A way to more effective marketing strategies: Analyzing dimensionality of cognitive structures quantitatively

To create successful marketing strategies, it is essential to be familiar with consumers' cognitive structures. In this article, the qualitative method of concept mapping is applied in a consumer survey (N = 132) to elicit cognitive structures and dimensionality of cognitive structures. The authors present methods to analyze dimensionality of cognitive structures descriptively and microeconometrically. An indicator for measuring cognitive structure dimensionality including weighted links is applied. To test the methodology, effects of sociodemographics on dimensionality are analyzed regarding a chosen food product. Results show that consumers' age and education determine whether cognitive structures are more or less complex, whereas gender has no effect on the dimensionality of cognitive structures. To offer tailored marketing strategies based on dimensionality, emotional marketing strategies should be applied to reach customers with less complex cognitive structures. For consumers with more complex cognitive structures, marketers might focus on providing more detailed, information-based promotion.