Page 90 - DMGT506_CONSUMER_BEHAVIOUR

Unit 6: Consumer Learning

Notes
Example: Asian Paints has strong association with Gattu holding a bucket and
painting brush. Similarly, MRF has strong association with the figure of ‘Muscleman’. It
would be difficult for them to link their products with new unconditioned stimulus.

Stimulus Generalisation

In his experiments, Pavlov also demonstrated that the dogs could learn to salivate on hearing
somewhat similar sound produced by jingling keys. This was the case of stimulus generalisation
in dogs. Stimulus generalisation occurs when two stimuli are seen as similar and the effects of
one, therefore, can be substituted for the effects of the other. This principle states that a new but
similar stimulus or stimulus situation will produce a response that is the same or similar as that
produced by the original stimulus. The more the new stimulus is like the conditioned stimulus,
the more probable it is that the new stimulus will produce the same conditioned response.
According to Bernard Brelson and Gary A Steiner, the process of stimulus generalisation seems
to occur automatically unless stopped by discrimination learning. Stimulus generalisation makes
consumer’ life easier and allows them to simplify the process of evaluation because they do not
have to make separate judgements for each and every stimuli. For matching or identical stimuli
just one response can be used, unless there is strong reason to discriminate between them. With
more dissimilarity between two stimuli, there is less likelihood that stimulus generalisation
will occur.

As an increasing numbers of new products are introduced in the market, consumers use stimulus
generalisation from past experience to put them in categories. Some local or regional marketers
make use of this principle by using nearly look-alike packaging for their products so that they
resemble some well-known brands in appearance. This practice can also be seen, for example, in
case of various brands of cooking oils prepared from sunflower or soybean, or different brands
of iodised table salt. Some companies follow a policy of stimulus generalisation and some
others avoid it.

Example: Bajaj, Philips, Sony, Lakme, Pepsi and Coke etc. follow a policy of generalisation
and use family branding. On the other hand, Hindustan Lever Ltd, Proctor & Gamble and ITC
avoid it and employ stimulus discrimination.
Product line extension is the strategy of introducing variations of the same product. This variation
may be simply of colour, packaging, size, or flavour etc. but the core product value remains the
same.

Example: Palmolive soap is available in pink, white and light bluish pack. Maggi noodles
are available in different flavours.
Product form extension means that the same product is available in different physical forms
such as Dettol soap cake and Dettol liquid soap. Many drugs are available as tablet, syrup,
injections, or as inhalers.
Product category extension is diversifying into producing products in different categories and
using the same established brand name.

Example: Maggi noodles and Maggi tomato chilli sauce. Similarly there is Lux toilet
soap and Lux shampoo, Ponds talcum powder and Ponds soap etc.
The success of product category extension strategy depends on the quality image of the parent
brand because only then consumers are more likely to bring positive associations to the new
category extensions. Milkmaid has successfully extended its product category on the strength of

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