“Sch…” - are you familiar with that sound? It is the sparkling bubbles coming out of a bottle when you open it. But you knew that before, didn’t you? And, be honest, right now you have an image of a
special bottle in your head: A bottle labelled “Schweppes”. Isn’t it amazing what just three letters can do with our mind? But this is no coincidence. This is the successful influence on the consumer by the
marketing department of Schweppes, creating brand recognition.
Schweppes-brand soft drink products are manufactured by different companies all around the world. These are for example the Dr Pepper Snapple Group in the US (Dr Pepper Snapple Group, 2010), the
Krombacher brewery in Germany (Krombacher Brauerei, 2009) and the Coca Cola Company in the United Kingdom (Coca Cola, 2010). All these bottlers are interested in distributing beverages on high sales to make profit. By using the license of a well-known brand it is much easier for marketers to influence consumer behaviour and to achieve these goals.
Applying consumer behaviour theory, this essay will analyse the marketing activities of Schweppes in the UK and their effect on the consumer decision process. Regarding one after another the
marketing mix elements based on McCarthy (1960, in: Winkelmann 2010, p. 43) it will result in explaining how the brand manages to be successful in catching consumers’ attention and motivate them to buy Schweppes products.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Product
3. Packaging
5. Price
6. Promotion
7. Conclusion
Objectives and Key Themes
This paper examines how the beverage brand Schweppes influences consumer behavior in the UK market by analyzing its marketing mix through the lens of established consumer behavior theories and psychological models.
- Analysis of the consumer decision-making process
- Application of Maslow's hierarchy of needs and cognitive dissonance theory
- Evaluation of product placement and packaging strategies
- Influence of branding and social status on consumer perception
- Effectiveness of promotional activities and sensory marketing
Excerpt from the Book
3. Packaging
The packaging forms no part of the classical 4P-marketing mix, as it is often linked to the product itself, because it provides consumer benefits as well. In British retail stores Schweppes offers their products in convenient plastic bottles or small cans. An oversized 2.5 or 3 litre offer does not exist. This attribute allows the consumer to carry small and lighter bottles more easily and furthermore it states the premium class of the products. The beverages should be enjoyed and savoured, because they are special and not common mass consumption goods. Due to past experience we know that discount and low-quality products are often oversized to create a competitive advantage. We learned that less can be more and tent to choose for example the smaller Schweppes Lemonade, believing that the quality is higher than an ADSA-brand 3 litre offer.
As we can see, packaging is more than just another product benefit, which is why a whole chapter is devoted to it. For marketers it is the playground of creating stimuli, as they can label it with much attention-based visual effects (colours, images) and persuading information.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Outlines the brand recognition of Schweppes and introduces the scope of the study regarding consumer behavior theories in the UK.
2. Product: Discusses the carbonated soft drink market, consumer needs, and how psychological theories like cognitive dissonance affect brand attitudes.
3. Packaging: Explores how bottle design and size serve as marketing tools to communicate premium quality and influence consumer perception.
5. Price: Examines how price positioning and promotional tactics influence consumer decision-making and perceived brand value.
6. Promotion: Analyzes how marketing communication and sensory stimuli create lasting brand associations and influence consumer behavior over time.
7. Conclusion: Summarizes the effectiveness of Schweppes in adapting to market and cultural changes through strategic marketing and consumer engagement.
Keywords
Schweppes, Consumer Behaviour, Marketing Mix, Cognitive Dissonance, Brand Attitude, Packaging, Consumer Decision Process, Pricing Strategy, Promotion, Sensory Marketing, Brand Loyalty, Psychological Needs, Market Positioning.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The paper focuses on how the Schweppes beverage brand influences consumer behavior in the UK market by applying various marketing and psychological theories.
Which key thematic areas are covered?
The study covers product development, packaging strategy, pricing models, and promotional activities, all analyzed through the perspective of the consumer decision-making process.
What is the primary objective of this work?
The primary objective is to explain how consumer decision processes are influenced by psychological factors, the consumer environment, and marketer-controlled activities using Schweppes as a case study.
What scientific methods are utilized in the analysis?
The analysis utilizes consumer behavior theories and models, such as Maslow's hierarchy of needs, cognitive dissonance theory, and multi-attribute attitude models, alongside empirical observation of retail environments.
What is discussed in the main body of the work?
The main body examines the marketing mix elements (Product, Packaging, Price, Promotion) and how they translate into consumer motivation, perception, and brand loyalty.
Which keywords best characterize this study?
Keywords include Consumer Behaviour, Marketing Mix, Brand Attitude, Cognitive Dissonance, and Sensory Marketing.
How does the author relate the "less is more" concept to Schweppes packaging?
The author argues that by offering smaller bottles rather than bulk sizes, Schweppes reinforces its premium brand identity and positions itself as a specialized product rather than a low-cost mass commodity.
What role does sensory marketing play in the brand's promotional success?
Promotional activities, such as the visual cue of the "Sch..." on caps and the acoustic experience of opening a carbonated bottle, create strong brand associations with freshness and quality that influence consumer recognition at the point of purchase.
- Citar trabajo
- Benjamin Buchwald (Autor), 2011, Schweppes - how the beverage brand affects UK’s consumer behaviour, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/174216
