Abstract
D.Com. (Marketing Management)
The reality is that the advertising industry has not yet achieved this kind of
effectiveness - in fact, it will be argued in this chapter that the advertising industry is
in trouble because there is considerable doubt as to how effective advertising works
and whether it works at all.
There is therefore an urgency in the advertising and marketing industries to find ways
of making advertising more effective, and to develop methods of measuring the
effectiveness of advertising. This study will deal with this subject, and will
demonstrate that a micro approach to consumer behaviour, including an
understanding of human values -and the motivation that drives behaviour, will
contribute to making advertising more effective. This study will show that by
enabling consumers to experience self related values which will create or reinforce a
favourable disposition towards the brand, the effectiveness of marketing
communications can be improved.
When a market is very competitive with many similar brand offerings - as is the case
with the luxury car market in South Africa - consumers are likely to choose between
brands on the basis of value-expressive considerations (Reynolds & Gutman, 1984 :
27-37). Parity perceptions will increase the likelihood that consumers will choose a
luxury car brand that they think has an image most consistent with their values.
Values have been used successfully in the car market to help segment the market, or
to help predict buying behaviour in this market. (Thekey findings of some of these
studies are discussed in Chapter 5).
A study ofvalues is therefore very relevant to the car market. A research study in the
car market, particularly the medium/large sedan market, has for this reason been
chosen to illustrate how a micro approach to consumer behaviour, including an
understanding of values, could make the advertising for a brand in this market more
effective.