3.2. Emotions and Consumer choice criteria

Regarding to J. and N.J. O’Shaughnessy, emotion is not an aberrant element when making buying decisions but a necessary condition if decisions are not to be continually postponed. At some point it is considered that emotion can accelerate buying interest, control choices, affect future decisions and elicit purchasing intentions. Emotions provoke wishes and desires and following motivation. In some cases even ethical side of behavior can be eliminated because of refusal to generate emotion that is necessary for motivation of a moral action.

Emotion, when mixed with trust, equals loyalty (!) Trust allows people to eliminate and ignore mistakes, committed by company or producer, and make independent decisions to purchase, even if once something went wrong. In the long term customer trusts to supplier and can accept increase of prices, store relocation, delay in service, etc. Trust involving sentiment creates loyalty, which can start early, as for example with soccer teams, and can continue regardless on a position or popularity of a certain team.

Each consumer has his/her reasons to purchase or not purchase a product (good, service, associated experience) known as Consumer Choice Criteria. We can split it on six different types, which are:

1. Technical criteria. Product is designed mainly for technical function. Thus the core function of a refrigerator is long-time food storage. Advertisers use words like “Chicken. Staying alive”, “fresh keeping”. “Technology, embodied in beauty”, “As fresh, as fresh can be” and so on, provoking interest based on quality of technical functions.

Besides the core function of a product, there are product that can have technical ancillary-use functions and convenience-in functions. Ancillary-use functions are permanent or optional features associated with the core function. (!) Fast freezing of meat or special storage sections inside of the fridge are related to this type of functions. Advertisers use words like “enriched”, “extra-features”, etc. Convenience-in-use functions are those that are not necessary connected with main function but play role of modifications, or exceptional packaging of a product that advance the performance of its core function. For the fridge that has a TV-screen on one of its doors “Entertainment and technology in your kitchen”. Any technical function can arouse emotion because it can be of high concern to the consumer. (!) There is a possibility of the pleasure arising when the quality is higher than expected, and disappointment if performance in below expectations.

2. Economic/sacrifice criteria. All purchases are provided in a way of dealing, seeking for the balance set against price paid and effort expended. The last one means effort involved in searching for a product, comparison and analysis, or in using the product. E. Marder distinguishes choice-effort from use-effort. Choice- effort is diminished by convenience-in-use features and choice-effort by better distribution.

“If choice-effort is broadened to include taking the hassle out of buying, like the frustration that comes from waiting at the cash desk, there is considerable scope for choice-effort reduction.”

As Underhill suggests stores have to create better experience for consumers while shopping, since there is no knowable limited wishes of a consumer if a shopping process brings pleasure. Price is playing important role in balance of beneficial trade-offs. The possibility of enjoying things immediately is facilitated by installment buying, which in fact could be said to have or the car industry into the mass market. (!) There should be a pricing system developed that allows people enjoy shopping and not paying a proper attention on how much they spend. Although, in a purpose of proving success, power and financial stability some people will be ready to spend bigger amount of money for the product with same features.

According to J. and N.J. O’Shaughnessy, there are factors influence the maximum price that can be obtained by the seller:

• The centrality of the product for the function for which it is being bought

• The uniqueness of the product to a particular seller

• The social perceptions of the wisdom of paying the price being demanded

• The perceived fairness of the price

• The purchase location

Based on price preferences it’s possible to divide all consumers on two groups- deal sensitive, ones that are rather switch among favorite brands depending on prices, and price-sensitive, which in fact are making decisions related mostly to the price. Also it is considered less emotional spending foreign currency than local since the keen sense of sacrifice, and more emotional if consumer participates special offers with “hidden” charges, as “all-inclusive” programs. Emotive words in advertising covering financial criteria include words like “fabulous bargain”, “pays for itself”, “no frills pricing”, “designer quality at affordable prices” and so on. (!)

3. Legalistic criteria. There are products that are mandatory in obtaining, such as set by legal regulations. For example every driver should have a portable kit in the car, or a special chair for baby on a back sit. Otherwise, customers are often controlled by demand and wishes of the others, or take into considerations another’s preferences. Such a customer behaves considering legalistic criteria. As, for example, husband in the supermarket guided by list of products made by his wife. Or well-known influence of kids on parents provoking to purchase.

Legalistic criteria can induce emotion, since grope of a balance between correct affordable prices and desire to give what satisfies initial demander can be stressful. As for instance selecting a gift. Then driven by emotions process can be successful or frustrating and putting buyer out of control.

4. Integrative criteria. Integrated functions cite to the desire for social integration and integration of individual’s sense of identity. According to O’Shaughnessy it does involve following considerations:

• Social acceptance

• Self-identity and possessions

• Status, visibility, fashion or standing with one’s social milieu

• Personal integrity

Social acceptance implies consumers’ feelings about views of environmental coming out from their ownership and influencing future purchases. Buying what is not approvable by society leads to self-confident decrease, though there are individuals focusing on unique considering themselves self-independent enough to ignore social beliefs. Even though they determine themselves in groups of those who seek for feeling unique forming subculture. According to Social Semiotics (1988) elites and not just out-groups are involved in nonconformity, as the elite may want to signal hostility to the majority just as much as punks and other out-groups.

Self-identity and possessions. Dittmar views possessions as material symbols of identity, as expressive symbols of identity, and as reflections of identity in terms of gender and social-material status. Self-identity contains such factors as personal life-experience, roles in life and job, ethnicity, gender, religion and so on. Even though it cannot be considered as just a collection of preferences and differences. As Erving-Goffman says, no one’s self-identity is limited to a singular “core image”, as people have many different sides to their personalities, revealed on different occasions. It is being developed seeing how others view us interacting in society.

Goods may be purchased as symbolic possessions, which linked to emotions. Flanagan suggests such products are:

• Those that, like photographs, symbolize the historical continuity of self, family, etc.

• Those that express artistic or intellectual interest, such as a book collection

• Those that signify wealth and symbolize status, such as a sailing boat

Standing within one’s social milieu corresponds to desire for status together with social acceptance and recognition. Status in society indicates power and control of the world around one, adducting respect of the others. As Unger states, humans need other people for emotional, intellectual, and material sustenance but, at the same time, do now want to submerge their individuality and independence. As following, any celebrity or institution as a symbol of success and status is highly valued and plays role of an attractive example instigating desire and satisfaction from purchasing a good associated with it.

Personal integrity. According to Kagan, the notion of human action is mostly motivated but a desire for a sensory pleasure but claims there is a universal motive to regard themself as possessing good qualities. People are inhibited from actions that are likely to bring about guilt, embarrassment, or shame, contributing to what Kagan calls a motive for virtue. In the process of purchasing customers who feel social responsibility choose manufacturers providing not harmful for environment goods increasing the level of self-respect. As, for instance, fabrics not exploiting kids’ labor, don’t provide tests on animals or use reprocessed materials in order to produce a new product. Otherwise the infringement of social norms leads to the emotion of shame.

5. Adaptive criteria reflect the desire to minimize risk, reduce the anxiety of uncertainty of fear of regret. (David E. Bell, 1982) Risks contain financial cost, physical cost, social cost, performance deficiency or a necessary to return the product, etc. Process of searching for a prefect product may provide certain features and ideas about quality, but there are often issues about effectiveness. As a result arouses anxiety, fear of choosing the wrong good or regret of a purchase.

Aiming to deal with the feeling of uncertainty customers have resource to advisors and are willing to pay for the third party to avoid decision-making. Buyers in general are conditioned to some extent to accept the advice of people in authority, withal advices from celebrities in advertising are also acceptable and effective, as Maria Sharapova, famous Russian tennis player recommends Samsung mobile phone or a perfume as a “secret of success”.

Buying on brand image, reputation or viewing the price as an indicator of high quality are the attributes that can help the advertiser persuade consumers. Emotive ad terms here are “You can’t lose”, “We stand behind our claims”, “authentic”, “proven”, “pure”, etc. (!)

6. Intrinsic criteria. Refers to intrinsic liking: the way product looks, tastes, feels, sounds and smells. Consummation based only on liking means the objective is satisfaction of senses and nothing else, but at the same time doesn’t mean buying “blind” and being driven only by a wish for immediate satisfaction. Emotional advertising words that may suggest this type of criteria are “sparkling”, “elegant”, “crispy”, “spicy”, “refreshing”, and so on.

The French anthropologist Roger Caillois claims pleasure of games:

• With competitive games, pleasure comes from meeting the challenge of an opponent

• Games of chance give pleasure be creating an illusion of controlling the future

• Games like riding the merry-go-round provide pleasure by transforming the way we perceive reality

• Games involving pretense and fantasy create the feeling of being more than we actually are

Intrinsic liking appears through education. Thus there are some products that seem like not providing any pleasurable response, until people obtains information of it based on criteria of judgment. This can explain why people try to purchase a real leather, or real diamonds, though it is not obviously distinguished from a zircon.

Emma Cook in her work “What’s getting up your nose?” explores the fact of smell influence on people. Smells creating associations in human’s mind induce desires. Examples in marketing are:

• School books that smell of chocolates

• Cigars that smell of herbaceous borders

• The smell of freshly mown grass in car ventilation system

• Travel brochures that smell of suntan lotion

The business of searching and exploiting stimulant smells is growing and nowadays marketing specialists are able to create any type of smell I order to arouse consumer’s wishes.

A touch is also an important detail of human’s senses. As a perfect example of intrinsic criteria there is a new trend of opening “Cat-Cafes” all around the world. Customers are able to have a coffee surrounded by fluffy cute cats. It provides positive emotions of “feeling like home”, and touching fluffy animals increases level of happiness. Also talking about touch-importance there is bigger possibility of a customer purchasing soft carpet, towel, hairbrush and everything that feels more pleasurable in hands. As E. Stuart stated “Designs should be executed with an appeal to the tactical senses”.

Underhill claims that almost all unplanned buying is the result of touching, hearing, smelling, or tasting something on the premises of the store, which, he argues, is why merchandising in the store is so important and why the internet, catalogs, and home shopping on TV will complement but never seriously change real live stores.

Aesthetic assessment has emotional implication. Even though the art is considered as manifestation of emotion, it is more correct for it to play a role of emotional quality expression. Human assessment of aesthetic affects all the alternatives consumers make in designing their surroundings and deciding what to buy. Fisher claims that wonder is the essential emotion of the aesthetic experience. He explains this type of emotion as the cordiality of the mind or soul to newness.

One of the most efficient theories in marketing considering aesthetic were deducted by Holbrook. Together with 6 consumer choice criteria Holbrook describes 8 types of consumer value, which are closely associated with emotions. Since Holbrook sees goods in terms of their functions to create need or experience, anticipated experiences are the primary influence in buying. (!)

Holbrook’s eight types of consumer values:

• Efficiency. As measured by ratio of input to output and convenience, the consumer has an emotional investment in minimizing the input for any specific output and maximizing convenience. Relates to economic, sacrifice, technical criteria.

• Play. Related to intrinsic pleasure and intrinsic choice criteria.

• Excellence. Refers to optimal performance in quality, the desire for which has an emotional dimension. Considered as technical choice criteria.

• Aesthetics. Reaction that refers to an assessment of consumption experience and intrinsic choice criteria

• Status. Success and impression management are tied to status, but what the consumer is essentially buying is a set of symbols to construct a certain persona tied to success. Considered as integrative choice criteria.

• Ethics. This covers the desire for virtue, justice, morality –integrative choice criteria.

• Esteem. Counterpart to status in that esteem “tends to result from a somewhat passive ownership of possessions appreciated as a means to building one’s reputation with others”- integrated choice criteria.

• Spirituality. The reactive side of spirituality is faith while the active side is works. –intrinsic choice criteria

This analysis shows that explanations of purchasing miss interpretative volume if the emotions are ignored. It is impossible to predict consumer behavior without focusing on psychological side and how people feel.