Marketing Research

Consumer Buyer
Behaviour

CHAPTER OBJECTIVES

After reading this chapter, you should be able to;

•
Define the consumer market and construct a simple model of
consumer buying behaviour.
•
Tell how culture, subculture and social class influence consumer
buying behaviour.
•
Describe how consumers' personal characteristics and primary
psychological factors affect their buyingdecisions.
•
Discuss how consumer decision making varies with the type of
buying decision.
•
Explain the stages of the buyer decision and adoption processes.
Preview Case

Sheba: The Pet's St Valentines Day

Pedro Quclhas Brito, Universidade do Porto, Portugal

PET FOOD SALES IN PORTUGAL rose from Eso480 million in 1988 to more than
EseT.OOO million in 1996. The average growth of 22 per centa year attracted
more than 60 new brands from both local and multinational companies. The
market leader, EFFEM-Portugal, with brands like Sheba, Wbiskas and
Pedigree Pal, had half of the pet food market and played an important role in
the expansion of the market, but the going was not easy for all the brands.

EFFEM's success came from understanding the behaviour of both pets
and theirowners. Cats are resolved animals. Cats eat what thev like and
leave what they dislike. A cat is selective and sensitive regarding his or her
nutritional needs and taste. If given food it dislikes, a cat seeks an alternative.
Dogs are different. A hungry dog will eat almost anything, and eats it
quicldy. For cat food the main concern is to give pleasure and to provide
variety. For dogs it isvolume and ease of consumption.

Launched in 1988, Sheba is EFFEM's super-premium brand for cats.
With its exceptional quality and its high priee, it aims to delight the most
discerning cats and is particularly appropriate for special occasions. But
Sheba was in trouble. After initial advertising and sales promotional support
during its launch, it had been left to fend for itself in theincreasingly
competitive pet food market. By 1995 Sheba's market position and even its
commercial existence was threatened by the absence of marketing support
and the entrance of new competitors into its market niche. Only 9 per cent
of the total market had ever bought a can of Sheba at least once. Sheba's low
market share of just 2 per cent justified little promotional expenditure, but
tor Sheba itwas fight back or die.

EFFEM's answer was a two-stage point of sale promotion, with each
stage costing as little as a 30-second prime-time TV commercial. Stage one
was during the run-up to Christmas 1995. In-store demonstrators approached
consumers and asked them if they owned a cat. If customers answered 'yes',
they were offered a greetings card and a 100 g can of Sheba. In this way bothowners and pets received a gift- This sampling raised customers' brand
awareness and knowledge of Sheba. Besides giving information, the card
encouraged the pet's owners to show their love for their eat by giving it
Sheba because 'it deserves it'. The card and its message were designed to
generate favourable feelings. After all, it was Christmas time and this 'Santa
Claws' gave away 12,000cans of very special Sheba.

The second stage of the campaign repeated the Christmas promotion,
but with St Valentine's Day as the theme. The Valentine's cart) showed two
cats, probably lovers, with the messages: 'Because today is a special day, Sheba
has a gift for your cat' and 'Let it know how you love [your cat]'. During the
campaign 11,900 cans were given to customers at the point ofsale. The
Valentine's card also doubled as a Cash-back coupon with a face value of EsclOO.
The refund and the emotional appeal of the message helped customers to
confirm their preference for Sheba while showing their love for their cat.

The promotions reversed Sheba's sales decline. The impact on brand
awareness/knowledge and repeat purchase was evident and the percentage
of consumers who...