Classical Conditioning

The first consumer behaviour approach to discuss is known as “classical conditioning, this occurs when a stimulus that elicits a response is paired with another stimulus that initially does not elicit a response on its own. Over time, this second stimulus causes a similar response because it is associated with the first stimulus” (Pachauri, 2001).

Rip Curl portrays particularly low involvement advertising, that are easily engaged and recognised across Australia due to their simplicity and repetition of simple slogans. The abundant classical conditioning methods present in rip curls ads can be seen through their large images in their stores, billboards or across their social media that all entice the similar responses from consumers and can be directly associated with the brand. As seen in these images portray perfect tropical locations that, this consumers base highly associates with.

These photos are typically edited with warm tones and enticing colours that create that summer feel, this helps consumers gauge the level of recognition between previous advertisements, and eventually stimulate a similar response that Rip Curls products belong in these perfect locations and hence so does the consumer. The slogans themselves “the search”, “Surfing is everything”, “made for waves”, “made for surfers by surfers” “like wearing nothing”. These are all slogans that together create a non-conditioned response by the consumer and the short whitty surf based slogans in tropical destinations tie together and link in consumers minds.

Using the Pavlovian Model and really trying to break down rip curls marketing strategy it can be seen that the unconditioned stimulus is Rip Curls physical stores or products, and the conditioned stimulus is the variation of slogans and images in their ads. This then entices a conditioned response where the images engage people to enter the stores.

As consumers are further exposed to these ads, a non-conditional response is the transaction of purchasing the clothes and subconsciously associating the products with the locations, laid back lifestyle and overall advertisements messages.

This strategy is confirmed by (Ivan Pavlov’s 1936) statement “Establishing a relationship between stimulus and response to bring about the learning of the same response to a different stimulus”.

Rip Curl Campaigns – Displaying Classical Conditioning

Motivation

The second behavioural approach is the motivation of consumers. “Consumer motivation is an internal state that drives people to identify and buy products or services that fulfil conscious and unconscious needs or desires” (Wilson, 2016). Based on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs Rip Curls products fall in the middle tier of the pyramid in the “Belongingness” section. As you can see on the pyramid it specifically outlines “clothing and the acceptance by others”. Although there is a basic need for clothing, the motivational levels of consumers in the surf clothing industry increase in demand, drastically in the summer periods due to being a seasonal product.

Warmer weather obviously equals and increase in beach apparel sales. (IBIS 2018) states “Industry revenue is expected to grow at an annualised 2.4% through 2018-19”. Rip Curl specifically capitalises on its brand image and social status as a motivating factor for purchase decisions, when people wear Rip Curl products they belong to a certain social group where they fit in, and are apart of the surf culture scene. “The intangible resources accrued via involvement, such as information, affiliation, and status may be motivation for consumers to interact with the brand.” (J. Molina, 2008).

SOCIAL INFLUENCING

The third behavioural approach is social influencing, which is one of Rip Curls main marketing techniques. Being a brand that is about surfing, a healthy & laid back lifestyle there’s no question that its content performs well across all media platforms. Rip Curl focus on a type of referent group known as Aspirational. An aspirational group is composed of celebrities and other high profile people such as sports stars that people look up to.

(Rani, 2014) states “Reference groups are defined as those that provide the individual some points of comparison more or less direct about his behaviour, lifestyle, desires or consumer habits. This aspirational group will have a direct influence on the consumer, who is wishing to belong and willing to buy products in order to fit in”. Rip curl as a brand has understood this very well and are able communicate efficiently the social benefit provided by their products.

Their main type of influencers at Rip Curl are professional surfers, and social influences such as models on Instagram. (Degrisi, 2009) states that “Influencers must contribute to some or all of the four structures; trustworthiness, attractiveness, expertise’ and then attitudes and intentions to the products which advertised by their celebrities.”  These are the foundations that influencers must have to provide an effective message.

On the other hand, the professional surfers also possess legitimate power as they have earned their reputation though competition and only support the brands that they believe make the best products. When the best surfers in the world endorse your brand, their social influence is phenomenal. (Olenski, 2016) stated “Just one endorsement from a sports professional can spell an increase in sales by 4%, almost immediately. This is why businesses would be foolish to resist exploration of celebrity influencers”. This is how Rip curl continues to dominate the marketplace and maintain a firm competitive advantage through knowing their customers behavioural patterns, traits and motivations.

REFERENCING

Wells, VK 2014, ‘Behavioural psychology, marketing and consumer behaviour: a literature review and future research agenda’, Journal of Marketing Management, vol. 30, no. 11–12, pp. 1119–1158, viewed 26 May 2019, https://search-ebscohost com.ezproxy.uow.edu.au/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=98529886&site=eds-live 

Martín-Consuegra, D, Díaz, E, Gómez, M & Molina, A 2019, ‘Examining consumer luxury brand-related behavior intentions in a social media context: The moderating role of hedonic and utilitarian motivations’, Physiology & Behavior, vol. 200, pp. 104–110, viewed 26 May 2019, https://search-ebscohost-com.ezproxy.uow.edu.au/login.aspx?direct=true&db=psyh&AN=2018-14431-001&site=eds-live

Steve Olenski, Jul 20, 2016, ‘How Brands Should Use Celebrities For Endorsements’ Pg 1-3 Viewed may 27, https://www.forbes.com/sites/steveolenski/2016/07/20/how-brands-should-use-celebrities-for-endorsements/#4dee8de65593

Pinki Rani ‘Factors influencing consumer behaviour’ 2014, 2(9) pg52-61 http://www.retawprojects.com/uploads/Pinki_Rani.pdf?fbclid=IwAR3zafKXel0I3Shp1q3yfewYiyVFfeZ9B4-Bh7Wpy3Q4AMQJo_5RQZZc3IM

https://www.strategyr.com/MarketResearch/Surfing_Market_Trends.asp

https://www.chegg.com/homework-help/definitions/conditioned-vs-unconditioned-response-13

‘How the Conditioned Stimulus Works in Classical Conditioning’ By Kendra Cherry, Updated May 04, 2019.https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-a-conditioned-stimulus-2794975

‘What Is Consumer Behavior in Marketing? – Factors, Model & Definition’ Tara Schofield 2003.

https://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-consumer-behavior-in-marketing-factors-model-definition.html

https://anz.businesschief.com/leadership/1532/Australia%27s-10-Favourite-Surf-Brandshttps://www.ibisworld.com.au/industry-trends/market-research-reports/retail-trade/other-store-based-retailing/clothing-retailing.html

Brand personality is a set of human characteristics that are attributed to a brand name. A brand personality is something to which the consumer can relate; an effective brand increases its brand equity by having a consistent set of traits that a specific consumer segment enjoys. Rip Curl has a very specific brand personality, it a direct reflection of it’s target market. It represents a laid back and relaxed lifestyle, but one of adventure.

It’s Target market being primarily based around youth male and female surf culture. It is essential that the brand personality upholds its well regarded surf culture personality traits. Rip Curl also contributes to its brand personality through its various charity and awareness causes such as “Rip Curl Planet” There website states “Rip Curl Planet is about giving back. It’s about taking the joy we get from the ocean as surfers, and turning it into momentum to help keep that same ocean healthy and clean for years to come.”

Using Freudian theory “Product Personality” Displays a personality theory that see’s consumer purchases as a reflection and extension of the consumer’s own personality

As consumers allow their personal characteristics and attributes to that of the brand, it bounds strength in consumer trust and loyalty to the products and the brand as a whole.

RIP CURL

Rip Curl portrays very low involvement advertisements, that are recognisable across Australia due to there simplicity and repetition of simple slogans. Classical Conditioning occurs when a a stimulus is paired with another stimulus that elicits a known response that serves to produce the same response when used alone.

Rip Curl use the following ad campaigns such as; “Surfing is everything”

“Made for waves” – “Made for surfers by surfers”

“Like wearing nothing”

“The search”

The different stimuli presented by Rip Curl is still in the cognitive assertions of the consumers without being presented with a logo. The similar font styles and captions make the brand recognisable across multiple platforms.

The involvement theory is focused on individuals making personal connections between their life and the stimulus. Due to the low involvement of their advertisement’s, Rip Curl is able to play on the emotional connection of its consumers. Associating it’s products with the extravagant beach and surf culture. Making consumers wish that they were in that destination, or wearing those board shorts.

Recently I purchased a 2002 WRX Club spec Evo 5. This decision was made based on the fact that the car had all the predetermined qualities that I was looking for in a vehicle.

After months of trying to decide the perfect car for me, and looking at various models I narrowed the search down to two vehicles. The Ford Xr6 Turbo ute and a WRX Hatch. After weighing up the pro’s and con’s of an XR6 Ute and a Subaru sporty hatch. The Ford ute produces more horsepower, but the overall finish, and cabin room of the Subaru was the deciding factor for me. Due to the fact that I am a surfer and require the larger spacial requirements of a wagon, and prefer the sports car performance, there really is no car on the market like this. The turbo charged sporty hatch, that delivers power to all four wheels was a must have.

Moving forward into the evaluation of evidence section; Upon my search for a Subaru WRX I began to explicitly research different models, and variations of this particular car most of this research was done online through asking & reading through forums. I then found that the 2002 Model of Subaru hatch was the only model that Subaru produced in a sporty and upmarket hatchback. This is known as the “Clubspec evo range” . This exclusive range meant that only 200 of these Subaru’s were produced. They came in a rare Sonic yellow colour, with a sunroof, 6 CD stacker stereo system, and a limited edition build number (for example 1/200).

Choosing among the alternatives: Well this part was extremely hard, as of course this model is extremely rare. There was a 3 on the market when I first started looking, but all of which were sedans. Continuing the search over 2 years I finally found the WRX i was looking for. It was build number 30/200, in completely original and untouched condition.

Now it was time to take action: I contact the person selling the vehicle the day that it was posted. The car was located in South Australia. Therefore I flew there with my father that weekend, inspected the car and then drove it home 15+ hours.

Review of decision: After purchasing the car and driving a mechanically unknown vehicle for 15+ hrs from South Australia back to Wollongong. But this car has been a great decision, since I have purchased it i have only done light aesthetic modifications, mechanically it runs perfect, and I have not seen another one come for sale in the last year and a half that I have owned it.

So through an extensive amount of research to find the right car, Physically finding the car and purchasing it, the overall process took a long amount of time, and I believe with time, effort, and a solid amount of facts/research on the topic, the correct decision can be made.

Can the perceptions and reputations of brands proceed themselves, and inspire or deter sales? Or are consumers purchase decisions predominantly based on the products or services themselves.  Brand image is the overall perception a brand has with its stakeholders. “A brand image is the perception of the brand in the mind of the customer. It is an aggregate of beliefs, ideas, and impressions that a customer holds regarding the brand.”

Brand Image is important as it helps to: create a customer-business relationship; allow businesses to take view points and respond to world crisis or issues; possibly increase profits as customers are attracted to the brand and what it stands for; is easy to introduce products to existing customers under the same brand and boosts confidence of stakeholders.

In my personal opinion, Brand Image has a significant influence on the purchasing decisions of consumers, as what a customer thinks about a brand and what a brand represents is definitely a factor that consumers consider when they are purchasing products. Although this is a key element on consumers minds, it is evident through precious situations that brands such as Nike who endured a sweatshop scandal were directly exposed to negative brand publicity. Through this negative exposure has not effected Nike, their total revenue world wide reached 36 billion dollars.

Another case scenario where negative brand image was inflicted was upon Volkswagen during the Diesel emissions scandal in 2015. After this massive scandal was released it was evident that VW had cheated emissions tests and were at fault. The brand managed to rebound from this situations with sales up by 33% In September 2017.

Overall brand image is the general interpretation of the brand based on values, attributes, quality and commitments. I do believe that this has an slight influence on consumers decision making process but it is not enough to over-rule the final decision making process if consumers are loyal to brands or certain products as proven by Nike & VW Scandals.

References

https://www.feedough.com/brand-image-explanation-examples/

https://www.statista.com/topics/1243/nike/

Rip Curl is a brand  highly associated with Australian culture, as its original tagline was: “Surf clothing made by surfers for surfers”. Rip Curl was a built on the foundations of the growing surf scene in the ’60s in Victoria, Australia, and had grown to become one of the largest surf brands competing with the names of Billabong & Quicksilver. 

 

Rip Curl has a simply strategy when it comes to marketing, and that is to play heavily on what it’s best at. Which is representing the laid-back Aussie culture, through perfect images of tropical beaches, very clear and consistent marketing across all platforms. This includes campaigns such as: “Like Wearing nothing”.

Also consistent with the campaign “The Search” where Rip Curl display the most perfect surf destinations and use this to display new products or features.

Rip Curl manages to maintain the following aspects:

– Good positioning in relation to fierce competition

– Keep their identity in relation to their historical consumer

– Attract new followers of the brand

– Keep the notion of pleasure in mind

Australia is surrounded by coastline, and Rip Curl has been extremely successful in converting their brand from a surfer-only oriented brand to becoming a mainstream clothing brand that most Australians consider as high quality beach, water-sport or general clothing. Rip Curl stores are located in nearly every shopping mall across Australia, with many stand-alone stores very close to beaches. The visibility of the brand is second to none and is recognisable by surfers and beach-goers across Australia.