MKTG 4120 Chapter 13 Review Questions

How does crowding affect shopping behavior?

Crowding generally produces negative outcomes for both the retail outlet and the consumer. As more people enter a store or as more of the space of the store is filled with merchandise, an increasing percentage of the shoppers will experience a feeling of being crowded, confined, or claustrophobic.

How do people manage their moods?

Consumers often seek situations, activities, or objects that will alleviate negative moods or enhance positive ones.

What are antecedent conditions (as a situational variable)? Give an example of how they can influence the consumption process.

Features of the individual person that are not lasting characteristics, such as momentary moods or conditions. Ex. Most people experience states of depression or excitement from time to time that are not normally part of their individual makeup.

Describe the process for developing a situation based marketing strategy.

Individuals do not encounter situations randomly. Instead, most people "create" many of the situations they face. This allows marketers to consider advertising and segmentation strategies based on the situations that individuals selecting given lifestyles are likely to encounter. After determining the influence of different situations on purchase behavior for a product category, a marketer must determine which products or brands are most likely to be purchased when that situation arises. Then an appropriate positioning strategy can be developed.

What are ritual situations?

It can be described as a socially defined occasion that triggers a set of interrelated behaviors that occur in a structured format, that have symbolic meaning. Ritual situations can range from completely private to completely public.

What is a mood? How does it differ from an emotion? How do moods influence consumption behavior?

Moods are transient feeling states that are generally not tied to a specific event or object. They tend to be less intense than emotions and may operate without the individual's awareness. Although moods may affect all aspects of a person's behavior, they generally do not completely interrupt ongoing behavior as an emotion might.

How do mood's differ from momentary conditions?

Moods may affect all aspects of a person's behavior; however, they generally do not completely interrupt ongoing behavior as an emotion might.

Are individuals randomly exposed to situational influences? Why or why not?

No. Most people create the situations they face. In other words, consumers normally choose to engage in certain activities and therefore expose themselves to the situation.

What is meant by this statement, "situational variables may interact with product or personal characteristics"?

Normally, no one variable will be totally responsible for behavior. Some combination of two or all three variables will usually be present. For example, the personal characteristic of urban or rural background may interact with the social surrounding situation of crowding (or the perception thereof) to influence behavior.

What is meant by the term "situation"? Why is it important for a marketing manager to understand situational influences on purchasing behavior?

Situational influence is all those factors particular to a time and place that do not follow from a knowledge of the stable attributes of the consumer and the stimulus and that have an effect on current behavior. The situation in which a purchase is made can influence consumer behavior.

Why do people give gifts?

Social expectations and ritualized consumption situations.

How might the receipt of a gift affect the relationship between the giver and the receiver?

The nature of a gift can signify the type of relationship the giver has or desires with the receiver. A gift of stationary implies a very different desired relationship between two individuals than does a gift of cologne. Items received as gifts often take on meaning associated with the relationship or the giver.

Why are ritual situations important?

They are of major importance to marketers because they often involve prescribed consumption behaviors. Every major American holiday (ritual situation) has consumption rituals associated with it. Even such religious holidays as Easter involve meals and clothing purchases.