Decision Making and Coping of Functionally Illiterate Consumers and Some Implications for Marketing Management

Journal of Marketing - Tập 69 Số 1 - Trang 15-31 - 2005
Mahesh Viswanathan1, José Antônio Rosa2, James E. Harris3
1College of Business, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
2Weatherhead School of Management, Case Western Reserve University
3Saint Norbert College.

Tóm tắt

A study of the decision making and coping of functionally illiterate consumers reveals cognitive predilections, decision heuristics and trade-offs, and coping behaviors that distinguish them from literate consumers. English-as-a-second-language and poor, literate consumers are used as comparison groups. The strong predilection for concrete reasoning and overreliance on pictographic information of functionally illiterate consumers suggest that companies should reconsider how they highlight the added benefits of new products or the differentiating aspects of existing product offerings across channels such as advertising, in-store displays, and positioning. Concrete reasoning also has strong implications for the execution and presentation of price promotions through coupons and in-store discounts, because many consumers are unable to process the information and thus avoid discounted products. Finally, the elaborate coping mechanisms identified and the loyalty that functionally illiterate consumers display toward companies that are sensitive to their literacy and numeracy deficiencies reveal a potential for loyalty programs aimed at this population that do not involve price discounts.

Từ khóa


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Thông tin
Thông tin xuất bản

Journal of Marketing

Tập 69 Số 1

15-31

Thông tin tác giả