theory of reasoned action and planned behaviour

The theory of reasoned action stated that consumers consent evaluate the consequences of alternative behaviour then chose the one that leads to the most favourable outcome one. the top part of the flowchart showcases the four main components of the theory of reasoned action or TRA. Behaviour, intention to behave, attitude towards the behaviour and subjective norm. the subjective norm reflects the social pressures the individual might feel towards the behaviour. (Sethna and Blythe, 2019) if you are to place it in a graphic design sense the subjective norm factor places on the individual to buy from a brand might be based on a certain brand is socially acceptable and what people will think of them if they do. The individual's beliefs about the behaviour and the evaluation of the possible main consequences of the behaviour is merged together and create the overall attitude towards the behaviour this combined with the subjective norm it created the likelihood of a behaviour being executed. TRA is based on the logical evaluation of the decisions making procedure for the individual. Logically attitude should precede behaviour but in some cases, behaviour supersedes the attitude and they rather for an attitude after they have performed the action. (Fishbein, 1972)

The extension to the theory is the theory of planned behaviour, this assumes that the individual also takes account of the ease or difficulty of doing the behaviour. this is based on past experiences and uses that to try to control the outcome for the future behaviours. If you have experience doing a certain thing you will assume a similar outcome. If you got compliments on things that someone bought from a brand or had a nice experience with a service at a certain brand, the likelihood of they doing it again is high. The theory of planned behaviour explains it as a favourable outcome if you do it again. 

Marketing techniques often encourage us to try the product first. Then form attitudes you see this with free tests, test drives, demonstrations, and trying on items. These allow the consumer to form a bond with the brand a positive experience that can likely lead to a purchase. Attitudes formed without a trial experience will be weaker as you have no bond to it. In a consumer context, this can be showcased in the Pepsi challenge where regular people blind taste test one cup filled with Pepsi and another with Coca Cola. Upon tasting the colas, drinkers are asked which they prefer. This is a great marketing scheme for Pepsi as they have a smaller audience than Coca-cola and when people compared them they fond that many people prefer Pepsi, as a lot of the loyalty lies in the packaging not the product. 

Ajzen, I. and Madden, T.J. (1986). Prediction of goal-directed behavior: Attitudes, intentions, and perceived behavioral control. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 22(5), pp.453–474.

Fishbein, M. (1972). Behavior Science Foundations of Consumer Behavior. New York: Free Press.

‌Sethna, Z. and Blythe, J. (2019). Consumer behavior. 4th ed. Thomson learning.

‌