AWA: Academic Writing at Auckland

Part A: Essay

One of the major concepts in consumer behaviour that marketers should consider in developing an advertisement is learning. This is because learning helps marketers to address their messages accurately and make the desired feelings or behaviours of consumers. This essay will discuss why and how learning theories are important for marketers to understand. First, this essay will discuss how classical conditioning theory works and helps marketers, and how it relates to consumers’ attitudes. After that, this essay will discuss how operant conditioning theory works and helps marketers, and how it links to the consumers’ motivations. Finally, this essay will discuss how cognitive learning theory works and helps marketers, and how it associates with consumers’ perceptions.

The first theory is a classical conditioning theory developed by Ivan Pavlov (Wells, 2014). Classical conditioning is a form of conditional learning theories as it is associating with stimulus and response (Quester, Pettigrew, Kopanidis, Hill, & Hawkins, 2013). Classical conditioning is where consumers are behaving in a certain way, and marketers wish to influence this behaviour to change (Wells, 2014). This begins by pairing a situation or condition that does not influence consumers (also known as unconditioned stimulus), with another condition that influences consumers’ behaviour (conditioned stimulus) (Wells, 2014). Through repeating these two conditions together over time consumers will associate these two conditions together (Wells, 2014). In the result, conditioned response occurs which means consumers will feel obliged to participate in one of the conditions if the other is absent (Wells, 2014). For instance, a well-known carbonated soft drink brand, Coca-Cola released an advertisement that associates explicitly with “Beach” in 2009 (Coca-Cola Australia, 2009). The advertisement is about young males and females enjoying the summer beach along with Coca-Cola (Coca-Cola Australia, 2009). In this advertisement, the marketers used Coca-Cola as unconditioned stimulus, the people’s demand for Coca-Cola as unconditioned response. They used the beach as the conditioned stimulus because it does not necessarily relate to Coca-Cola at all. However, by showing the people at the beach are having fun with Coca-Cola, marketers are pairing the beach and the unconditioned response, the demand for Coca-Cola. Therefore, consumers will want to have Coca-Cola when they imagine about “Beach”. The classical conditioning theory is useful for marketers through advertising because it helps to make positive and meaningful brand images, and connect the brand and consumers emotionally, rather than just giving consumers information (Quester, 2013).  Over the past years, the consumption patterns have changed to online communications, although the classical conditioning theory is still relevant today for marketers to create attractive advertisements on social media. This is because the way the marketers advertise their brand may have changed since social media became more popular platform for advertising, but the effect towards a brand image and the emotional connection still occur in the same way on online platforms. Furthermore, it is also important to consider consumers’ attitude when using a classical conditioning theory in advertisements. This is because classical conditioning theory can effect a consumer’s attitude (Wells, 2014). Attitude is a predisposed consumer’s inner feelings towards some objects such as a brand, a serving or product (Quester, 2013). Therefore, marketers have to make sure that the conditioned response is creating positive attitude towards the brand or product and if not, they have to fix it (Quester, 2013).

The second theory is an operant conditioning theory developed by B. F. Skinner (Wells, 2014). This theory uses reinforcement types which is useful for marketers to influence consumer behaviour such as likelihood of purchase (Wells, 2014). Generally, there are three different types of reinforcements such as positive, negative and punishment (Wells, 2014). Positive reinforcement usually uses a reward that encourages a consumer’s behaviour by making them want to purchase the product again in the future (Wells, 2014). For example, Air New Zealand (ANZ) uses loyalty programme (Air New Zealand, 2019).  Anyone can join the programme, and as you use ANZ flights or Star Alliance flights, a customer earns air points and the customer can use the points to buy a flight cheaper or upgrade their seats, hotels and rental cars (Air New Zealand, 2019). ANZ marketers use the loyalty programme to make customers want to use ANZ again in the future to increase the number of repeating customers. Another version of reinforcement is Negative reinforcement (Wells, 2014). This uses consequences which makes consumers avoid unpleasant events and encourage better behaviour by purchasing their products (Wells, 2014). For instance, the advertisement introduced by Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) in 2012 (Fire and Emergency New Zealand, 2012). This advertisement shows a dad installing smoke alarm and the injured girl who makes consumers think that the injury is due to the consequence of not having a smoke alarm (Fire and Emergency New Zealand, 2012). FENZ is encouraging consumers to install working smoke alarms to avoid any unpleasant injuries during fire incidents. The last version is the punishment reinforcement which decreases the likelihood of purchase. It is useful for marketers to understand the operant theory so they can control the consumer’s behaviour. However, it is not as relevant as it used to be in today for marketers since the consumption pattern has changed. As the consumption patterns have shifted to online communications, consumers are less focusing on the advertisement than it used to be. Furthermore, when marketers are using the operant conditioning theory, they also should consider consumer’s motivation. This is because the reinforcement is directly effecting consumer’s motivation which is indicating to their behaviour. Motivation is a reason for people’s behaviour and (Quester, 2013). The reinforcement generates consequences to make a consumer feels favourable or unfavourable which indicates to a consumer’s motivation for the future behaviour. Therefore marketers have to be aware that the reinforcement in the operant theory process can directly influence consumer’s motivation.

The last theory is cognitive learning theory. It emphasises more about the significance of internal mental processes than the conditioning theories discussed (Rothschild & Gaidis, 1981). Furthermore, a more recently developed cognitive theory is social learning theory, built by Albert Bandura (Rothschild & Gaidis, 1981). Bandura explored the ways consumers learn and connect with their cognitive selves and how this influences their consumer behaviour (Oshikawa, 1970). Consumers are cognitive beings that are continually learning about their surroundings (Oshikawa, 1970). Therefore the environment around them is an essential aspect of social learning theory (Oshikawa, 1970). The consumer will often observe their environment and associate their meanings towards their perspective (Oshikawa, 1970). Advertising can adhere to this by providing a foundation which prompts the consumer to start using their cognitive abilities to adapt and learn towards the general intention of the advertisements. An example of this can be seen through the unique advertisements used by paper towel dispensers created by World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) (Fehrenbacher, 2007). The toilet dispenser has a shape of Africa which consumers can see through the green coloured paper towel that makes them imagine the Amazon forest (Fehrenbacher, 2007). As they use the towel, the number of green decreases (Fehrenbacher, 2007).  This advertisement allows the users to analyse this metaphor and develop their thoughts and views on this message. Many consumers perceived the negative environmental impacts of disposable paper towels towards deforestation, showcasing that our cognitive abilities can make more meaning and thoughtful views out of simple tasks such as taking a paper towel. Therefore, marketers of WWF used this to increase awareness of environmental issues. Cognitive theory helps marketers because they can make consumers think more actively and deeply about the concept that the marketers want to convey through their advertisement (Quester, 2013). This can be more effective than conditional learning sometimes since the consumer forms these ideas consciously thus forming a more personalised bond with the communication (Quester, 2013). It is still vital today for marketers as well. This is because even though the consumption pattern have changed, the theory works well with social issues arising as well as the consumption pattern changes towards social media nowadays (Quester, 2013). Furthermore, there is a relationship between perception and cognitive learning theory. Perception is a form of activities that a person selects and interprets the information to produce meaning to it which depends on their environment (Quester, 2013). Therefore, marketers make to be careful using a cognitive learning theory because it can effect consumer’s perception directly as it is about consumers interpreting in their way and generating a meaning to the advertisements.

In conclusion, this essay has discussed about how the three learning theories work and help marketers in advertising. First, this essay discussed the classical conditioning theory works to build a consumer’s respond with unnaturally created stimulus, and this helps marketers to create a positive brand image and an emotional connection with consumer. After that, this essay discussed the operant conditioning theory works by utilising three different reinforcements such as positive, negative and punishment, and it helps marketers to control a consumer’s action or behaviour. Finally, this essay discussed the cognitive learning theory works as the consumers learn themselves and link and build their own thoughts to influence their behaviour. This helps marketers as they can make consumers think about the marketing message better.

Part B: Design an advertisement

I developed an advertisement for New Zealand Health Promotion Agency’s Smokefree by applying a cognitive learning theory. The aim of this advertisement is to decrease the number of smoker by showing a picture that associating with a negative image towards smoking. This advertisement shows a healthy adult who is smoking a cigarette and an injured kid who is playing with bubbles. I believe that this advertisement will be effective to elicit audience’s attention to think cognitively about smoking, and interpret in their own way to create meanings themselves. This advertisement allows the audience to analyse this metaphor and build their thoughts and opinions on this marketing message. I expect that majority of audiences will receive the negative impacts on smoking and the audience may be create even more meaning and thoughtful opinions out of this simple picture.

Advertisement

Reference

Air New Zealand. (2019). Airpoints™. Retrieved from https://www.airnewzealand.com/airpoints

Coca-Cola Australia (Producer). (2009). Coca-Cola Australian Summer Commercial 2009/2010, Open Happiness [Video webcast]. Retrieved October 3, 2019 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlpZRK2Yfd0

Fehrenbacher, J. (2007). World Wildlife Fund Super Smart Eco Ad Campaign. inhabitat. Retrieved from https://inhabitat.com/world-wildlife-federation-super-smart-eco-ad-campaigns/

Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Producer). (2012). Could you live with yourself? [Video webcast]. Retrieved October 3, 2019 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i84f4Bcbzp4

Oshikawa, S. (1970). Learning and Behavior without Awareness: Their Implications to Consumer Behavior and Sovereignty. California Management Review, 12(4), 61–69. https://doi-org.ezproxy.auckland.ac.nz/10.2307/41164306

Quester, P. G., Pettigrew, S., Kopanidis, F., Hill, S. R., & Hawkins, D. I. (2013). Consumer behaviour: implications for marketing strategy (7th ed.). North Ryde, New South Wales: McGraw-Hill Education.

Rothschild, M. L., & Gaidis, W. C. (1981). Behavioral Learning Theory: Its Relevance to Marketing and Promotions. Journal of Marketing, 45(2), 70–78. https://doi-org.ezproxy.auckland.ac.nz/10.2307/1251666

Wells, V. K. (2014). Behavioural psychology, marketing and consumer behaviour: a literature review and future research agenda. Journal of Marketing Management, 30(11–12), 1119–1158. https://doi-org.ezproxy.auckland.ac.nz/10.1080/0267257X.2014.929161