Reading I NEED HELP ON MY HOMEWORK 2

Consumer Behavior in a Digital World, Winter 2024 Laddering Assignment 1 Professor Hamilton

LADDERING INTERVIEW ASSIGNMENT OVERVIEW Due: Thursday, January 25 by 11:59 pm

This assignment is to be completed individually. Deliverable:

1. A 3-4 page paper in APA format that includes a/an: a. explanation of the interview and laddering process (“Step One” below), b. description and analysis of an existing advertisement (“Step Three”), and c. development of a new advertising/marketing strategy (“Step Four”)

2. An appendix including a single hierarchical value map (HVM) incorporating the A→C→V ladders from both you and your partner (“Step Two”)

a. Note: see Reynolds and Gutman (1988), p. 19, for a guide; when possible, your HVM should combine specific items into broader categories

b. Here is how to format an Appendix in APA: https://guides.rasmussen.edu/apa6th/abstract-appendix

Overview: Laddering is an in-depth interview technique based on “Means-End Theory” (Gutman, 1982). The specific purpose of this technique is to uncover how consumers’ experiences with and perceptions of product attributes (“A”) are connected to functional and psychosocial consequences (“C”) and, ultimately, personal values (“V”). Analyses of laddering interviews (e.g., those used to create hierarchical value maps) enable marketers and researchers to understand consumers’ underlying motivations for interacting with the product, product class, or brand in question.

In this assignment, you will conduct two interviews (self, other), construct one HVM incorporating the responses of both interviews (where each attribute has its own ladder that leads up to a value), analyze an existing advertisement in light of this HVM, and use your insights from the laddering interviews and HVM to brainstorm a novel marketing plan.

Detailed step-by-step instructions are below.

The Reynolds and Gutman (1988) reading on Gauchospace should be used as a guide for your interview technique and creation of A→C→V ladders (pp. 11-18), as well as your development of an advertising/marketing strategy (“developing advertising strategy,” pp. 27-28). The analysis methods detailed on pp. 18-25 are not relevant to this assignment, but the HVM in Figure 1 (p. 19) is a useful reference.

Detailed instructions:

Consumer Behavior in a Digital World, Winter 2024 Laddering Assignment 2 Professor Hamilton

1. Step One – Conduct Interviews and Construct Ladders a. Choose a product or brand for analysis (your choice!). b. Interview yourself.

i. Come up with at least five distinct attributes (i.e., tangible product features) of the chosen product/brand.

ii. For each attribute (A), construct an A→C→V ladder indicating the associated functional (i.e., immediate and tangible benefits) and/or psychosocial consequences (i.e., emotional benefits) (C), and terminating in the underlying personal value (i.e., state of mind the consumer is trying to achieve) (V).

c. Choose another person to interview about the same product/brand. i. You can only generalize your findings to the type of person you collect

data about. Record the interviewee’s vital demographic information such as their age, gender, occupation, or any other details that would be relevant to understand the scope of your claims.

ii. To successfully conduct the interview, use a series of directed probes suggested in the reading (Reynolds and Gutman, 1988) and let the respondent know that there is no right or wrong answer.

iii. Keep in mind that your goal as an interviewer is to guide the respondent in identifying the most important attributes, explaining what the consequences of these attributes are, and elaborating on why they are important to them.

iv. Have the respondent come up with at least five attributes (A) of this product/brand, and lead this person to elaborate on his or her consumption consequences (C) and underlying values (V).

v. Construct a second set of A→C→V ladders using these responses. d. Report the interview process.

i. Begin your report by familiarize yourself with the APA format. You must follow this format completely to receive full credit. Here is a resource: https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formattin g_and_style_guide/documents/APA%207%20Student%20Sample%20Pap er.pdf

ii. At the most basic level, your assignment should include: 1. a title that is centered and bolded above the first body paragraph, 2. body paragraphs that are left-adjusted and indented, 3. page numbers in the top right corner, 4. subheadings (properly formatted and as needed), 5. with 1 inch page margins, 6. in an accessible font such as 11-point Calibri or 12-point Times

New Roman,

Consumer Behavior in a Digital World, Winter 2024 Laddering Assignment 3 Professor Hamilton

7. and an appendix. iii. In your report, write one paragraph about the interview process that

explains: 1. the product/brand chosen with enough information to inform an

unfamiliar consumer about the product, 2. vital demographic characteristics of the person interviewed so the

reader can anticipate limitations of the sample, and 3. probing techniques used to understand the values of the person

interviewed (Hint: which will require you to read Reynolds & Gutman, 1988).

2. Step Two – Create a Hierarchical Value Map (HVM) a. Using the ladders that you constructed in Step One, create a Hierarchical Value

Map for the product or brand that you chose. b. You do not need to conduct any statistical analyses. Use the sample HVM in

Figure 1 of R&G as your guide, and keep in mind that the HVM should combine specific responses into more general categories whenever possible.

c. Color-code the HVM to indicate which A→C→V paths correspond to you, and which correspond to your interviewee. Some paths may be distinct, some may be shared, and some may be partially shared (for example, different people might connect different attributes to the same consequences/values, or the same attributes to different consequences/values).

3. Step Three – Analysis of Existing Advertisement a. Find an existing video or print advertisement or marketing tactic for the

product/brand. Include a copy of or link to the advertisement or tactic in your paper as Appendix B.

b. In your report, analyze the existing ad in 1-2 paragraphs that: i. describes the existing advertisement in enough detail; ii. connects aspects of the ad’s narrative to attributes, consequences, or values

in your HVM (i.e., discusses how the existing addresses (or fails to address) the consequences and values that were identified in the HVM); and

iii. assesses whether the existing ad adequately targets consequences and/or values in your HVM. If the ad does not target consequences and/or values present in your HVM, why do you think the ad diverges from your HVM?

4. Step Four – Create a New Advertising Campaign a. Use your HVM to create a new advertising campaign. b. In your report, write 1-2 paragraphs that describe a new advertising strategy that

targets the values exemplified in your HVM. The advertising strategy you suggest must either show how the product/brand could be marketed with a focus on different values, or show how different attributes/consequences could be

Consumer Behavior in a Digital World, Winter 2024 Laddering Assignment 4 Professor Hamilton

emphasized, while still tying into the same core values. In addition to describing the strategy, you must use your HVM to provide evidence for your creative decisions.

c. In your report, discuss limitations of your data. Limitations of a study are its flaws or shortcomings that influence the ability to make quality inferences. Study limitations could be related to the nature of the person you surveyed, the way you surveyed them, the constraints of the research design, etc.

Consumer Behavior in a Digital World, Winter 2024 Laddering Assignment 5 Professor Hamilton

Sample hierarchical value map (Reynolds and Gutman, 1988, p. 19):

Consumer Behavior in a Digital World, Winter 2024 Laddering Assignment 6 Professor Hamilton

Sample HVM from Previous Student

Consumer Behavior in a Digital World, Winter 2024 Laddering Assignment 7 Professor Hamilton

LADDERING ASSIGNMENT EVALUATION CRITERIA

Your assignment will be evaluated out of 18 points, following the rubric below.

Description Level grade

Definition

1 Submission ● Was the assignment fully submitted and

on time?

0 No

1 Yes

2 Formatting and Required Elements ● Does the white paper follow the

prescribed format (i.e., 3-4 page APA format with an appendix)?

● Is the HVM reported in Appendix A? ● Is a copy of or link to the existing

advertisement included in the report as Appendix B?

0 No–not all formatting requirements are met.

1 Yes–all formatting requirements are met.

3 Interview ● Does the interview process explain: 1) the

product/brand chosen, 2) vital demographic characteristics of the person interviewed, and probing techniques used to understand the values of the person interviewed?

0 No–The interview is not described.

1 Somewhat–The interview is described, but one (or more) critical element(s) is missing.

2 Yes–All criteria are met.

4 Hierarchical Value Map - Appendix A ● Are at least 5 attributes identified for each

respondent? ● Is the HVM color-coded to differentiate

responses for the self, interviewee, and both?

● Most importantly, does the HVM successfully connect attributes to consequences and values?

0 No–HVM is missing.

2 Somewhat–HVM is present, but the submission fails to meet one (or more) criteria, OR the submission has some room for improvement in terms of understanding the key differences between attributes/features (A), consequences/benefits (C), and values (V).

4 Yes–All criteria are met.

Consumer Behavior in a Digital World, Winter 2024 Laddering Assignment 8 Professor Hamilton

5 Analysis of Existing Ad ● Does the report describe the existing ad in

enough detail to connect the narrative of the advertisement to the HVM?

0 No–Ad is not described in enough detail.

1 Yes

6 Analysis of Existing Ad ● Is the existing ad discussed in relation to

the consequences and values identified in the HVM?

0 No–the existing ad is not discussed in relation to the HVM.

1 Yes

7 Proposal for New Ad ● Does the report describe a new ad in

enough detail to connect their new idea to the HVM?

0 No–Ad is not described in enough detail.

1 Yes

8 Proposal for New Ad ● Is the new ad discussed in relation to the

consequences and values identified in the HVM?

0 No–the new ad is not discussed in relation to the HVM.

1 Yes

9 Proposal for New Ad ● Is the new ad distinct from the preexisting

ad? As in, the new ad either evokes a different value from the existing ad, or evokes a similar value (to the existing ad) but in a completely unique and novel way.

0 No–the new ad is not distinct from the preexisting ad.

1 Yes

10 Limitations ● Does the report discuss limitations related

to the nature of the person surveyed, the way the student surveyed them, constraints of the research design, etc.?

0 No– Limitations are not reported, or are not reported with specific detail.

1 Yes

11 Novelty ● Was the insight generated in the analysis

of the existing advertisement new and interesting?

● Hint: This is mainly assessed based on the uniqueness of the proposal for a new advertisement, but can apply to the analysis of the existing ad itself.

0 No/not really–the analysis was not very thoughtful.

1 Yes–the results of the analysis and the way these results were explained led to insights that I found novel and interesting.

2 Yes (+ special

Consumer Behavior in a Digital World, Winter 2024 Laddering Assignment 9 Professor Hamilton

recognition)--the results of the analysis and the way these results were explained not only led to insights that I found novel and interesting, but it also improved my understanding of the way laddering assessments should be used.

12 Clarity ● Is it clear how data from the HVM

connects to the insight generated in the analysis of the existing advertisement?

● Is the argument made about the existing advertisement easy to understand (i.e., not confusing)?

0 No/Not really–the analysis was confusing to follow AND/OR it is not clear if the HVM was used to generate insight.

1 Yes–the analysis is clear and the insight generated from the HVM is not hard to understand.

13 Organization ● In general, is the paper well-organized,

and did the formatting contribute to a better reading experience?

0 No–the formatting or organization made the paper harder to read.

1 Yes–the formatting or organization made the paper easier to read.