Chapter 5 Evaluating and Selecting
Alternatives
• The nature of evaluative criteria
• Tools to measurement evaluative criteria
• Consumers’ individual judgments are not
necessarily accurate
• Role of surrogate indicators
• Types of decision rules consumers may apply
• Implications of evaluative criteria for marketing
strategy
Copyright ª 2004 McGrawHill Australia Pty Ltd
5–1
Evaluation of Alternatives
• Evaluation criteria
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price
brand name
country of origin
• Determinants of criteria
• Measurement of evaluation criteria
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–
–
identify important criteria
perception of each product for these
alternative performance of each product
Copyright ª 2004 McGrawHill Australia Pty Ltd
5–2
Evaluation of Alternatives (cont.)
• Determining the alternatives
• Evaluating alternatives
• Selecting a decision rule
–
–
–
–
non-compensatory
compensatory
constructive
phased
• Marketing implications
Copyright ª 2004 McGrawHill Australia Pty Ltd
5–3
Consumer Decision Process
5–4
Alternative Evaluation and
Selection Process
5–5
The Measurement of
Evaluative Criteria
• Before a strategy is developed, the marketing
manager must know:
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–
–
Which evaluative criteria are used by the consumer
How the consumer perceives alternative products in
terms of each criterion
The relative importance of each criterion
Copyright ª 2004 McGrawHill Australia Pty Ltd
5–6
Determining which Evaluative
Criteria are Used
• Direct methods
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Asking consumers
Focus groups
Observation
• Indirect methods
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–
Projective techniques
Perceptual mapping
Copyright ª 2004 McGrawHill Australia Pty Ltd
5–7
Perceived Performance of
Six Television Sets
5–8
Importance of Evaluative
Criteria to Buyers
5–9
Perceptual Mapping of Soap Brands
5–10
Uses of Perceptual Mapping
• We use this method to help us understand
consumers’ perceptions and the evaluative criteria
they use
• We can use this information to determine:
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–
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How different brands are positioned according to
evaluative criteria
How the positions of brands change in response to
marketing efforts
How to position new products using evaluative criteria
Copyright ª 2004 McGrawHill Australia Pty Ltd
5–11
Determining Consumers’ Judgments
of Brand Performance in Terms of
Specific Evaluative Criteria
• Rank-ordering scales
• Sematic-differential scales
• Likert scales
Copyright ª 2004 McGrawHill Australia Pty Ltd
5–12
Determining the Relative Importance of
Evaluative Criteria
•
Direct methods
– Constant sum
5–13
Determining the Relative Importance
of Evaluative Criteria (cont.)
• Indirect methods
–
Conjoint analysis
–
A technique that provides data on the structure of
consumers’ preferences for product features and their
willingness to trade one feature for more of another.
Copyright ª 2004 McGrawHill Australia Pty Ltd
5–14
Application of Conjoint Analysis
5–15
Using Conjoint Analysis to Determine the
Importance of Evaluative Criteria
5–16
Individual Judgment and
Evaluative Criteria
• The accuracy of individual judgments
–
Use of a surrogate indicator
–
Sensory discrimination
–
Just-noticeable difference
Copyright ª 2004 McGrawHill Australia Pty Ltd
5–17
Use of Surrogate Indicators
• Consumers frequently use an observable attribute
of a product to indicate the performance of the
product on a less observable attribute
–
Reliance depends on:
Predictive value
Confidence value
Copyright ª 2004 McGrawHill Australia Pty Ltd
5–18
Use of Surrogate Indicators (cont.)
• Price
• Brand
Copyright ª 2004 McGrawHill Australia Pty Ltd
5–19
Use of Price to Indicate the Quality of Jewellery
5–20
Evaluative Criteria, Individual
Judgments and Marketing Strategy
• Consumers use surrogate indicators
–
Marketers can ensure that their products are superior for
these criteria by
Making direct reference to them in ads
Using brand names
Using celebrity endorsement
Using country-of-origin
Copyright ª 2004 McGrawHill Australia Pty Ltd
5–21
Use of Celebrity Endorsement
5–22
Use of Country of Origin
5–23
Decision Rules Used by Consumers
• Conjunctive
• Disjunctive
• Elimination-by-aspects
• Lexicographic
• Compensatory
Copyright ª 2004 McGrawHill Australia Pty Ltd
5–24
Decision Rules Used by Consumers (cont.)
5–25