Chapter 6 – Attitudes Based on Low Effort
Learning objectives:
Outline some issues marketers face and trying to change consumers
attitude when processing ever is low
Explain the role of on conscience influence on attitudes and behavior
in low-effort situations
Discuss how consumers form believes based on low processing
cognitive effort
Show how marketers can influence cognitive attitudes through it
communication stores, message, contacts, and repetition
Describe how consumers form attitudes through affective reactions
when cognitive effort is low
Highlight how marketers can use the communication source,
message, and contacts to influence consumers feelings and attitudes
one processing effort is low
Hight effort versus low effort route to persuasion
Low-effort - when consumers are either unwilling or unable to exert a
lot of effort or devote emotional resources to processing the central
idea behind a marketing communication
Low effort processing may not be stored in memory, allowing
consumers to form attitudes anew each time they are exposed to a
message
Peripheral route to persuasion- Aspects other than key message
arguments that are used to influence attitudes aspects other than key
message arguments that are used to influence attitudes
Thin – slice judgments – Evaluations made after very brief
observation
Conative basis of attitude when consumer effort is a low
Simple inferences - believe Based on peripheral cues
oEx - Consumers me in for that brand of champagne is elegant
because it is shown with other elegant things
Heuristics - simple use of thumb that are used to make judgments
o“If it is a well-known brand, it must be good”
Frequency heuristics - beliefs based simply on the number of
supporting arguments or amounts of repetition
o“It must be good because there are ten reasons why I should
like it”
6 Attitudes Based on Low effort
High-Effort Versus Low-Effort Routes to Persuasion
oLow effort: consumers unwilling/unable to exert a lot of effort or devote
resources to processing central idea
Don’t form strong beliefs
oPeripheral route to persuasion—aspects other than key message arguments that
are used to influence attitudes
Peripheral cues—easily processed aspects of a message, such as music,
an attractive source, picture or humor
Unconscious influences on attitudes when consumer effort is low
oThin-Slice Judgments—evals made after brief observations
Can be surprisingly accurate
oBody Feedback
Nodding, shake head, etc.
Cognitive bases of attitudes when consumer effort is low
oWhen processing effort is low, attitudes may be based on a few simple and not
strong beliefs bc consumers haven’t processed message deeply
May result in better chance of changing attitudes
oSimple inferences—beliefs based on peripheral cues
oHeuristics—simple rules of thumb used to make judgements
oFrequency heuristic—belief based on the number of supporting arguments or
amount of repetition
oTruth effect—when consumers believe a statement simply bc it has been
repeated a number of time
How cognitive attitudes are influenced
oCommunication source
Credibility is key
Use endorser who doesn’t endorse many other things
Sources should use polite language
oMessage
Category- and schema-consistent info
Consumers may infer a brand has certain characteristics based on
its name
oInferences based on price, color, etc
Placement in ratings (like “top 10” lists)
Many message arguments
Consumers base beliefs off of number of supporting arguments
Consensus claims help (9 out of 10 dentists recommend brand x)
Simple messages
Convey basic info about why brand is superior
oOne or two key points
Involving messages
Self-referencing—relating a message to one’s own experience or
self-image