Myth: Whatever the sophistication of
marketing, consumers will always go
for the lowest price.
ALAN MIDDLETON, PH.D. AND IAN LARGE
ABSTRACT
With much of marketing theory and practice rooted in
economics it is not surprising that many marketing beliefs are founded on the importance of price in establishing demand.
While the marketing value equation of benefit divided
by cost indicates very clearly that there are two sides to
this equation, both benefit and cost, there has been a
tendency of economists and practitioners to emphasise
the impact of price. Ultimately the view seems to have
been that whatever the benefit side of the equation, the
biggest impact on demand will be seen by varying the
price.
While economic theory does include the notion of nonprice competition and its ability to shift demand curves
to the right thereby gaining higher pricing at every point
on the demand curve, the core of most economic
thought is the move up and down a singular demand
curve based on variances in price. This chapter examines this notion based on both secondary data and primary research and concludes that while price is always
important and an integral part of the value proposition,
it has not been demonstrated that consumers will always
go for the lowest price. The concept of adaptive pricing
with its view of pricing that it is a product attribute that
should be considered segment by segment is a much
more useful view as it moves the discussion of price
from tactic to strategy.
“There is scarcely anything in the world that some man
cannot make a little worse, and sell it a little more cheaply. The person who buys on price alone is this man’s lawful prey.”
John Ruskin, 19th century British social critic and writer.
Introduction
Despite the enormous amount of academic and practitioner work around brand choice, consumer behaviour and
the added value effective marketing delivers, market
place behaviour continues to suggest the primacy of pricing in driving demand. Any examination of Xmas year
end or other special occasion sales will attest to the reality
of the consumer search for bargains. Any examination of
the fourth quarter discounting that goes on as companies
attempt to achieve planned goals will attest to the belief
in price discounting as a significant purchase incentive.
This view stems from and is reinforced by microeconomic theory and the notions surrounding the Price Consumption Curve and Elasticity of Demand which posit that demand changes are based on price changes and that the
shape of the downward sloping curve is based on the
price elasticity of the good, which is itself determined by
the number of comparable alternatives or substitutes and
the wide availability of information.
In marketing strategy and action though, there are very
different actions to be taken between price as a primary
influence and price as an influence within the value equation.
This chapter will look at this difference. It will first review the concepts of the value equation and the value
proposition. Then it will discuss some other concepts
that bear directly on the issue: particularly the
„involvement” concept, why segmentation is
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important to understanding the impact of price and
the notion of adaptive pricing strategy. Then it will
review some primary research conducted in 2008
and 2010. It will then conclude with some tips to
marketers on how to action the issues discussed in
the chapter.
The Value Equation and the Value Proposition
As most readers to this chapter will know the value
equation is simply:
Consumer Value =
Benefits derived
Cost incurred
Benefits to the consumer can cover a wide range depending on the brand and the individual involved.
We can think about these benefits as follows:
Commercial:
 the functional benefits of the product or service
involved: eg: a bank provides credit, security and
interest-based monetary growth better than alternatives
 the functional benefits of ease of access to these
products or service : eg: convenient bank branches and phone and on-line access
 the emotional benefits of selecting or being
associated with the particular product or service
brand; eg: the risk versus reward assessment of a
„big 5‟ Canadian bank versus a foreign bank.
Culture:
 the functional and/or emotional benefits that
come from the perception of the culture of the
brand organization through interaction with its
employees and/or public coverage of their culture.
Community:

the functional and/or emotional benefits that
come from the perception of the brand‟s community engagement whether this is in environmental, social issues like Fair Trade and philanthropy.
Offsetting the benefits are the costs. Cost is not just
the purchase price though this is a large part of it.
Costs that the buyer might experience include:
Purchase Price
 the monetary cost charged on purchase of the
good or service usually expressed through its
price
Search Costs

the cost in time and money of finding the brand
and its benefits relative to non-use
or to competition.
Ordering Costs
 the cost in time or money of ordering and gaining delivery of the brand eg: shopping on-line
versus „bricks & mortar‟ retail.
Set-Up, Operating and/or Maintenance costs
 the cost in time or money in getting and keeping
the brand in operation eg: home
entertainment or computers.
Financing Costs
 the monetary costs to afford the brand, which
may include interest payments eg: houses, cars,
furniture.
Switching Costs
 the costs in time, money and emotion of changing the purchase a new way to achieve the desired benefits, eg: software
Risk Cost
 the cost of uncertainty in the purchase eg: a movie or show.
As can be seen both the benefits and the costs are
not only potentially extensive, but the combinations
that encourage purchase and repeat purchase vary
market by market, brand by brand and buyer by buyer. It is not surprising that one factor alone, the purchase price, is not the primary motivation for purchase with everybody. The exact value proposition
by a brand to a buyer comes from whatever combination of benefits relative to costs is relevant to the
buyer when compared to their needs and the competition.
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Consumer Buying Behaviour – the importance of
the ‘Involvement’ concept
Consumer buying behaviour has recently been undergoing re-examination in the light of the emergence of
technologically empowered consumer „word of
mouth‟ and marketer engagement. As researchers
like Court, Elzinga, Mulder and Vetvik (2009) have
pointed out, the consumer decision „journey‟ may
have changed from a neat funnel to a more complex
series of interactions. However the involvement concept is still critical in helping us understand the role
price plays within the value equation.
Let us first review two models of consumer buying
behaviour.
Model 1 termed the „high involvement model‟ by researchers is one familiar to economists and those expecting a fully evaluative process of product and/or
service selection. In this model outlined below, the
consumer follows a logical evaluative path:
Need -----> Awareness -----> Search ----->
Evaluate -----> Consideration Set ----- Buy->
Post Purchase evaluation -----> Rebuy ----->
Repurchase through habit or loyalty
Model #1 – High Involvement Buying
In this state the consumer is actively seeking information: they read brochures and ads, visit web sites,
they ask friends, where possible they try the product/
service. They may select one or a short list and then
depending on reinforcement at the point of purchase
buy. They will then judge whether what they have
purchased provides the benefit they wished and the
cost they are prepared to expend. It is a considered
purchase.
An alternative model termed „the low involvement
model‟ has the consumer much less engaged in
search and evaluation and buying from within the
consideration set whichever brand looks most attractive based on their memory –sourced predisposition
and/or effective point-of-purchase reminders.
Model #2 – Low Involvement Buying
Need -----> Consideration Set -----> Buy ----->
low intensity post purchase evaluation ----->
rebuy from either habit or loyalty.
In this model the consumer is less engaged and is tending to buy as a routine because they are relatively satisfied with the brands in their consideration set and save
time and stress by buying in this way.
The difference between the two models lies not inherently in the goods or services themselves, but in how
important they are in the lives of the consumer at that
point in time. To some people the type of clothing or
car they drive is important to them. To others it is not.
To some people taste is the most important variable in
food choice, to others the nutritional attributes are most
important.
If the products/services are really important to the consumer she/he will engage in a highly involved purchasing process. The importance of products/services is often triggered by changes in life stage or life style: cohabiting/marriage; children; empty nesting; house
moves to a new geography; significant advance or decline in disposable income and so on. These types of
changes often trigger evaluation of new and sometimes
unfamiliar products and services. Additionally product
and service categories that undergo huge technology or
social changes will often trigger greater involvement
and therefore a more elaborate buying process.
If the products or services are less important to the consumer, either because they are not judged important in
benefits and costs delivered, or because they have previously evaluated the brands and are satisfied with the
value delivery, then the whole purchase process is
shorter and more routine. It is likely that the purchasing
decision will be made from a preformed short list in the
memory, the consideration set, and selection will be
within that short list. The short list may be very short if
there is strong loyalty to one brand, or it may consist of
two or three acceptable alternatives with or without a
preference.
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The more that brands in the consideration list are
seen as comparable in value, the greater the influence of point of purchase stimuli.
buying behaviour.
So with these two alternate models, what role does
price play in the value consideration?
As every marketer knows, one of the key success
factors in effective marketing is an understanding of
how their market segments, and the actions taken to
deliver the appropriate value proposition to the targeted segment(s). The very essence of brand success
lies in relevant differentiation as confirmed by research from Y&R and others. Relevant means benefits and costs relevant to the specific target segment
chosen. For this reason, and provided the benefits
are motivating, the appeals of the lowest price will
be diminished.
It differs.
In the high involvement situation price is just one of
a list of benefits and costs fully examined by the
buyer. It is unlikely to be the predominant one as
this process is a search for benefits. However along
with the other cost elements, it will be a consideration.
In the low involvement situation while the consideration set may not be primarily price driven, the final
brand selection from within the consideration set
may be. If within the consideration set the benefits
and other costs are seen as similar then the point of
purchase pricing may be the key determinant of purchase on that occasion. As Peter Drucker has said, if
you are not different or better, you have to be cheaper.
Price variances within a consideration set will have
an impact but caution is needed.
If one brand within the consideration set is constantly „on deal‟ then over time there may be sufficient
perceived weakening of the benefit side to encourage a higher involvement approach and changes in
brand choice.
The involvement concept is then an important influence on how important price is regarded in the value
equation.
Given this, an obvious, but difficult question is for
most consumer purchases, which mode of buying is
most prevalent. The answer is that empirically we do
not know. Guesstimates by consumer behaviour researchers are that the low involvement condition is
in the majority. However for the marketer to act on
this they should source this knowledge from market
research on their own target segments. And indeed,
segmentation is now where we must turn in this exploration of the role of pricing in consumer
Consumer Buying Behaviour – the role of segment knowledge
In microeconomic terms, the marketer engages in
non-price competition when they provide a strong
and differentiated benefit. This non-price competition shifts the whole demand curve to the right and
thereby at every price level commands a higher demand.
The price elasticity of the good decreases with the
differentiated fit between the segment‟s needs and
the value delivered. Back to Peter Drucker; he was
in essence saying that the more a segment‟s benefit
needs are met the lower the price elasticity; the more
needs are not met or are seen as the same as others,
the higher the price elasticity.
Another finding with markets in developed societies
like Canada is that there are segments that are primarily „price seekers‟, in other words people for
whom price is the dominant criteria. However estimates in developed societies put primary price seekers as less than 10% of any market. Without an understanding of all segments in a market, a marketer
who resorts to primarily low price appeals may attract that 10% but:
i) it will be unstable because as soon as there is a
lower price offered by a competitor, the consumer will switch;
ii) price still connotes quality and the danger becomes that a pure price proposition will alienate
the 90% of the market for whom price
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is just one factor that must be weighed against
the benefits. Like the quotation at the start of this
chapter, low price still tends to communicate low
quality.
Understanding target segments and developing a
value proposition based on that understanding is the
most effective brand building and business development strategy as consumers mostly want more than
just low price. It is however evident that more economically challenged segments will search for lower
prices as part of their value equation. Price will not
dominate, but it will be a key factor.
If this is true, then to be convincing this chapter better tackle the case of Wal-Mart.
It could be argued that Wal-Mart represents proof of
the low price proposition: they have positioned
themselves as the low price alternative and have
been, demonstrably, most successfully.
It will be argued that Wal-Mart‟s positioning actually reflects the moderate view on the attractions of
price posited by this author; that is that it has succeeded by benefits delivered but targeted at segments where costs, and particularly price, are a more
important consideration.
Consider these points:
i) Wal-Mart‟s early strength was in rural and small
town US where the economic circumstance of
customers was less secure and where the WalMart benefits were extremely attractive. Their
target segments were well chosen.
ii) while these benefits did include low prices they
also included an increased choice of goods, improved customer service; technologically enabled ability to respond to changes in consumer
demand faster than competitors. Then after the
rapid initial growth, the Wal-Mart reputation
helped develop its brand awareness and
„mystique‟ on a broader canvas.
iii) in 2007 after 19 years with the positioning and
advertising slogan “Always low prices”,
Wal-Mart changed to “Save money, live better”. The
reasons stated were that the price only positioning
had become too narrow and that a more benefit oriented approach was needed. This shift accords well
with the balance indicated in the standard value
proposition described earlier in this chapter.
iv) just as the US geographic areas/segments that
got the Wal-Mart juggernaut started were those with
relatively less sophisticated competition and lower
economic affluence, internationally this pattern has
repeated. With few exceptions Wal-Mart‟s success
has been in the developing countries where the WalMart formula of price, choice, customer service and
technologically enabled ability to read demand gives
them a differentiating advantage versus competition.
Again their target segments were well chosen. Of the
14 international markets Wal-Mart was operating in
during 2010, nine were in the developing countries
of Latin America and another two were China and
India. While Wal-Mart remains in three developed
economies: Canada, Japan and the UK, Japan remains a problem and Wal-Mart has withdrawn from
two other developed economies, Germany and South
Korea.
Wal-Mart has targeted its segments well, primarily
focusing on those who were likely to be more attracted to the price component of the value equation.
But even here, the key success factors were not just
on the cost side of the equation but a heavy emphasis on the benefit side of choice, service and good
understanding of its customers most contemporary
needs.
Price is an important feature in the value equation. It
is particularly important in more economically challenged segments. However even in these, the benefit
side of the proposition remains the criteria against
which prices are evaluated.
Adaptive Pricing – Pricing as Strategy
The notion of adaptive pricing is based around segmentation and the recognition that it is not just
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Add new ways to experience a more luxurious experience: like chauffeur car to and from the airport for flying business class.
These alternatives avoid mere across the board price discounting and recognise that while price is an important
attribute for the majority it is not the most important one.
a matter of the demographics, psychographics and
benefits sought, but the TPO effect – the time, place
and occasion of when the product or service is required. It recognises that not only do different customers have different value equations, but the same
customer has different needs in different situations
and therefore vary the value they place on a given
product or service.

This notion was recently explored in a book by Rafi
Mohammed. Here he outlines several strategic alternatives to across the board price discounting which
the author has supplemented:
One way to understand the relative importance of pricing
in the value proposition is to look at it in relation to brand
decision making and brand loyalty. Research done by
Leger Marketing in June 2008 (n=1,502 Canadian adults)
and June 2010 (n= 1,514 Canadian adults + 1,504 US
adults) probed the brand loyalty of Canadians and Americans in relation to the brand value: the combination of
benefits and costs delivered and the price in particular.
 finding ways to price differently by segment by
use of „good‟, „better‟, „best‟ styles of thinking.
 charging differently by time, place and occasion:
airline and hotel marketers have done this for years
as part of their yield management systems, but now
more movie theatres, restaurants, gas stations, energy companies are doing this and other marketers are
finding ways to use this approach.
 Lower priced versions: introducing lower priced
versions to appeal to the more price conscious market segment.
 Value based promotions: offering „two for one‟
volume deals, coupons or premiums.
 Adapt products to maintain affordability: usually
the size or volume of the product but sometimes the
quality of ingredients. This may be valid as a one
time move but is actually highly dangerous if done
regularly or frequently.
 Unbundle services and add extra fees: rather like
banks and airlines have done, however again, if done
regularly or frequently, this too is a highly dangerous approach.
 Temporary tactics during economic recessions
like lower priced offerings that can be withdrawn on
economic recovery.
 Introduce new premium products: by adding features that reposition mainstream products as more
value based.
The Role of pricing in brand choice – Primary Research
Overall the picture was of brand stability with over two
thirds of Canadian and US respondents indicating that
they were as loyal if not more loyal to their main brands
than they were 3 years earlier.
While this level of stability in Canada slipped in the two
years from 2008 to 2010 from 80% to 68% and the 2010
US figure at 74% was comparable with the reduced Canadian data, still over two thirds indicated continuing loyalty.
Thinking about the main brands that you buy from
supermarkets, drug stores, electronics stores or general merchandise stores, would you say you are in general more or less loyal to them than you were 3 years
ago?
2008
Canada
Much
less
loyal
4%
Somewhat
less Loyal
Somewhat
more
Loyal
11%
Much
more
loyal
4%
DK/No
answer
13%
About
the
Same
65%
2010
Canada
8%
20%
60%
5%
3%
4%
US
8%
16%
57%
11%
6%
2%
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4%
Now whether or not these perceptions are reflected
in their buying behaviour is a subject for further research, the point is that two thirds of consumers in
these surveys saw themselves as being as, or more
loyal, than three years earlier.
Why were they so inclined?
In a sentence, the commercial brand proposition in
function and image had been kept up to date:
Canada
2008
Canada
2010
US
2010
Brands continued
to appropriate for
me and my lifestyle
My brands seem
to be better value
My brand quality
has improved
more than others
My brands come
from reputable
companies
49%
50%
59%
My brands are
more available
than others
Canada
2008
Canada
2010
US
2010
Product improvement/
better quality
18%
5%
11%
Changes in
consumers
tastes/needs
Higher cost/
reduced quantity
Lower cost/
better value
8%
10%
10%
7%
4%
8%
2%
4%
21%
0
11%
0
Price/change
in price
37%
33%
39%
24%
23%
32%
28%
23%
25%
22%
22%
31%
So if constant improvement in all „commercial‟ aspects of brand management is the key to retaining
loyalty, why did respondents indicate that they
changed brand?
The primary reasons were split between changes in
the benefit side of the value equation (product improvement and changes in consumer taste) and the
cost/price side of the equation. There was a statistically significant shift in the Canadian responses between 2008 and 2010: most likely a reflection of the
economic recession of 2009/2010.:
Although one should not make too much of the exact
wording used by respondents, in the 2010 survey
amongst the Canadian respondents the primary cost
reason indicated a price change resistance, whereas
the US respondents replies indicated a more conscious decision to seek another brand that was lower
in cost or better value.
The research is therefore indicating high levels of
brand loyalty for primarily reasons of benefit delivered. Furthermore, amongst those expressing weakened loyalty around half were due to changes in the
benefits rather than pure price.
Before we take a further look at the role of price in
our respondent‟s decision making, there is a further
comment that needs to be made about brands and
brand equity to its users.
A recent book on Canadian brands (“Ikonica – a
fieldguide to Canada’s brandscape” by Jeannette
Hanna and Alan Middleton) indicates that, as discussed earlier, the benefit side of the value equation
are not just the Commercial values of function and
image.
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In this examination of successful Canadian brands
like Tim Hortons, Canadian Tire, Cirque de Soleil,
Umbra and Westjet the authors conclude that three
elements have come together to create these brands
as icons in Canada: Commercial benefits, Cultural
affinity and Community appeals
Commercial benefits – the value of the brand to
its user/purchaser. What benefits it provides in
performance and in image value versus competition. In other words what level of quality and
trust does the brand deliver?
 Cultural affinity – the fit of the internal culture
of the organization that owns the brand with the
wishes and desires for its staff‟s attitude and behaviour by its user/purchaser group. Where does
the company/brand stand on ethical, social and
environmental issues important to the society,
community and the individual buyer/user?
 Community appeals – the fit of the brand with
the social attitudes and behaviour of its targeted
user/purchaser group. Does it reflect contemporary and „best behaviour‟ community values.
Increasingly, successful brand owners gain loyalty
not only through the commercial proposition, but
through the shared values it has internally and externally on key social issues like ethical behaviours in
employee, supplier and community treatment; sustainable activities and a demonstrated concern for
the environment. The benefit side of the value equation is ever more complex and important to understand before brand owners leap to the price/cost side
of their value proposition.

However, clearly price is not unimportant. The proposition in this chapter is that price is rarely the primary reason for purchase and that the benefit side of
the value equation is more powerful in attracting
brand purchase. However price remains an important
factor. The 2010 research examined the price issue
in more detail. Here were results of two more direct
questions:
(Scale 1-10 where 1 signifies totally disagree and 10
totally agree; Canada/US data)
I always
look for
the
brand
that sells
at the
lowest
price:
Average
score
Canada/
US:
I am prepared to
trade off
a
certain
amount
of quality
to pay a
lower
price:
Average
score
Canada/
US:
Totally /
Somewhat
disagree
Somewhat
agree /
neutral
Totally
Agree
DK / No
answer
54%/43%
21%/23%
21%/32%
4%/2%
26%/25%
23%/31%
4%/3%
5.0/5.8
47%/42%
5.4/5.8
As can be seen around half the sample do not agree that
lower prices would cause brand shifts however it is noticeable that in the US price is a much more significant
decision criteria than in Canada. In Canada only around
one in four saw price as a primary criteria, whereas almost one in three of Americans did. Remember this research was conducted during the recession of 2009/2010
so levels of agreement may be higher than usual, and
given that the US recession was deeper than the Canadian recession this may provide part of the reason for the
contrast.
However despite the impact of the economy and the relative differences between the US and Canada, price does
not show in our research as a dominant or primary criteria of purchase. In these findings it confirms the secondary research discussed earlier in this chapter that the value equation starts with an assessment of the benefits.
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Conclusions
The belief, or myth, that we started with was an absolute: “whatever the sophistication of marketing,
consumers will always go for the lowest price”. As a
statement alone this would probably elicit denial by
those in the marketing community. It may not be so
in the general business community and hence this
chapter.
At the level of the extreme statement, both secondary and our primary research dispute it.
Consumers have needs and look for benefits in
meeting these needs. The benefits sought are many
depending on the individual and their circumstances.
Costs in meeting these needs and accessing these
benefits include the purchase price but also include
other costs. The assessment of the benefits versus
the costs is the assessment of value by the consumer.
Sometimes this assessment is active and considered.
This happens when the consumer views the product
and/or service as important in their lives at that time
and is therefore highly involved in the purchase.
Here price is a well considered factor but the benefits are the primary considerations. When the consumer views the product and/or service as less important then they will not be very involved in the
purchase and it will be habitual or routine. In this
situation the role of price will depend on the consideration set. The wider the set and the less attitudinally loyal the consumer is to any one of the brands, the
more important will be the role of price in the purchase. The narrower the set and the more attitudinally loyal the consumer is to any one of the brands,
the less important will be the role of price in the purchase.
Not surprisingly those segments in any population
that are more economically challenged will be more
likely to rank the price higher in their consideration,
however except for a very small group of pure „price
seekers; this will still not be the primary consideration for purchase.
Marketers that recognize this, explore adaptive pricing strategies in order to recognise that while price is
important, if it is handled as an attribute to be considered relative to the benefit side of the value equation, they will have a better value proposition.
During tough economic times changes in an individual‟s real or perceived economic condition may be
enough to trigger a reassessment of purchase decisions and temporarily increase the amount of involved search and change the value equation balance.
There are also differences evident in different countries, even between the US and Canada where the
US seems to be a more price driven market relative
to Canada. However, in both the incidence of brand
loyalty seems to still be the dominant characteristic
of the North American market and that this is largely
based on keeping the benefit side of the value equation up to date and differentiated versus competition.
Some Guidelines for Marketers
“People want economy and they will pay any price
to get it.”
Lee Iacocca
1. The key to a successful marketing strategy is:
choice of and detailed knowledge of target segment(s)
 development of a value proposition that is relevantly differentiated versus competition for those
segments
 a focus on a benefit blend that covers the three
„C‟ s: Commercial function and image of the
brand, its Cultural appeals and its Community
appeals
 assessment of the costs you will ask from the
consumer including what value you want to recover through the price.
2. Then by investment in research and development
(R&D) in the product/service keep the benefits
current but without escalating the costs, including the purchase price, beyond the extra benefit
value that you are adding.
3. Remember that R&D is not only in the improvement of the product and service per se, but also
in
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but also in
 the efficiency and quality with which you produce and distribute is so that you develop pricing
flexibility;
 your image based activity brand communications
needs R&D to keep it up to date too.
 your internal employee Cultural values and practices
your Community engagement and business
 practices that might harm that engagement (e.g.
in 2010: BP, various airport authorities and tar
sands developers)
4. Use price as a strategy not a tactic: develop understanding of the category and your brands
price sensitivity. Track the benefits and the costs
incurred in brand tracking on a brand dashboard.
Keep a tight focus on the value improvement and
brand equity measures.
5. Be alert to changes in your target segment‟s lives
that might trigger reappraisal of their brand decision: anticipate those that are forecast-able and
build a reserve of brand equity to allow response
time to those changes that are less forecast-able.
6. Be skilled at the magician‟s skill of distraction
away from pure price discounting e.g.: the use of
added value promotions and/or new product introductions/improvements like Tim Horton. Observation will note that while its competitors use
price discounts to build excitement and an inducement to visit, Tim Horton‟s uses a judicious
mixture of new product introductions and promotional events with featured every day low
prices to build this excitement.
7. Avoid the temptation of increasing frequency or
depth of price discounts. As one marketer has
said, price discounts are like heroin: a high response at first but then you need more and more
that result in every decreasing effect but as some
effect is still there, you are hooked. Regular or
frequent price discounts are in effect price reductions and send a signal that the benefits are discounted too.
8. Search for strategic ways to handle price,
especially understand at what times, on what occasions and at what places the benefit side can command a higher price.
Selective Bibliography
Court D. Elzinga D. Mulder S. & Vetvik O.J. The
Consumer Decision Journey;
McKinsey Quarterly 2009 # 3, pp 96-107
De Chernatony L. (2006) From Brand Vision to
Brand Evaluation;
pub. Butterworth-Heinemann
Dictionary.com
Drucker P. (2008) Management- Revised Edition;
Collins Business
Estrin S. & Marin A. editors (1995) Essential Readings in Economics; MacMillan Press
Ettenson R. & Knowles J. Don’t Confuse Reputation
with Brand;
MITSloan Management Review Winter
2008 Vol. 49 No. 2
Hanna J. & Middleton A.C. (2008) Ikonica – A Field
Guide to Canada’s Brandscape;
pub. Douglas & McIntyre
Holt D.B. (2004) How Brands become Icons; pub.
Harvard Business School Press
Kotler P. Lane-Keller K. Cunningham P. Sivaramakrishnan (2009) Marketing
Management; pub. Pearson Canada
Knowles J. Varying Perspectives on Brand Equity;
Marketing Management
July/August 2008
Lannon J. & Baskin M. editors (2007) A Master
class in Brand Planning – the timeless
works of Stephen King; pub. John Wiley &
Sons
Leger Marketing Research Report (2008) # 14027010 and 2010
Leger Marketing (2009) The Disloyal Company;
Transcontinental Books
Mohammed R. (2010) The 1% Windfall: How Successful Companies Use Price to Profit and Grow;
Harper Business Books
Rook D. W. (1999) Brands, Consumers, Symbols &
Research – Sidney J. Levy on Marketing; pub. Sage
Publications
Solomon M. (2011) Consumer Behaviour; pub.
Prentice Hall
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275 Commerce Drive Suite 110 Fort Washington, PA 19034 | phone 215.643.8744 | fax 215.643.8755
MIDDLETON, ALAN C. PH.D.
SCHULICH SCHOOL OF BUSINESS, YORK UNIVERSITY
MARKETING / BRANDING & MEMBER OF THE ACADEMIC COMMITTEE OF LEGER/TRIG
Alan has 25 years as a marketing practitioner and 20
years as an academic with his BSc in Sociology
from the LSE and his MBA and PhD from the Schulich School of Business at York University in Toronto. He has worked in the UK, Norway, USA, Japan,
China and Canada and taught for extended periods
in Argentina, China, India, Russia and Thailand. In
2005 he was the first inductee into the Mentor category of the Canadian Marketing Hall of Legends.
Large, Ian
Leger Marketing
Vice President
Ian Large is responsible for the management and day
to day operations of Leger Marketing‟s offices in
Alberta. Ian is a seasoned marketing researcher with
more than 20 years‟ experience in a wide variety of
organizations in Canada and abroad. Before joining
Leger in 2009, Ian was a Managing Partner of his
own Toronto-based strategic marketing research
consultancy. Prior to that, Ian was a senior team
member in a mid-sized marketing research firm.
In addition to his multi-faceted Canadian experience,
Ian has spent 5 years working in research abroad in
Hong Kong and the Middle East.
Ian holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Queen‟s
University.
11
275 Commerce Drive Suite 110 Fort Washington, PA 19034 | phone 215.643.8744 | fax 215.643.8755