MKT2608 - Consumer Behaviour: Who Shapes Attitudes, Marketer/Consumer?

This essay analyzes consumer behavior and the factors influencing attitude change, focusing on whether marketers or consumers wield more power in shaping brand perceptions. It uses McDonald's burger products as a case study, applying the Theory of Reasoned Action to understand how consumer attitudes are influenced by social environment, normative beliefs, and motivation to comply. The essay also incorporates sentiment analysis using social media data to gauge consumer reactions to the brand. The findings suggest that while McDonald's maintains a positive sentiment overall, there's a slight decline in preference. The essay concludes with recommendations for McDonald's, emphasizing the importance of leveraging social media, offering discounts, and maintaining competitive pricing and product quality to positively influence consumer behavior. Desklib provides access to similar essays and resources for students.

Running head: CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR
Consumer Behaviour
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author’s Note:

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Introduction
The main purpose of this assessment is to analyze a branded product for which the
behavior of the consumer has changed. The brand which is selected for this assessment are
Burgers which is offered by McDonalds. The burgers which is offered by McDonalds is quite
popular in the market and therefore has significant number of loyal customers. The assessment
would be further applying Theory of Reason Actions while considering the changes in the
consumer behaviors towards the consumer products. In addition to this, the strengths and
weaknesses of the theory and how the same is applicable to the brand. The theory which is
considered for the assessment is theory of related actions which effectively shows how the
behavior of a consumer is affected by behavior of a group of consumers (Schütte & Ciarlante,
2016). The assessment also includes sentimental analysis for the product and how the same
discloses consumer behaviors towards a particular product.
Discussion
The brand which is selected for this assessment is burger products of McDonalds and the
same is considered to be a popular brand in Australia and most of the consumers prefer the
burgers which are offered by the business. McDonalds is an American fast food company which
offers a variety of Burgers, fries and shakes (Mcdonalds.com.au., 2019). The business also
operations in different countries and follows franchise model to expand the operations of the
business. The company is renowned for the fast food protects and it is considered as one of the
giants in the food industry.

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Theory Framework and Overview
The behaviour of the consumers towards a product is an important factor which
determines the sales which is generated by the business. It is imperative that the management of
a company before launching a new product, survey of consumer behaviour is necessary to find-
out whether a particular product will sell or whether the same would be successful in the market.
The consumer behaviour can be determined by using one of the models which is available for
such aspect. The assessment considers the theory of Reasoned Actions (Cohen, Prayag & Moital,
2014). As per this theory, the past consumer behaviour is a better predictor for estimating the
preference patterns of the consumers and how the same has an impact on the brand. The model
also considers the social power of others which have an influence on the consumer behaviour.
In a business, when any decision is taken regarding a product, the consumer preference
and behaviour trends are always studied so that appropriate decisions can be taken. It is rightly
said that the customer are the kings as their demands determine the price for the products and
also how the products would be sold in the market (Ackermann & Palmer, 2014). In most of the
cases, the behaviour trends of the consumers can help the management predict whether the

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product would be successful in the market or not. Some of the strengths which can be identified
regarding analysis of the consumers attitudes are:
 The business would be able to judge the taste and preference which is prevailing in the
market and accordingly set policies so that the sales of the business is maximised.
 A through analysis of the consumer behaviours in a competitive market definitely saves a
business from disasters as in such a market it is a common thing for new products to be
unsuccessful.
 The process of market segmentation is assisted by analysis of the consumer behaviours
for same or similar products. This in turn helps the management of the company to
formulate appropriate strategies for purpose of marketing the product (Hoppe, Vieira &
Barcellos, 2013). The analysis of the consumer trends also helps businesses to select the
target customers and formulate strategies accordingly so that appropriate revenue is
generated by the business.
 The process of analysing the consumer behaviours is especially useful when the business
is trying to introduce a new product in the market. It is generally the custom which is
followed by businesses for ensuring that new products are developed considering the
behaviour and buying patterns of the consumers.
The above mention strengths which is listed above shows that a business should consider
consumer behaviour before any strategies are formulated by the management of the company.
However, there are certain disadvantages which is associated with relying on consumer
behaviour for a particular product. The disadvantages which can be pointed out are listed below
in details:

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 In certain situations, the marketers make use of the consumer behaviour trends and
engage in questionable practices for the purpose of enhancing the revenue of the
business. These practices are not only detrimental to the consumers but also affects the
reputation of the business adversely.
 Some of the businesses even spread false claims regarding a product as a marketing tool
which is done for the purpose of attracting a group of consumers. An example can be
given of a beauty product.
The theory which is considered is based on the reasons which can influence a consumer’s
behaviour towards a product offered in the market. The burger products which is offered by
McDonalds is considered on which the theory of Reasoned Actions would be applied to suggest
why the consumer behaviour changed towards the product.
Application of the Theory
As per the theory of Reasoned Actions, the social environment in which the consumer is
operating has a big influence on the behaviour a consumer depicts towards a particular product.
The theory considers two approach Normative Belief and Motivation to Comply. The normative
belief considers what actions other believes to be taken or not to be taken (Montano & Kasprzyk,
2015). On the other hand, Motivation to Comply considers how much the consumers takes into
account the reaction of the other consumers in the market. The theory is mainly used to predict
how individuals will behave based on their pre-existing attitudes and behavioural intentions
(Mishra, Akman & Mishra, 2014). The theory also considers the changes in the consumer
attitudes in the market.

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In my case, I have been a loyal customer for McDonalds as I have always liked the
burgers and combo meals which is offered by the business. The burgers products are one of my
favourite items and it is my go to fast food. However, in recent time my behaviour towards the
product has changed. The main reason which can be identified for the changes in my preferences
is due to the fact that most of my friends prefer burgers from popular brands such as Burger King
and KFC. The reason which I can identify is due to the influence which my friends have on taste.
In addition to this, I am of the opinion that the quality of McDonalds has slightly decreased over
the period. The product which is offered by KFC and Burger Kings are also at par with the
quality of the products which is offered by the business. The theory of Reasoned Actions is
applicable in my case as the reactions of other customers also has an impact on the perception
regarding a product.
Therefore, the analysis of my case above shows that the behaviour of the other consumers
has a significant impact on my consumer behaviour (Burak, Rosenthal & Richardson, 2013). The
analysis of the consumer behaviour has an impact on the overall demand for the product in the
market. The theory which is considered is based on market perception and the same affects the
individual consumer behaviours. Therefore, the analysis shows that reactions of a group of other
customers have an impact on individual behaviour regarding the product.
Marketing Implications and Recommendations
In order to determine the consumer behaviour more effectively, a sentimental analysis of
the product is undertaken which is mainly aimed to record the reactions of the consumers
towards the products which is offered by the business. Sentiment analysis is contextual mining of
information which identifies key source materials and it helps the business to effectively
understand the social sentiment for their product and their brand on an overall basis. The analysis

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involves analysis of social information and conversation available for the product which is being
offered by the business.
The sentimental analysis for burger products for McDonalds is being considered for the
analysis and the same utilizes the application of social media. The sentimental analysis for the
product of burger is shown in the below graph.
Figure 1: Sentimental Trend for the McDonalds
Source: (Created by the Author)
The above graph shows the sentimental analysis for burger products which is offered by
McDonalds. The positive responses of the people are denoted by the green line while the
negative responses for the product is shown by the red line. The graph shows that the product is
still preferred by a majority of the people in Australia but the trend shows a slight decline in the
preference of the products which is available from the social media (Medhat, Hassan & Korashy,
2014). In an overall estimation, it can be said that the product which is offered by the business is

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appropriate. The burger products which is offered by the business is shown to be popular in
social media and other platforms and most of customers as per current estimates prefer the
products which is offered by McDonalds.
The brand related information which is available on social media and different online
forums have a major impact in influencing the decisions and behaviors of the consumers of the
business. In case there is positive responses in the social media, more and more customers would
want to try out the product on the basis of the positive responses which is made for the product.
The marketers can use such media and the information which is available from the Saleforce
Information in predicting the behavior of the consumers and then take appropriate actions
according to the behavior of the consumers. The marketers can also decide at what time the
product is to be actually launched in the market judging from the behavior patterns of the
consumers of the business.
Therefore, some of the recommendations which can be suggested to the business of
McDonalds for ensuring that there is a positive impact on the consumers regarding the products
which is offered by the business are listed below:
 The business has the power to influence the behavior of the consumers but using different
social media tools for actively promoting the products which is offered by the business
(Kwok & Yu, 2013). The business can attract consumers in such a manner and ensure
that they are satisfied with the products which is offered by the business.
 The business can also offer special discounts and combo meal offers in order to create a
buzz among the consumers which would tilt the preferences of the consumers towards the
products which is being offered by the business.

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 One of the main consideration which is related to any product is the prices and quality of
the product. The management of McDonalds needs to ensure that prices which is charged
for the burgers are appropriate. In addition to this, the management also needs to ensure
that the quality of the products which is offered by the business is at par if not better in
comparisons to the products offered by KFC and Burger King.
Conclusion
The above discussion effectively shows that the consumer behavior has an important role
in the launch of a new product or even an existing product in a new market. The above analysis
is related to the burger products which is offered by McDonalds and how the consumers react to
the same in current scenario. The assessment shows sentimental analysis for the product and the
same is shown to be positive. In an overall analysis, it can be concluded that consumer behavior
towards a product have an impact on the overall sales and also individual consumer behavior for
the same product.

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Reference
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Reasoned Action Model: A study of food preferences. Journal of Marketing
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Burak, L. J., Rosenthal, M., & Richardson, K. (2013). Examining attitudes, beliefs, and
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Cohen, S. A., Prayag, G., & Moital, M. (2014). Consumer behaviour in tourism: Concepts,
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