How Ford Motor Company Utilises The Marketing Mix To Influence Essay

How Ford Motor Company Utilises The Marketing Mix To Influence Consumer Buying Behaviour - Essay Example Ford maintains one of the most recognised brands in the world, creating brand recognition with historical emphases on quality and innovation. Currently, Ford is positioned under quality, with marketing emphasis on product in the marketing mix, utilising integrated marketing communications to give consumers the perception of product excellence, superiority and performance. Fortunately, global consumers’ having a high level of awareness of the brand makes it more simplistic for Ford to work on higher order aspects of marketing to build loyalty to the brand without having to concentrate on building brand recognition. â€Å"Ford is producing cars that critics and consumers are raving about† (Ritson 2010, p.2). However, how is the company able to establish positive perceptions about the brand and satisfy consumers so effectively to create such frenzy? This paper seeks to provide an explanation for how Ford builds brand loyalty toward the Ford brand. Various models of consume r behaviour serve to provide the necessary answer to this question. 2. Hierarchy of effects A considerable volume of consumer shopping behaviours are controlled in the subconscious and are not driven by cognitive awareness. In most consumption scenarios, â€Å"consumers are unaware that they are driven by motives† (Blackwell, Miniard and Engel 2006, p.216). This can complicate the process of building brand connection with consumer segments as consumers cannot always provide rational statements as to why they prefer one product over another. Because of this unconscious processing of consumer segments, it becomes increasingly important for marketers to understand the factors that assist in creating attitudes about a brand and what influences consumers about what brands to purchase. With a large amount of consumption behaviours being driven by instinctive or involuntary judgments, marketers must understand the factors associated with memory and cognition to create relevant and accepted promotional campaigns that build a more positive brand reputa tion. Figure 1: Hierarchy of Effects Model Source: Pauley Creative (2013). Hierarchy of Effects Model. http://www.pauleycreative.co.uk/2010/10/social-product-marketing-for-product-manufacturers-in-the-construction-industry/ The Hierarchy of Effects model indicates that consumers first build awareness and knowledge of the brand. The model illustrates that consumers go through a structured process that dictates how the consumer ultimately responds to marketing communications and brand, which is based on what they feel, think and perform (Pomoni 2010). The model illustrates that knowledge leads to linking and brand preference, ultimately allowing marketers to reward consumers for having conviction (preference) for the brand