory, the formation of individual perceptions are seen as a function of consumer belief regarding the benefits and attributes of a brand (Fitzmaurice, 2005). The aim of this concept in marketing is to assist marketers in diagnosing the weaknesses or strengths of a brand relative to their competition.

Describe the key elements of the tri-component theory of attitude formation and change. How does the theory work?

The tri-component theory of attitude formation and change suggests three main components: the cognitive (knowledge), affective (emotional and feeling), and conative (action). The theory suggests that attitude formation begins with knowledge in the cognitive. For example, consumer knowledge about a product or brand informs their attitude. The affect component is made up of the emotional and feeling components in an attitude. It is the depiction of the attitude itself that may be neutral, negative, or positive. In marketing, it points to the feelings of a consumer relating to a service or product offering and marketing mix. Emotions relate to one attribute, several, or the entire object. For example, an ad that uses dark skinned women to show how the product whitens their skin may be interpreted as racist and therefore a negative attitude formed by the consumer. Lastly, in the tri-component theory, the conative or behavioural component depicts an outcome of the attitude formed. Attitudes are not seen in the first two components. Knowledge and emotions are not illustrative or expressive of an attitude. The conative component indicates the tendency of an individual to act or not to act as expected in regard to the attitude of a product.

Many social marketers are interested in promoting behavioural change towards socially desirable behaviours. In your groups, select two (2) contrasting fear appeals among the selection posted on vUWS and discuss whether you believe the ad would be effective in changing attitudes towards the target behaviour.

Ad 1:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-aTtCdzD9cE&t=30sWho is the target market(s) for the ad? [Be specific and descriptive, i.e. not just “smokers”. Use demographic and/or psychographic profile descriptors]

In the Think! Road Safety – Speeders Come Out Of Nowhere (2020)(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-aTtCdzD9cE&t=30s), the Media Road Safety Unit (MRSU) of South Australia Police targets individual road users who admit to occasionally exceeding the set speed limits. The campaign uses normal Australians going about their day to show why people speed and finding out ways to convince them to stop. A middle-aged man represents individuals who speed, disregarding other road users. In the graphic depiction of what would happen in real life, he is responsible for the death of a mother and her daughter, who were careful to observe every rule in driving. The campaign targets drivers who think that they have the right skills to go beyond the set speed limits, making them a hazard to every other road user.

What behaviour is being targeted? [Think carefully. E.g. it may not just be “quit smoking”. Look for any call to action in the ads]

The driver being targeted is the attitude that some drivers are better than others and therefore are under the impression that they have superior driving skills to exceed set speed limits. The campaign targets drivers who perceive others as too careful, and therefore, lacking in skills to speed.

What elements of the advertising creative do you think are being used and how?

The advertisement uses purpose, audience, relevance, and platform. The purpose of the ad is clear, to help stop the number of drivers who think speeding makes them more skilled. The audience includes both safe and careless drivers. The relevance is used to showcase the effects of poor judgment to others. Drivers who think they are more skilled are presented as hazards to other road users. The platform used is also very effective, the use of a video that applies a real-life scenario passes the message home.

Do you think it is an effective ad? Why/why not? [NB: Use attitude theory in your response wherever possible]

Yes. This is a very effective ad. First, it targets a very specific attitude about road users. It categorizes all road users into two: law/rules abiding and the reckless user who perceives speeding as a definition of skills. According to the ego-defensive function, such drivers form the attitude to defend their ego, self-concept, and self-image.

Ad 2:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIkNrwBZj8UWho is the target market(s) for the ad? [Be specific and descriptive, i.e. not just “smokers”. Use demographic and/or psychographic profile descriptors]

Graphic messages on cigarette packs are mandatory, and perhaps not very effective in deterring smokers from indulging. The Quit Smoking Campaign – Quit Stalling advertisement (available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIkNrwBZj8U) targets young male smokers in the 18 to 34 age bracket in the New South Wales region. The reason these individuals are targeted is because they have the highest smoking rates per population. They are also targeted because they are highly likely to disregard the packaging warnings printed on cigarette packs.

What behaviour is being targeted? [Think carefully. E.g. it may not just be “quit smoking”. Look for any call to action in the ads]

The behaviour targeted is the perception that young males have a little bit more time to smoke and that they can quit in later stages of life. The attitude that one has a lot of time is used by the campaign to instil fear, showing that the costs of smoking will come earlier than expected.

What elements of the advertising creative do you think are being used and how?

The advertisement is using fear. The fear that one may not be as physically healthy as other 34 year olds due to smoking is exploited.

Do you think it is an effective ad? Why/why not? [NB: Use attitude theory in your response wherever possible]

I think this is an effective ad because it counters an attitude that one has a lot of time to engage in smoking without fear of consequences. The ad uses the attitude-towards-behaviour model to show how one engages in smoking, knowing the consequences yet ignoring them for the simple thrill of smoking.

How does this activity link to the topic? This linking statement might indicate how the activity enables learning about specific aspects of the topic, or the application of the theory

This activity links back to the topic in defining attitudes, how they are formed and the best ways to change them through marketing campaigns. Specifically, the activity shows how marketers use the knowledge about behaviour modelling and attitude formation to emphasize or change a specific perception.

Reference List

Fitzmaurice, J., 2005. Incorporating consumers’ motivations into the theory of reasoned action. Psychology & Marketing, 22(11), pp.911-929.

Neal, C.M., Quester, P.G. and Hawkins, D., 2002. Consumer Behaviour, Implication for Marketing Strategy (3rdedn.). Australia: McGraw Hill Publication.

Schiffman, L.G. and Kanuk, L.L., 2000. Consumer behavior, 7th. NY: Prentice Hall, pp.15-36.