1-What is the definition of Attitude?
Attitude is defined as lasting integrated processes of motivation, emotion, and cognition in response to stimulus in the environment. It is learned predisposition created in response to an attitude object.
2- Describe the key elements of the tri-component theory of attitude formation and change. How does the theory work?
Tri-component theory has three components, which are cognitive, affective, and behavioural. The theory states that these components lead to affect attitude formation and change in responding to attitude object. The theory starts with initiator or stimuli, and then, the stimuli is affected by affective, cognitive, and behavioural components of attitude. Affective component changes emotions or feelings about overall attitude object, cognitive component affects beliefs, and behavioural component affects intentions of behaviour. These changes are toward the attitude object or overall object. Then, consequently, overall orientation toward the object comes into being. It leads to form or change the attitude.
The tri component theory has an important role in consumer behaviour because it captures three important components. Change in cognition totally changes the perspective of a person. A consumer gets direct influence from the cognitive attributes. Thus, the attitude object also gets influence from this component. Similarly, changes in behaviour, and affective components lead to changes in consumer behaviour. The theory works in this integrated manner and makes the complexity of consumer behaviour into simpler one. These key elements of the theory work effectively (Stephens, 2016).
Many social marketers are interested in promoting behavioural change towards socially desirable behaviours. In your groups, select three (3) contrasting fear appeals among the selection posted on vUWS and discuss whether you believe the ad would be effective in changing attitudes towards the target behaviour.
Ad 1: Precision Parking: Park Assist by Volkswagen
1-Who is the target market(s) for the ad? [Be specific and descriptive, i.e. not just “smokers”. Use demographic and/or psychographic profile descriptors]
The target market for the ad is car buyers. They may be Volkswagen buyers or loyal to any other automobile brand. In terms of demographic attributes, the ad is also suitable for young drivers of cars because they require guidance to behave sensibly with responsibility (Quester, 2014).
2-What behaviour is being targeted? [Think carefully. g. it may not just be “quit smoking”. Look for any call to action in the ads]
The behaviour going to target in the ad is the precision parking. It is favourable message to the target audience that they have to park their car. This message has helped to add more beliefs and ideals into the brand because here, Volkswagen is not promoting its product. It is focusing on a message, which gives the target market a message of responsibility. The behavioural change is the purpose of the ad, but it also enriches meaning and more purpose in the brand (Otnes and Zayer, 2012).
3-What elements of the advertising creative do you think are being used, and how?
The advertisement communicates fear appeal because it is beneficial for all to park precisely. It prevents accidents or any other negative incident. This ad has used fear appeal and used elements of advertising creative of changing belief, shifting importance, adding beliefs, and changing ideal. The advertisement creative changes beliefs by adding more attributes to Volkswagen brand, and it shifts the importance by inviting attention of customers to the message conveyed. As a result, new beliefs are added, and ideals associated with brand change.
4-Do you think it is an effective ad? Why/why not? [NB: Use attitude theory in your response wherever possible]
The ad is effective, and it has focused cognitive component of attitude. It also aims to change behaviour of the target market. It changes the feelings of the target audience toward Volkswagen brand. Thus, it consists of fear appeal that car parking is beneficial; otherwise, it may affect people negatively. However, it has done this job by adding beliefs to its product, and it makes this ad effective. The effectiveness of the ad also stresses its role in giving more meaning to the brand. Volkswagen has not promoted its brand through the ad, but it has spread the message. The message is to spread awareness. It is fear appeal, but it also has different positive aspects (Stephens, 2016).
Ad 2: Greenpeace Fear Appeal
1-Who is the target market(s) for the ad? [Be specific and descriptive, i.e. not just “smokers”. Use demographic and/or psychographic profile descriptors]
The target market for the fear appeal is the public. The campaign uses fear appeal to let people aware of negative consequences faced by baby tuna, sharks, and turtles while catching them in unsustainable way. However, the focus is on John West, who is responsible for unsustainable tuna fishing. Thus, the target market of the ad is more complex than other advertisements. There is focus on a company, along with efforts to get along with the wider public through the campaign (Quester, 2014).
2-What behaviour is being targeted? [Think carefully. g. it may not just be “quit smoking”. Look for any call to action in the ads]
Responsible fish catching is the behaviour that is being targeted. First, the fear appeal alerts Australian consumers of practices carried out by John West. Second, it emphasizes the company adopting sustainable practices as their current practices are not beneficial to the environment and fish in the water. The change in behaviour may occur because the campaign is very intense and unique in its essence. Greenpeace is not selling a product, but it is spreading a message on fear appeal. Therefore, it is a perfect example of fear appeal with a target to bring change to the behaviour (Veerkumar and Jaiswal, 2015).
3-What elements of the advertising creative do you think are being used, and how?
The elements of advertising creatively used in the advertisement are shifting importance. People buy fish from John West, but they do not take care of means used for catching fish. The campaign has used the name of the company and started this campaign. It shows the campaign is very serious and it has emphasized the importance of having only sustainable fishing. It also aims to change behaviour by adopting practices friendly to the environment. Mainly, it is fear-based advertisement where alarm bell rings for fish buyers. The advertisement is not very creative, but it has taken forceful course of action to ensure safe fishing by the company. It is a campaign, and it revolves around fear appeal. Greenpeace just wants to push John West to stop destructive ways of fishing (Quester, 2014).
4-Do you think it is an effective ad? Why/why not? [NB: Use attitude theory in your response wherever possible]
The Greenpeace ad is effective because of its clarity and reach. The advertisement has the aim of running the campaign to expose the destructive fishing patterns of the company. Greenpeace has exposed practices of the company through solid and clear campaigns. There is no ambiguity in the campaign. There are reports that one of billboards of the campaign had to take down. That billboard was erected near the headquarter of John West. Greenpeace blam3es John Waste for taking that billboard down despite its duration not expiring. Then, it decided to run the campaign through mobiles means. The clarity and focus on the message-based fear appeal are responsible for making the ad effective and useful. The campaign has influenced behavioural and cognitive components of attitudes. It is effective to change the attitude of consumers of John West (Quester, 2014).
Ad 3: Melanoma Foundation about Checking Mole Otherwise, it is Suicide
1-Who is the target market(s) for the ad? [Be specific and descriptive, i.e. not just “smokers”. Use demographic and/or psychographic profile descriptors]
The target market for the advertisement is mature people, and the model featured in the ad is a mature adult male. It is stressed that one should be careful about changing his or her skin. Such changes occur in adult people, and therefore, this ad is for the adult audience (Quester, 2014).
2-What behaviour is being targeted? [Think carefully. g. it may not just be “quit smoking”. Look for any call to action in the ads]
Personalized behaviour is below the target through this ad. A man has moles on his chest, and some of them are present in his throat’s outer skin. The ad has spread the message, which might lead to suicide if not taken care of. The cognitive component of attitude is the target of the ad because it wants to change the cognition of people to take care of changes on their skin. Change in cognitive component may lead to change in beliefs of people after the ad. The fear appeal is the main component of the ad (Veerkumar and Jaiswal, 2015).
3-What elements of the advertising creative do you think are being used, and how?
The element of advertising creative in the ad is fear and its impact on cognition. Moles on the chest of the male model become pistol, which is pointing towards his throat. It means that ignoring moles leads to death but suicide. It also affects behaviour of people by forcing them to change their perspective. They should not take moles lightly because they may deteriorate to become unable to get cure at all. Thus, the ad invites the audience to change their behaviour as well. The dominant element is cognition, but behavioural element has been highlighted in the ad (Quester, 2014).
4-Do you think it is an effective ad? Why/why not? Use attitude theory in your response wherever possible]
The ad is effective, and there is no doubt about it. The ad has simply invited the attention of the audience by making them responsible for changes in their skin. The ad is more important in context of campaign that tan may cause cancer. Tanning brings changes to skin and any change to skin leads to cancer. Similarly, moles represent visible change on the skin, and they may cause danger (Stephens, 2016).
References
Otnes, C. and Zayer, L.T. (2012) Gender, Culture, and Consumer Behavior, 2nd edition, Routledge.
Quester, P. (2014) Consumer Behaviour, McGraw-Hill Education.
Stephens, D.L. (2016) Essentials of Consumer Behavior, 2nd edition, Taylor & Francis.
Veerkumar, V. and Jaiswal, N. (2015) Impact of Television Advertisement on Purchases made for children, 1st edition, Anchor Academic Publishing.
