Practise explaining brand awareness and recognition in consumer psychology with CAIE Psychology AS questions and mark schemes.
Company B has recently won an award for the easiest-to-use mobile phone so are planning to change their slogan. Their current slogan is ' B is brilliant'.
Explain two reasons why ' B is brilliant' is not an effective slogan.
B is brilliant' is not an effective slogan.
For each reason:
Award 2 marks for a detailed reason why not an effective slogan.
Award 1 mark for a basic outline why not an effective slogan.
Likely reasons -
- Not a jingle/catchy phrase.
- Not memorable.
- Does not highlight the award/what makes Company B unique - doesn't link 'brilliant' to either the award or the mobile phone.
- Not creative
- It can't stand alone - doesn't indicate Company B sells mobile phones
For example
One reason ' B is brilliant' is not an effective slogan is because it is not a jingle.
(1) Catchy slogans/jingles help customers to remember the slogan (and therefore the brand/product) which this slogan doesn't do. (1)
A second reason is that it doesn't highlight what makes Company B unique, which is that their mobile phone is the easiest to use. (1) ' B is brilliant' could refer to any product, not just mobile phones. It also doesn't indicate anything about the award which if it did, would attract customers to buy the phone. (1)
Other appropriate responses should also be credited.
4
1+3 or 2+2 for the two reasons
Explain one problem psychologists have when they investigate slogans.
Explain one problem psychologists have when they investigate slogans.
Award 2 marks for a detailed explanation of the problem in context Award 1 mark for a basic explanation of the problem in context OR a detailed explanation of the problem not in context.
Likely problems -
- Difficult to test long term effectiveness of slogans
- Difficult to establish cause and effect - is it the slogan that increased/ decreased sales or something else? Was it the slogan that increased/ decreased brand awareness.
- Hard to determine if participants in a study or customers like a slogan. Can get socially desirable responses in a study or how would a company know if the customer likes the slogan. If they interview their customers, they may not get an honest answer, or the customer may not know.
- Some of the evidence is anecdotal (not scientific research) - companies may boast in their end of year report that it was the slogan they created that led to expanding market/increase sales.
- If the psychologist investigates slogans as a laboratory experiment (in order to establish cause and effect) the study will lack ecological validity as we are exposed to slogans in our everyday life through advertising.
Example:
One problem when psychologists investigate slogans is that it is difficult to establish cause and effect between the slogan and sales. (1) Lots of factors affect sales such as the quality of the product, effective advertising, placement of the product in a store, etc. so the psychologist cannot isolate the slogan to measure its effectiveness. (1)
Other appropriate responses should also be credited.
2
Context = investigating slogans