Situational Influences

Chapter 2
Situations influence consumer
behaviour

There are four main types of

situations

Situational influences can be

categorised according to five main
dimensions

Situational influences have

Copyright 2002 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd. PPTs t/a

implications for marketing strategy

Consumer Behaviour: Implications for Marketing Strategy 3e by Neal, Quester and Hawkins

Topics Covered Today

Types of situations
The nature of situational influence
Situation classification

Physical
Social
Time
Task
Antecedent

Situational influences and marketing

strategy
Copyright 2002 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd. PPTs t/a
Consumer Behaviour: Implications for Marketing Strategy 3e by Neal, Quester and Hawkins

Types of Situation
Communication
Where? Alone or with others? Surrounding
noise?

Purchase situation
Where? Alone or with others? In a hurry?

Consumption situation
Public or private? For pleasure or for work?

Disposal situation
Required for next purchase? Trade-ins?
Copyright 2002 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd. PPTs t/a
Consumer Behaviour: Implications for Marketing Strategy 3e by Neal, Quester and Hawkins

Consumer Behaviour is
Product Person Situation

Specific

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Consumer Behaviour: Implications for Marketing Strategy 3e by Neal, Quester and Hawkins

The Role of Situation in

Consumer Behaviour
Insert Fig. 2.2 3/e

Copyright 2002 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd. PPTs t/a

Consumer Behaviour: Implications for Marketing Strategy 3e by Neal, Quester and Hawkins

Five Classes of
Situational
Influence
Physical surroundings

Social surroundings
Temporal perspectives
Task definition
Antecedent states

Copyright 2002 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd. PPTs t/a

Consumer Behaviour: Implications for Marketing Strategy 3e by Neal, Quester and Hawkins

Examples of Physical
Surroundings
Store location
Interior decor
Music
Smell
Temperature (air-conditioning or
heating)
Amount of choice provided (by product
category or across the categories)

Copyright 2002 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd. PPTs t/a

Consumer Behaviour: Implications for Marketing Strategy 3e by Neal, Quester and Hawkins

Examples of Social
Surroundings
Types of customers in the store
Queues and crowding
Whether the consumer is likely to be
known by others/recognised
Whether there are high profile
people/celebrities shopping at that
store
Whether the product will be consumed
privately or in the presence of others
Copyright 2002 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd. PPTs t/a
Consumer Behaviour: Implications for Marketing Strategy 3e by Neal, Quester and Hawkins

Examples of Temporal
Influences

Whether the product is seasonal

Whether the product is urgently
required (broken calculator before the
exam)
Whether there is time for shopping or
not: the product may be just an
excuse for shopping
How long the previous product lasted
or was expected to last
Copyright 2002 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd. PPTs t/a
Consumer Behaviour: Implications for Marketing Strategy 3e by Neal, Quester and Hawkins

Examples of Task
Influences
Is the product utilitarian or used as a
status symbol?
Is it a gift or for oneself?
Must the product be long lasting/tough
(e.g. a watch to be taken on a boat trip)
or decorative (e.g. a dress watch)?
Is the product intended for several
uses? (e.g. a laptop for study and
internet access)
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Consumer Behaviour: Implications for Marketing Strategy 3e by Neal, Quester and Hawkins

10

Examples of Antecedent
States
Moods

Feeling sad triggers buying sweets or going to

a funny movie
Feeling rejected triggers buying games
software

Momentary conditions
Cant buy ice cream because teeth hurt
Cant buy a book because left the credit card at
home
Buy more groceries because hungry before
shopping
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Consumer Behaviour: Implications for Marketing Strategy 3e by Neal, Quester and Hawkins

11

Impact of Physical Density

on Shopper Perceptions

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Consumer Behaviour: Implications for Marketing Strategy 3e by Neal, Quester and Hawkins

12

Situational Influence and

Marketing Strategy
Developing a situational influence
matrix
Positioning the product based on
situation
Segmenting the market based on
usage situation
alone
in combination with other segmentation
variable
Copyright
person/situation
segmentation
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Pty Ltd. PPTs t/a

Consumer Behaviour: Implications for Marketing Strategy 3e by Neal, Quester and Hawkins

13

Use Situations and

Product Positioning

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Consumer Behaviour: Implications for Marketing Strategy 3e by Neal, Quester and Hawkins

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