Volume 15, Number 4 Article by Manish Agarwal and Nitin Agarwal December, 2003
Award Winning student Essay: Theory of Trying - Practical Implications for Marketing New-concept Products :
The Theory of Trying emphasises consumer uncertainty when the achievement of a consumption objective is not entirely within one`s volitional control. Bagozzi and Warshaw proposed that the attitude towards trying is formed by a person`s attitude towards the consequence of trying and weighted by the expectation of the consequence. In addition the person`s attitude towards the process itself also has a part in shaping the attitude towards trying. In this award winning student essay, Manish Agarwal and Nitin Agarwal propose a modified version of this model. The attitude towards the consequence and the process are themselves a function of several generic factors, they believe. Their model applies to any product that requires a substantial change in the mindset of the consumers before being accepted. Nine generic factors that might hinder the trying of these products have been identified. However the relative importance of these factors would vary with each product category.
The product category chosen for this study was slimming pills/capsules. A focussed group discussion followed by primary research was the methodology used for identifying the factors. Next, multivariate regression analysis helped determine the hierarchy of these factors. The results indicate that `Outcome Uncertainty` and `Information Distortion` are the two most important factors that affect the attitude towards trying of any new concept product, followed by `Deferred Gratification` and `Satisfaction with Current Behaviour`.
Based on these findings, the authors suggest a number of strategies for a company producing slimming pills. A case study of a slimming capsule marketed by an ayurvedic company illustrates how these strategies can best be used while leveraging the strengths of the company.
Reprint No 03402
