Weekly Blog Post #2

Information Processing

The way you information is processing is related to the individual’s cognitive ability and the complexity of information to be processed. The human mind is very much like a computer in that it processes information received through input.

· Information processing refers to Refers to the process by which stimulus is received, interpreted, stored, and retrieved

· Familiarity with a product category increases cognitive ability and learning – individuals tend to transfer already known information about a product to unfamiliar related products

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Information processing can be divided into five stages:

· Exposure: Achievement of proximity to stimulus

· Attention: Allocation of processing capacity to the input (stimulus)

· Comprehension: Interpretation of the input (stimulus)

· Acceptance: Persuasive impact of the input (stimulus)

· Retention: Transfer of input (stimulus) interpretation into long-term memory

The stimulus must go through all stages in order to reach log-term memory. The effectiveness of memorable and persuasive communications is imperative so the message could pass through all stages before it reaches memory.

Of great importance is knowing how information is stored, retained and retrieved.

Information Processing Framework is the process by which indivuduals store, retain, and retrieve information

Information Processing Framework- Sensory Store

Is the first interaction with information and it’s only a temporary store of information. There are two senses that reach the sensory store: Iconic meaning visual, and Echoic referring to auditive. Data comes through our senses, however, our senses do not transmit whole images, instead its fragmented pieces of information such as shapes, color, smell.

The image in the sensory store last only a few seconds, perhaps 2-3 seconds. If not processed, information is lost forever. The challenge is that we are constantly exposed to great deals of stimuli from the environment and messages are continuously being blocked. What this means for marketers is that despite it being easy to make it to the sensory store, it is really hard to stay there and to make a long lasting impression, Have you ever heard the phrase “first impressions count or are important?” For information to live through the sensory store the first impression has to make a positive and good impression!

How does information move from the sensory store to short-term or working memory? Through attention. Consumers will selectively attend messages that resonate with them this why Marketers should provide simplicity of communication and messaging that resonates with target audience

Through attention, information is transferred from the sensory store to the short-term or working memory..

Information Processing Framework- Short term or working Memory

The short term memory is also known as the working memory. In this store, information is processed but only lives in memory for a short amount of time. Think of a time when you had to remember a phone number. Where you avle to recall all the numbers?

Information undergoes a Rehearsal or repetition process so it can then be transferred to long-term store. Process of transfers takes sometime around 2-10 seconds. If information is not rehearsed of repeated and transferred, it is lost. The purpose of rehearsal or repetition is to hold information in the short-term memory for encoding to occur. Rehearsal is basically repetition or can also be by relating it to prior information or data. Rehearsal is done with the purpose of encoding. Encoding is the process by which words or visuals are used to represent an object or product. “Learning” through a visual image is easier than through verbal information.

In this slide, you can see how some companies use imagery to identify their brands, The gecko in Geico, Tony the Tiger for Kellog’s Forsted Flakes, an Apple for apple products, a jolly green giant for Green Giant frozen and canned goods, Nike uses the swoosh.

Information Processing Framework- Long Term Memory

Learning occurs once information reaches the long-term memory and stays there for a long period of time. This where marketers want their brands to live. Information is constantly organized and reorganized as chunks of information. As individuals learn new information, their network of relationships expands in a process known as a ctivation which is relating new information with old one and make connections.

There are two ways that information is stored: episodically or semantically. Episodically is a recollection of memories and is relevant to time and space. For example, remembering what you did for your birthday last year is episodic memory. Knowing that Washington D.C is the capital of the United States is semantic memory. Of great importance is knowing that once information lives in the long term memory, it can be retrieved and used when making purchases. This is why this store is where marketers want their messages to live.

Key Takeaways:

· Buyer Decision Process consists of 5 steps starting from recognition of need to post-purchase evaluation

· Marketers must understand behaviors at each stage which includes experiences, learning, using, and disposing.

· Information processing works like a computer- the mind processes information received

· Marketers should understand how information is processed and retained through the sensory store to the short-term store and into the long-term store.

· Through learning, individuals acquire knowledge and experience they later apply to future purchase behavior

· Involvement theories:

· People engage in limited information with low-involvement purchases

· Extensive information search processing happens with high-involvement purchases occur

· Behavioral learning theories stressed imply that learning is a result of external stimuli

· Cognitive learning theory assumes learning involves mental processes rather than through behavior