Visualizers vs Verbalizers: Consumers’ Cognition and Marketers’ Conviction
Synopsis
A critical component in understanding a customer’s behavior is to understand (at least attempt) the underlying motives (drives, urges, etc.) that trigger a specific behavior. Having been introduced to several models of consumer behavior (Kotler, Engel, Hawkins, et al.), the participants/students should have a fair understanding of the underlying theoretical constructs. This caselet enables a discussion on relationship between Motivation, Cognition and Learning in defining the consumer behavior. Most importantly this caselet is an attempt to sensitize the participants to examine how visualizers and verbalizers process information (and therefore the resultant perceptions).
Prerequisite Conceptual Understanding (PCU)/Mandatory Readings
The students/participants should be encouraged to read the following mandatory readings as suggested at the end of caselet bereft of which a meaningful discussion and adequate analysis of this caselet cannot be accomplished.............
Case Positioning and Setting
This caselet can be used in MBA, Executive MBA or Executive Development Programs, for either of the following courses:
- •Consumer Behavior Course – Personality and understanding Consumer Behavior – To examine if there is any circularity relationship between Need For Cognition, Visualizers and Verbalizers to devise the best communication strategies
- •Designing and Delivering Communication Strategies – In visual or verbal formats pertaining to both – Manufacturing sector as well as Service Sector
Assignment Questions
- I. Elucidate the relationship between Motivation, Cognition and Learning in understanding Consumer Behavior?
- II. Surmising from the mandatory reading, what do you understand by the Need for Cognition and its usefulness in understanding a consumer’s behavior?
- III. Differentiate between Visualizers and Verbalizers. How do each one of them process information and what’s the importance of such knowledge to marketers/advertisers?
- IV. ................
Suggested Orchestration
The classroom discussion and analysis was facilitated under three broad sections and could be summarized through the Classroom Discussion Dashboard [Exhibit (TN)-I]...........
Exhibits
Exhibit (TN)-I: Classroom Discussion Dashboard
Exhibit (TN)-II: Classroom Orchestration
Exhibit (TN)-III: Framework – Information Process and Buying Behavior
Exhibit (TN)-IV: Hawkins’ Perception Model
Exhibit (TN)-V (A): Visualizers vs Verbalizers – Analysis of Responses
Exhibit (TN)-V (B): Visualizers vs Verbalizers – Grouping of Responses
Exhibit (TN)-V (C): Visualizers vs Verbalizers – Industry-wise Responses
Exhibit (TN)-VI: The Consumer Buying Tunnel
Exhibit (TN)-VII: Tri-Component-Attitude Model
Exhibit (TN)-VIII : Relationship Among Elements in an Attitude-Toward-the-Ad-Model
Exhibit (TN)-IX: Preferred Products-Preferred Advertising Sources