Marketing Principles May Need to Be Revised Accordingly - Report Example

Marketing and AIR CHINA This report provides a summary of two different articles and compares them to determine what kind of conclusions may be drawn about consumer behaviour and marketing based upon their findings. The articles in question reflect recent research which suggests that consumer behaviour may be more complex than originally perceived and marketing principles may need to be revised accordingly. The findings in these studies are then applied in the case of Air China to test their relevance. Article Analysis: In their article, Goodey and East (2008) have described the market mavens as individuals who are believed to possess information about the marketplace in reference to a wide variety of goods, services and the general characteristics of the marketplace. They have pointed out how the term “market maven” first appeared in marketing literature in 1987, when it was introduced by Feick and Price as “individuals who have information about many kinds of products, places to shop, and other facets of markets, and initiate discussions with consumers and respond to requests from consumers for market information." (Feick and Price, 1987:85). They provide this information to other customers and thereby determine and influence the kinds of choices that other customers may make, impacting upon the market that these goods and services may enjoy. These authors point out that market mavens are smart shoppers and are more aware of new products and influence other shoppers as well, with their positive or negative perceptions about the products or services. Market mavens can thus be summed up as interpersonal influencers; i.e., they are the early purchasers of products and/or services and they are the opinion leaders who influence the purchasing decisions of other customers . In specific relation to the marketing of goods and services, the findings in this study suggest that market mavens are more receptive to advertising as compared to other consumers. They can be easily and effectively targeted through classified advertisements and direct mail marketing, which are relatively inexpensive ways to reach customers. Since market mavens are intrinsically interested in shopping and in discovering new and innovative products, it is not necessary to devise expensive advertising campaigns that grab the attention of these customers. The very novelty of the product and their natural curiosity functions as the motivating factor for market mavens to zero in on new products and services (Goodey and East, 2008). Their position as opinion leaders however makes it vital for marketers to ensure that the quality and value of the product is such that these consumers become positive rather than negative advocates of the product in question. The article by Goodey and East (2008) therefore leads to the inference that advertising strategy must be integrated with product value in order to gain a competitive edge in the market. The focus of the article by Roper and Parker (2008) is how to capture information about consumer behaviour. The authors commence this study by noting that one of the by-products that arise from successful marketing is litter. They cite the example of Australia where empty coke cans were found in 91% of the 983 towns and cities which were researched. The objective of this study was therefore to persuade consumers to change their behaviour and not litter. They have examined the existing means to capture data about consumer attitude towards litter and find that many of the techniques which are currently used, such as market surveys may not accurately reflect true consumer attitude in relation to the specific issue of litter. They propose a more realistic model to determine true consumer attitudes, which use a somewhat indirect approach, i.e., combining oral declarations of the consumer with actual observable traits that ultimately underlie consumer behaviour. Roper and Parker (2008) have therefore substantiated the findings from Goody and East’s article (2008) about how impressionable and susceptible consumers are to the attitudes and beliefs of a few individuals, who tend to be the opinion makers. In marketing surveys, consumers are likely to make declarations about their level of interest in products or practices, which may not be actually borne out in practice, because they tend to change their minds and their opinions based upon the views of the few market mavens. Air China: Applying the conclusions derived from the findings in both studies, it may be noted that expensive advertising and public relations strategies may not necessarily achieve their objectives, unless market mavens are targeted. One of the most acute problems Air China is facing recently is the high levels of pollution in the Chinese atmosphere, caused by its rapid pace of industrialization and its reliance on coal, which also poses health and safety risks for its customers because most Chinese cities are wrapped in a toxic gray shroud (Kahn and Yardley, 2007). A large part of the problem is rooted in China’s growth-first philosophy, which has relegated other issues to a status of less importance. This philosophy has also travelled down to its citizens, who are focused upon the objective of growth at any cost. While China Air offers excellent customer service which aids in its business progress, the pollution in the atmosphere may automatically impact negatively upon the business of the airline, due to the growing sensitivity towards environmental issues in Western countries Changing the attitudes of consumers in China may require greater attention to be paid to market mavens. In devising an effective marketing strategy that would target overseas travellers, Air China may not necessarily benefit from expensive advertising that seeks to grab the attention of the public and covers up the underlying issues. Rather, seeking to influence the opinion of market mavens, perhaps through exemplary levels of service on its aircraft or by highlighting its own efforts to tackle the problems of pollution may be more effective, also from a costs point of view, in drawing out a positive consumer attitude. As a result, applying the consumer approaches suggested by the two articles reviewed in this paper may be beneficial to Air China in deriving better results from its advertising strategy. It would be better for Air China to rely on factors other than purely oral responses from customers in determining what their attitudes are; rather they would benefit more by targeting their strategy at the market mavens who are opinionated and help them arrive at a positive perception of Air China, so that they can influence other customers accordingly. References: * Goodey, C. and East, R. (2008), “Testing the market maven concept”, Journal of Marketing Management, 24(3-4):265-282 * Kahn, Joseph and Yardley, Jim, 2007. “As China roars, pollution reaches deadly extremes”, The New York Times, August 26, 2007; Retrieved May 28, 2010 from: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/26/world/asia/26china.html * Roper, S. and Parker, C. (2008), “The Rubbish of Marketing”, Journal of Marketing Management, 24 (9-10): 881-892. Read More