Ashford University Industry Players Consumer Behavior Report

I need an explanation for this Marketing question to help me study.

Products and services are not created in a vacuum — they are themselves a “product” of multiple
factors shaped by consumer behaviour decision-making. In Phase 1, your task will be to
deconstruct 3 competitive brands in the same product category, comparing and contrasting the
consumer behaviour decision-making using relevant concepts from different chapters of the
textbook. This task requires developing an understanding of the consumer behaviour forces that
contributed to the success (or failure) of the product. How did the product come about? What
strategy was developed to market it? What consumer need did it fill? What role did or does it
play in the lives of its users? What is the psychographic profile of the target market? Etc.
To answer these questions you will need to work with a variety of research sources, including the
following:
• Library and various research resources
• Contacts with the product’s creator or other representative of the company
• Interviews or surveys of people who have used or now use the product.
Choose 3 competitive brands that belong to the same product category that your group would like
to study to answer the questions below (For instance, Dove, Axe and Old Spice are 3 competitive
brands in the deodorant product category). The companies should operate in Canada.
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Topic Selection – Confirm with me in advance for approval. One person from your group
will need to post the following in the Discussion Forum in Moodle by the due date.
1. Partner or Group Member Names
2. Project Topic for Phase 1. One topic per group allowed only. Must be approved by
the instructor. First come -first-served. No topic duplication will be accepted.
3. Project Country for Phase 2. Country selection will be on a first come- first served
basis and may not be duplicated.
Your first task as a group is to select a topic that excites you. I will help you if necessary, but my
preference is for you to find something that you will enjoy learning more about. Your topic can
be:
A product: Example: Dove versus Axe versus Old Spice
A service: Example: Fairmont Hotel versus Best Western Hotel versus Holiday Inn
A retailer: Example: Nordstrom versus HBC versus Walmart
Note: I reserve the right to ask you to change a topic if I don’t feel it’s appropriate, if I anticipate
you will have trouble completing the assignment, etc.
If possible your group should choose a topic that allows you to locate adequate background
information. Your choice of company should be one that has resources available for information
i.e. web site, business reports, and magazine articles. Preferably, you should be able to locate one
or more people who have experienced the topic.
Phases 1 and 2 of the project will be marked on the basis of an appropriate standard of research,
content, and organization of material. Your paper must be word processed and follow proper
APA formatting. 7 pages maximum page limit. The 7 pages maximum limit does not include
cover page, table of contents page, appendix, and bibliography. Marks will be lost if the 7 page
maximum is exceeded – note the grader will stop reading at the page limit.
Business writing style is also heavily encouraged: the use of subheadings, thorough bullet points,
and the use of charts and tables as appropriate. Double check APA formatting.
The following section details questions/information that should be answered in your project,
when comparing and contrasting the 3 competitive brands:
Report Format Phase 1- Brand Comparison Project
Title page (Names, course, university, date, project title, APA format required)
1. Brief Introduction
2. Perception
a. Explain how sensory marketing, using the five senses, has been used as a source
of competitive advantage by each of the 3 products
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3. Learning:
a. Explain the behavioural learning theories that apply to each of the 3 products
b. Observation learning: how does this apply to each of the 3 products
4. Motivation and Affect:
a. What motivational conflicts exist for purchasers of each of the products?
b. What consumer need(s) does each product fill?
5. The Self
a. Self-concept: Explain which “self” each product appeals to
b. Explain the role of the extended self for each of the products
6. Personality, Lifestyle and Values
a. Trait theory: identify the traits of the target market for each product
b. Brand personality: identify the brand personality of each of the products
c. Lifestyle: identify the lifestyle of the target market for each product
d. Persona: For each of the 3 products, create a visual collage of the persona or
psychographic profile of the target market for the product. Each persona should be
one page and should be included in the appendix to the report.
7. Attitudes
a. ABC Model: explain the ABC model for each of the 3 products
8. Ethics
a. Are there any current ethical issues in marketing that the producers of the three
products should be concerned with? If so, how have the producers of the three
products responded?