TEST YOURSELF

Chapter 8: Market Segmentation: Finding a Base to Start

Essay Questions

1. Kurt Lewin’s equation, B = f(E,I), is one way to express his view that consumer behaviour is a function of environmental factors such as culture and social influences, and individual and psychological processes such as needs, motives, and attitudes. Figure 8.1 is another way to express Lewin’s view. Develop an equation and draw a diagram that explains the specific influences on you as you made your decision about which university to attend. Begin by listing all of the specific environmental and individual factors that actually influenced your decision. Your list should not include all of the factors discussed in the text.

2. Table 8.1 summarizes significant Canadians characteristics, including those that differentiate us from Americans. Select three characteristics that you think warrant having marketers revise and adapt the products they bring into Canada from the U.S. Provide specific product examples to support your points.

3. The extent of reference-group influence varies widely among purchases. The text maintains that, for reference-group influence to be strong: (a) the item purchased must be one that can be seen and identified by others, and (b) the item purchased must be conspicuous in the sense that it stands out, is unusual, and is a brand or product that not everyone owns. Discuss whether or not these two factors also impact how strongly social class influences consumer behaviour.

4. Compusearch uses a geodemographic neighbourhood classification system, the basic tenet of which is that people with similar cultural backgrounds, means, and perspectives naturally gravitate toward each other, or form relatively homogeneous communities. Once settled in, people emulate their neighbours, adopt similar values, and share patterns of consumer behaviour toward products, services, media, and promotions. Given how multicultural Canada is, do you agree with the basic tenet behind geodemographic neighborhood classification systems? Explain your position.

5. One way to understand consumer behaviour is by identifying lifestages. Compare your parents’ consumer behaviour with your own. Does lifestage explain some of the differences? If so, which ones?

6. According to the text, perception is the result of the interaction of stimulus factors (characteristics of the physical object) and individual factors (characteristics of the perceiver). Discuss the relative importance of these two factors with regard to purchasing milk, haircuts, and cars. Does their relative importance vary with the level of problem-solving required in the purchase?

7. Figure 8.8 illustrates the application of learning theory and the shaping procedure to marketing. How can this be applied by a university seeking to encourage the best students to choose it over its competition?

8. List all of the decision criteria you used for a recent major purchase, indicate their order of importance to you in making your purchase decision, then classify each of your criteria as being either objective or subjective. Was your decision more influenced by objective or subjective criteria? Comment on whether you think most people emphasize objective or subjective criteria.
   
   

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