Page 177 - DMGT506_CONSUMER_BEHAVIOUR

Consumer Behaviour

Notes 5. Preference strategy
6. Acceptance strategy.
Each strategy has a unique approach, however, there is substantial overlap between the strategies.

Maintenance Strategy

In case the nature of marketer’s brand is such that consumers in the target market purchase it
habitually, the most appropriate strategy is to maintain that behaviour. This requires marketer’s
consistent attention in maintaining product quality, uninterrupted supply of stocks to retailers
and reinforcing advertising messages. To protect the product against competitors’ disruptive
tactics, it is necessary to maintain product development and improvements against strategies
such as discounts and coupons etc.

Disrupt Strategy

If the brand is not a part of the evoked set of the target consumers and nominal decision making
is what they engage in, the marketers’ appropriate strategy is to disrupt the existing pattern of
decision making. It cannot be accomplished easily and in the short-run because consumers do
not engage in external information search or even consider alternative brands but just buy
habitually. Low-involvement learning in the long run could possibly cause positive feelings for
the brand.

The approach best suited is to bring about major product improvements and introducing attention
getting advertising campaigns. Comparative advertising with strong benefit claims is often
successful in breaking habitual buying. This could shift the consumers in the target market to
get involved in relatively more extensive decision making. Free samples, coupons and
tie-in promotions etc. may succeed in consumer trials and disrupt the pattern of nominal decision
making. L L Garber notes that striking package design and POP displays may disrupt a habitual
buying sequence.

Capture Strategy

Generally, consumers consider just a few brands and evaluate them on only few attributes when
problem solving involves limited decision making. The information search tends to be limited
to readily available information sources such as local media and point-of-purchase in store
before making a purchase. The marketer’s objective should be to capture a large share of
consumers’ purchases.
Research can furnish useful information about consumers’ media preferences and the marketer
should go for cooperative advertising in local media furnishing information about price and
availability etc. The marketer can also encourage dealers to arrange point-of purchase displays
and other sales promotional techniques.
Intercept Strategy

Intercept strategy is also related to consumers’ limited decision making approach. If the
marketer’s brand is not part of the evoked set of target market, the appropriate strategy is to
intercept consumers during their information search on the brands in evoked set. Here, too,
cooperative advertising in local media, attractive package design and safe promotional techniques
such as free samples, displays, coupons and premiums etc. can prove to be effective. What is
important is to attract consumers’ attention since they are not really keen on information search
about marketer’s brand. Advertising frequency on TV to cause low-involvement learning and
product improvements could succeed in moving the product in consumers’ evoked set.

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