How Marking Mix Elements Influences Consumer Buying Behaviour Through Psychological and Sociological Factors

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1.4.2 Perspectives

There are two perspective approaches, Positivist and Interpretivist. The emotional perspective however, Hansen 2003 is applicable to Adidas. The emotional perspective makes the assumption that consumers will have brand preference and brand loyalty to Adidas due to the low involvement satisfaction of functional expectations being met as compared to the other brands for eg Nike, thereby, reflecting personality and brand congruence (See Means end Chain and Fishbein’s Model)

1.4.3 Expectation and Satisfaction

Expectation is held that Adidas will fulfil quality products with durability which is found within information searches and product promotion of Adidas positing “Impossible is nothing” therefore in pre purchase searches, expectation will be cultivated throughout information searches as well as promotions to condition consumption outcome of satisfaction. This explains Adidas’ high sales thoughout the years

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Source: Peter and Olson 2007

Figure 4 shows that the satisfaction derived from Adidas, positively stimulates the brand preference due to pre purchase performance expectation of durability and post purchase satisfaction of the product durability as well as social image enhancement. Therefore, positive disconfirmation enhances brand preference (Blackwell Miniard and Engel 2005). There is negative disconfirmation from competitiors who post blogs and videos concerning the defaults in product quality for Adidas which is elaborated in the Fishbein’s Model.

- Psychological Drivers

The psychological processes will be stimuli for need recognition, purchase as well as expectations satisfaction (Blackwell, Miniad, Engel 2005)

2.1Perception and Attention

This can be defined as “the process by which an individual selects, organises and interprets stimuli into a meaningful and coherent picture of the world” (Schiffman and Kanuk, 2012, p. 121). Stimuli utilized by Starbucks attempt to construct a favourable brand image through sensory marketing since consumers act upon the information they receive (Soloman et al, 2006). Adidas uses promotion and product stimuli to associate a positive brand image as composed to competitors with in the same industry by sensory perception, since Keller 2003 posited that comsumers act upon the information that they receive.

2.2 Sensory Marketing

Adidas has standardised its logo throughout the years, with its most visible black and white three stripes that makes it recognisable anywhere you go as well representing that it takes more than two to form a team in team oriented visual marketing. As well as being memorable since it is simple to remember and also being an impetus for purchase since it becomes components of the evoke set.

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The packaging has been rebranding throughout the year, eliminating the word Adidas, which justifies the utilization of Weber Law since the product improvement made to Adidas over the years makes a luxury brand with available extension for the middle class. This represents Adidas, associating itself with the new youth segment which has become one of the rapidly grown segment due to promotions on social media, identifying itself, with youths, as well as imitating Nike swoosh Soloman et al 2006 here by using information search tactic by cue dependency of promotions, stimulating a positive, attached perception to Adidas, by quality and cohesion.

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2.3 The Attention Process in Perception

Advertisers tend to use extreme “attention-getting devices to achieve maximum contrast and, thus, penetrate the consumer’s perceptual screen” (Schiffman et al, 2012, p. 178) there may be advertising cluttering due to sensory overload through selective attention and selective retention (Soloman et al, 2006). Nevertheless, Adidas heavily uses internet marketing since its target market are of the internet generation on social media (Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin) thereby promoting all sporting goods and materials there.

“Product stereotypes serve as expectations of what specific situations, people or events will be like, and they are important determinants of how such stimuli are subsequently perceived.” (Schiffman et al, 2012, p.173). Thus Adidas stresses on comfort and satisfaction through emotional appeal. Secondarily Adidas focuses on encouraging customers’ to buy their products when they see athletes that they esteem wearing them, to make them think that they can be as good as that player if they buy what that player is wearing.

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- Learning and Memory

Learning is the continued process influenced by perception determining consumption through promotional activity. Soloman et al (2006) propose learning is stimulated through motivation, Stimuli (cues), Response and Reinforcement thus “Consumer learning is a process continually evolving and changing as a result of newly acquired knowledge which may be gained from reading, discussion, observation or from experiences” (Schiffman et al, 2012, p. 196) piqued at the Information Search DMP stage. “Perception guides consumers’ attention so that they mainly focus on information that they have some sort of interest in” (Jansson-Boyd, 2010, p. 55) thus consumers desire to learn about the product taught by promotional activities of Starbucks.

3.1 Application of Classical Conditioning

Classical conditioning is “when a stimulus that elicits a response is learned to be associated with another stimulus that does not originally elicit a response” (Jansson-Boyd, 2010, p. 176) after Need Recognition upon seeing packaging updated through Weber’s Law. Classical conditioning, simply pairs one stimulus that evokes certain meanings and feelings with another that can cause a transfer of these meaning and feelings from one to the other (Blackwell, Miniard, Engel, 2005).

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3.2 Memory Processes

This “involves a process of acquiring information and storing it over time so that it will be available when needed” (Soloman et al., 2006, p.272). Memory subdivides into sensory, short term and long term transmitting