MKF5911 – Theory and Process of Buyer Behaviour
Objectives of the Assignment Most of the consumer behavior theories you learn from this unit come from rigorous academic research. The findings of these research projects are usually published in academic journals. In this assessment, you will read an academic journal article on a consumer behaviour topic and answer a few questions.
Task This assessment is an individual assessment. Read the following academic research article. A copy can be found on the unit Moodle site. Pracejus, J., Olsen, G. dougla., & O’guinn, T. (2006). How Nothing Became Something: White Space, Rhetoric, History, and Meaning. Journal of Consumer Research, 33(1), 82–90.https://doi.org/10.1086/504138 Write a report of maximum 3 pages that answers the following questions. Use only Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4, Q5, Q6 as the headings. Do not copy and paste the questions to the report. 1
Q1. What are the main findings of this consumer research? Please describe them with your own words. Do not copy and paste from the article. (10 points) Q2. Why are consumers influenced by the “White Space Effect”? In other words, why do consumers have this “White Space Effect”? What are the possible reasons speculated by the authors? Please summarize them with your own words. Do not copy and paste from the article. (20 points) Q3. Consumer researchers can use different research methods and recruit different participants for their research. In this research, study 1 was a survey conducted among creative directors at major ad agencies, whereas study 2 was a lab experiment using student participants. Please list at least 3 benefits for this research to use hybrid methods and diverse groups of participant. (10 points) Q4. There is a limitation in the experiment design of study 2. The authors compared the three low white space advertisements with the three high white space advertisements (see Figure 4) and concluded that white space improves consumer’s perception of a brand. However, there exists an alternative explanation for this finding. What is it? What else could alternatively explain the different consumer perceptions between the upper 3 ads and lower 3 ads in Figure 4? (10 points) If you were allowed to add one more advertisement to this study to address this limitation, how would this additional ad look like? Please insert an image of this additional ad and explain in what way it addresses the limitation? (10 points) Q5. Have you observed any marketplace applications of the “White Space Effect” in the context of fashion or luxury retailing (e.g., stores that sell fashion products and luxury products)? Please describe your observations in detail and relate your observation to the White Space Effect. You are encouraged to supplement photos to illustrate your observations although they are not required if you can describe them well. (20 points) Q6. If you were the owner of a restaurant, how would you apply the “White Space Effect” in your restaurant to improve customers’ perceptions? Please describe at least two applications in detail. (20 points) Mechanics of report San Serif Font— Calibri, Arial, Garamond, etc. Font size—12 Line spacing—single This report does not need to follow a professional business report format. It does not require components such as executive summary, conclusion, etc. Assessments 2 and 3 reports need to be in business format. Marking Criteria The report will be marked based on (1) the accuracy of your understanding of the research article, (2) the quality and comprehensiveness of your answers, and (3) the creativity and relevance of your proposed applications. Proper formatting and timely submission by the due date are expected. 2 |