This document summarizes a presentation on consumer psychology. It discusses different techniques for persuading consumers, such as reciprocity, descriptive norms, scarcity, and cognitive dissonance. It also addresses whether anti-smoking campaigns should focus on the harms of smoking or the benefits of not smoking. Consumer psychology studies how consumers make decisions and how marketers can improve marketing strategies by understanding consumer thinking, influences, behaviors, and motivations.

1. CONSUMER
PSYCHOLOGY
Presentation by Carmen Curtayne
November 2016
Eskom Marketing Indaba

2. Which would be more effective?
If we run an anti-smoking campaign do we
educate people on the harmful effects of
smoking?
Or
educate people on the benefits of not
smoking?
18/06/07 2

3. 18/06/07 3
What is “educate” anyway?

4. Persuasion
Persuasion is the attempt to guide people toward
acceptance of / change to some:
• Belief
• Attitude
• Behaviour
By using reasoning and emotional appeals.
Persuasion is the essence of marketing
communications.
18/06/07 4

5. 18/06/07 5

6. Reciprocation
As part of a socialisation process in all cultures,
people acquire a norm of reciprocity.
18/06/07 6
“free” sample
product launches
Most effective when receiver perceives the
gift-giver as honest and sincere.

7. Descriptive norm
18/06/07 7
REF: https://www.waterworldcalifornia.com/img/Save%20Our%20Water%20Logo.jpg

8. Shaming non-conformity
18/06/07 8
REF:http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/08/01/18/2B04440300000578-3182277-image-a-52_1438448451852.jpg
REF: http://gigliwood.com/blog/_Media/drought-psa-2.jpeg

9. Norm violations
18/06/07 9
http://image.slidesharecdn.com/chapter9sp2014compass-140602080803-phpapp02/95/social-influence-
psych-201-chapter-9-spring-2014-68-638.jpg?cb=

10. 18/06/07 10
http://o.aolcdn.com/os/mapquest/national-parks/photos/park-pano/
petrified-forest-national-park.jpg
“Your heritage is being vandalized every day by
theft losses of petrified wood of 14 tons a year,
mostly a small piece at a time.”

11. 18/06/07 11
https://jeneeninterlandi.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/chart.png
(Descriptive)(Injunctive)

12. Scarcity
Things become more desirable when they are in
great demand but short in supply.
18/06/07 12

13. 18/06/07 13

14. Over-justification / consistency
18/06/07 14
After people make a choice (commitment)
there is often a strong tendency to remain
faithful to that choice – ie. not to appear
hypocritical/false.
We sometimes feel ashamed of ourselves
when we say we do one thing and do
something different.
The low-ball compliance technique

15. Cognitive dissonance
18/06/07 15

16. Which would be more effective?
If we run an anti-smoking campaign do we
educate people on the harmful effects of
smoking?
18/06/07 16

17. 18/06/07 17

18. 18/06/07 18

19. 18/06/07 19

20. Or
educate people on the benefits of not smoking:
18/06/07 20

21. 18/06/07 21

22. 18/06/07 22

23. Anti-social behaviour
18/06/07 23

24. Consumer psychology
18/06/07 24
"The study of individuals, groups, or organizations and
the processes they use to select, secure, use, and
dispose of products, services, experiences, or ideas to
satisfy needs and the impacts that these processes have
on the consumer and society."
Lars Perner, Ph.D. (Department of Marketing, University of Southern California

25. Consumer psychology
18/06/07 25
The study of consumers helps firms and organizations improve their marketing
strategies by understanding issues such as how:
• The psychology of how consumers think, feel, reason, and select between
different alternatives (e.g., brands, products, and retailers);
• The psychology of how the consumer is influenced by his or her environment
(e.g., culture, family, signs, media);
• The behavior of consumers while shopping or making other marketing
decisions;
• Limitations in consumer knowledge or information processing abilities
influence decisions and marketing outcome;
• How consumer motivation and decision strategies differ between products
that differ in their level of importance or interest that they entail for the
consumer; and
• How marketers can adapt and improve their marketing campaigns and
marketing strategies to more effectively reach the consumer.

26. Consumer psychology
18/06/07 26
REF: http://www.ie.edu/school-human-sciences-technology/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/MRCB_grafico-1024x683.jpg

27. References
Advertising, Promotion, and other aspects Integrated Marketing
Communications (9th Ed)
Terrence A Shimp & J. Craig Andrews
2. Persuasion. Psychological Insights and Perspectives (2nd Ed)
Timothy C Brock & Melanie C. Green
3. Strategic communication and anti-smoking campaigns
James Mahoney, University of Canberra, Public Communication
Review, Vol. 1 No. 2, 2010
18/06/07 27