a.agrawal21
New member
An experiment by Prakash Nedungadi provides a compelling demonstration
of the importance of understanding the category structure that exists
in consumer memory, as well as the value of strategies for increasing
the recallability or accessibility of brands during choice situation.
As a preliminary step in research study, Nedungadi first examined the
category structure for fast food restaurants that existed in the
consumers' minds. He fond that a "major subcategory" was "hamburger
chains", a major brand was McDonald's and a minor brand was Wendy's.
and within the minor subcategory of local sandwich shops, a major
brand was Joe's Deli (a brand in his survey area) and a minor brand
was Subway. Consistent with this reasoning, in an unaided recall and
choice task, consumers were more likely to remember and select a brand
from a major subcategory, than from a minor subcategory and within a
subcategory, a major brand rather than a minor brand.
Nedungadi next looked at the effects of different brand "primes" on
subsequent choice among the four fast food restaurants. Brands were
primed by having subjects in the experiment, first answer a series of
seemingly unrelated questions - including some questions about the
brand to be primed - before making their brand selections. Because of
this initial exposure, a target brand was primed in memory and
therefore potentially more accessible during the choice task. Two key
findings emerged. First, a major brand that was primed was more likely
to be selected in the latter task choice even though the attitudes
towards the brand were no different from those of a control group. In
other words, merely making the brand more accessible in memory
increased the likelihood that it would be chosen independent of any
differences in brand attitude. Second, priming a minor brand in a
minor subcategory actually benefited the major brand in that
subcategory ore. In other words, by drawing attention to the minor
subcategory of sandwich shops - which could easily be overlooked - the
minor brand, Subway, indirectly primed the major brand, Joe's Deli, in
the subcategory. The implications of his research are that marketers
must understand how consumers' memory is organized and, as much as
possible, ensure that the proper cues and primes are evident to prompt
brand recall.
of the importance of understanding the category structure that exists
in consumer memory, as well as the value of strategies for increasing
the recallability or accessibility of brands during choice situation.
As a preliminary step in research study, Nedungadi first examined the
category structure for fast food restaurants that existed in the
consumers' minds. He fond that a "major subcategory" was "hamburger
chains", a major brand was McDonald's and a minor brand was Wendy's.
and within the minor subcategory of local sandwich shops, a major
brand was Joe's Deli (a brand in his survey area) and a minor brand
was Subway. Consistent with this reasoning, in an unaided recall and
choice task, consumers were more likely to remember and select a brand
from a major subcategory, than from a minor subcategory and within a
subcategory, a major brand rather than a minor brand.
Nedungadi next looked at the effects of different brand "primes" on
subsequent choice among the four fast food restaurants. Brands were
primed by having subjects in the experiment, first answer a series of
seemingly unrelated questions - including some questions about the
brand to be primed - before making their brand selections. Because of
this initial exposure, a target brand was primed in memory and
therefore potentially more accessible during the choice task. Two key
findings emerged. First, a major brand that was primed was more likely
to be selected in the latter task choice even though the attitudes
towards the brand were no different from those of a control group. In
other words, merely making the brand more accessible in memory
increased the likelihood that it would be chosen independent of any
differences in brand attitude. Second, priming a minor brand in a
minor subcategory actually benefited the major brand in that
subcategory ore. In other words, by drawing attention to the minor
subcategory of sandwich shops - which could easily be overlooked - the
minor brand, Subway, indirectly primed the major brand, Joe's Deli, in
the subcategory. The implications of his research are that marketers
must understand how consumers' memory is organized and, as much as
possible, ensure that the proper cues and primes are evident to prompt
brand recall.