Theo B.C. Poiesz

The image concept: Its place in consumer psychology

Abstract One of the recent developments in consumer psychology is the growing emphasis on low involvement consumer behavior. Under a variety of circumstances, consumers are neither capable nor motivated to elaborate product information. It is assumed that, under these circumstances, they are likely to make use of product or brand images. This concept is frequently referred to in the marketing and marketing research literature. However, image is not an unequivocal concept. There is lack of agreement on what constitutes an image, on the possible psychological functions of images, on the conditions under which these psychological functions are addressed, and on how an image should be operationalized. In this paper a review will be provided of the literature on brand images. An attempt is made to propose a conceptualization and operationalization that is based on an integration of the literature. Also, a specification will be provided of the psychological functions that images may have under particular (advertising) conditions.

Brand Confusion in Advertising

The question of advertising effectiveness (i.e., to what extent is advertising effective or ineffective?) is possibly the most important question asked of or by advertisers. In this article, the authors provide evidence that advertising may also be counter-effective, that is, produce results that an advertiser specifically wants to avoid. Brand confusion is one such undesired result: the advertisement for brand A is taken by consumers as promoting brand B. In other words, the advertiser finances an advertisement for his competitor. In the second part of the article, several possible causes of brand confusion are presented, and practical advertising implications are discussed.

Economic Well-being, Job Satisfaction, Income Evaluation and Consumer Satisfaction: An Integrative Attempt

Economic situations or developments, be it on the aggregate, market, or individual level, can be assessed both objectively and subjectively. In an objective approach, economic conditions are described with the help of known parameters that allow objective assessments and comparisons across time periods and across population segments. A subjective approach addresses the question whether and how economic conditions in an objective sense correspond with the subjective perceptions and evaluations of these conditions.

Individual Reactions to Advertising: Theoretical and Methodological Developments

In both theory and practice, considerable attention is paid to the issue of advertising effectiveness. Even though theoretical insights are developing and methodological improvements are made, predictions of the effectiveness of individual advertising messages can only be made within a very broad range of uncertainty. In the meantime, the communication environment is changing even more rapidly than in the recent past. While the number of commercial messages transmitted through existing and new media is increasing, the likelihood of successful exposure of individual messages may be decreasing. This development calls for a discussion of the changes that may be observed in the issues considered to be important in the literature. A broad distinction may be made between theoretical and methodological issues, even though the two types of issues are likely to be related. In this article an attempt is made to briefly outline the present communication situation, to point at complexities confronted when making pred...

Advertising and Smoking Maintenance

The debate concerning the effects of advertising on smoking has suffered from a lack of recognition that there are various stages of smoking and that advertising may have no or different effects at different stages. This article attempts to correct this. The factors influencing smoking initiation and maintenance are defined. Studies employing aggregate analyses to determine the effects of smoking are found unenlightening and inconsistent. At the individual level, it is unlikely that advertising would have a direct effect on consumption by non-smokers. Tobacco advertising conceivably might have indirect and difficult to measure effects, but any such effects would vary depending upon a particular individuals smoking stage. Research is needed to determine if any such hypothetical effects exist.

Rethinking the value concept in marketing

In this chapter, a new approach to the value concept in marketing is proposed. A number of trends in the marketing environment are forcing marketing to rethink its position and future. Consumer needs and wants change and they are seeking new aspects in brands, products, services, and corporate entities. But modern consumers are unable or unwilling to maximize their utility for all aspects of their expenditures. They often prefer pre-selections by retailers and all-in-one solutions to ‘problems’ such as insurance and finance needs. Thus technology and interactive media will have a growing impact on consumers. And yet, at the same time, proliferation of products and brands and their advertising create information overload with consumers. Product innovations can often easily be imitated by others suppliers. With an unchanged approach, marketing will create its own decline. We propose a future scenario with three aspects: (a) an integration of products and services into cross-domain packages; (b) long-term relationships of suppliers and customers; and (c) information technology to create databases and interaction between suppliers and customers and to create customization of products and services to individual characteristics and desires.

The changing context of consumer psychology

Abstract In this article an attempt is made to make an inventory of general market changes that may be relevant for the development of consumer psychology as a special field of economic psychology. For several market-related issues, such as products, brands, quality, transactions, and communication, apparent developments are discussed. The general conclusion is that in the near future the combination of the developments foreseen may require an adaptation of the concept of consumer decision making. It is argued that the term ‘decision making’ may not adequately describe the marginal trade-offs preceding many consumer purchases, and that in many instances, it may be more appropriate to speak of decision avoidance. Possible theoretical, methodological, and practical implications are discussed.