How consumer learning is important in brand building

Kiss Me Close Your EyesMiss Me

Close Your Eyes

Kiss Me

I can wet your lips

and your fingertips

and Happiness in your Eyes

Kiss Me

Close Your Eyes

Miss Me

Close Your Eyes”

You must be wondering what am I up to… no no I am not in romantic mood. Its lyrics of Cadbury “dairy milk silk chocolate” advertisement. Cadbury has been a part of the Indian market for several decades. I have grown up eating “éclairs” so it’s definitely one of my favourite brands since childhood and love for chocolate still remains.

Coming back to Cadbury as brand, there have been several variations in its advertising since the time brand was launched. Almost two decades back it has depicted several segments of consumers in its ad... from children to youth and they have tried to position themselves as replacement of sweet, also tried to capture traditional values in its advertisement. Cadbury as brand has come long way and definitely have been successful in positioning themselves as No.1 brand on consumers mind.

What kind of image comes to consumers mind when he/she thinks of “cadbury”as brand ? “It is something for children” “It’s something sweet and tasty to eat”. “Its chocolate” A brand like Cadbury creates differentiated associations through ads for its specific products (that, is cues) it informs consumers about its benefits (motivates consumer through knowledge aspects), makes them want to try the products (respond) and makes an attempt to retain brand loyalty among children, youth as well as old family members (remember the ad “ Kuch Mitha ho jaye” “ Papu pass ho gaya” )

Repeating advertising messages about brands and their benefits, rewarding people for purchase behaviour, selling high quality chocolate, getting consumers to make associations among different offerings under the same brand name and developing brand loyalty are all elements of consumer learning and brand “Cadbury” has displayed all of this in their marketing. The reason that marketers are concerned with how individuals learn is that they are vitally interested in teaching them, in their roles as consumers about product, product attributes, and their potential benefits where to buy them, how to use them, how to maintain them and even how to dispose of them. Consumer learning and adoption is the critical step of marketing the product. Marketers should also emphasise on how effectively they have taught their consumers to prefer their brand and to differentiate their products from competition. Marketers want their communications to be noted, believed, remembered and recalled. For these reasons they are interested in every aspect of the learning process. Hence we can say that consumer learning is an important aspect of brand building.

Consumer learning is process by which individuals acquire the purchase and consumption knowledge and experience and apply to future related behaviour. Although some learning is intentional, much learning is incidental. Basic elements that contribute to an understanding of learning are motivation (drives), cues, response, and reinforcement.

There are two schools of thoughts on how consumers learn 1) behavioural theories 2) cognitive theories. Behavioural theories relate to learning as observable responses to stimuli whereas cognitive theory suggests that learning is function of mental processing. Learning can also be through trial and error process in which positive outcomes (i.e. rewards) result in repeat behaviour.

Measures of consumer learning include recall and recognition tests and attitudinal and behavioural measures of brand loyalty. Brand loyalty consists of both attitude and actual behaviour towards brand and both must be measured. For marketers the major reasons for understanding how consumers learn are to teach them that their brands are best and develop brand loyalty. Brand equity refers to the inherent value a brand name has in the market place.

Since UP elections have just finished and SP had won the maximum seats are we saying that the brand (politician) “Mayawati” has lost its equity and brand (Politician) “ Akhilesh” has gained its equity. Answer is yes to some extent but since politics is very complex subject more complex than product launch hence it requires deep study on how a political party can enhance its image which results into consumer learning, brand loyalty and hence equity.