Contents
QUESTION 1 ........................................................................................................................................ 1
Social class........................................................................................................................................... 1
Reference groups ................................................................................................................................ 2
Family .................................................................................................................................................. 2
Demographics ..................................................................................................................................... 2
“Behavioural influences indicate which relationship a consumer has with a product or a brand”
(Angelopulo and Barker, 2013: 319). Explain the following two (2) behavioural influences: ................ 2
Usage behaviour ................................................................................................................................. 2
Innovation and adoption .................................................................................................................... 3
QUESTION 3 ........................................................................................................................................ 3
3.1 Poor taste and offensive advertising (4) ....................................................................................... 3
3.2 Sex in advertising .......................................................................................................................... 3
3.3 Portraying diverse people fairly and accurately ........................................................................... 3
3.4 Message-related issues ................................................................................................................. 3
3.5 Misleading or false advertising messages ..................................................................................... 4
Misleading claims:............................................................................................................................... 4
Puffery:............................................................................................................................................ 4
Comparative advertising ................................................................................................................. 4
Endorsements ................................................................................................................................. 4
Demonstrations .............................................................................................................................. 4
Controversial message .................................................................................................................... 4
3.6 Product related issues................................................................................................................... 5
Advertising controversial products ................................................................................................. 5
Unhealthy or dangerous products .................................................................................................. 5
References .............................................................................................................................................. 5
QUESTION 1
1.1 Culture influences buying behaviour in that a specific culture might consider a specific product or
service to be inappropriate. Discuss the following areas of culture and social influences:
Social class
Social class refers to a person or family’s position within society. Social class is determined by income,
wealth, education, occupation, family prestige, and the value of the home and the neighbourhood.
Economically speaking, South Africa has an upper class, a middle class and a lower class. Marketers
, therefore believe that people in different social classes buy different products and thus different
strategies are to be devised.
Reference groups
A reference group consists of those people that are normally used as a guide for
behaviour in specific situations. Reference groups can include the church, clubs to which a person
belongs, or a political party. People use reference groups to guide their behaviour because they
provide information that allows for comparison and offers guidance. Consumers might be lured into
using a product just because their reference group is using that same product for instance wearing a
ANC t-shirt because all supporters are doing the same.
Family
A family consists of people who are related to others either by blood, marriage or adoption, and
live in the same household. A family influences a person in the way in which he
or she develops as an individual. A family not only provides a person with economic resources (money
and possessions) but also with emotional support (empathy, love and companionship). Within a
family, a lifestyle for family members is established and children are raised and trained.
Demographics
Demographics are the ‘statistical, personal, social and economic’ characteristics that are used to
describe a population. This includes age, gender, education, income, occupation, sexual orientation,
race and ethnicity, family size and geography (where people reside). This information about the target
population will assist advertisers to design their advertising message so that it has maximum appeal
to the target audience. This information will also assist them to select the best media through which
to advertise the product or service and to decide how much advertising will take place in a specific
area. Because advertisements are expensive, marketers need to know where and how to best reach
a specific audience.
“Behavioural influences indicate which relationship a consumer has
with a product or a brand” (Angelopulo and Barker, 2013: 319).
Explain the following two (2) behavioural influences:
Usage behaviour
Usage refers to how much a consumer uses a brand or product. Advertisers usually consider usage
rates and brand relationships. Usage rates refer to the quantity of purchase, which can be light,
medium or heavy. Brand relationships refer to a consumer’s past, present or future use of the product
by non-users, ex-users, regular users, first-timers and users who often switch products or brands.
Those consumers who make repeat purchases of the same brand are considered to be brand loyal.