Assignment #3:  Empathy Mapping/ Effective Frequency
This is an individual assignment that traces all the communication stimuli that led you to make a single consumer action.  Does your experience match Herbert E. Krugman’s Theory of Three:  Curiousity; Recognition and Decision?
Objective
This assignment aims to develop student understanding of the frequency of messaging required before a consumer takes action. Understanding consumer behavior will be useful in developing strong tactics for the final assignment:  preparing a communications plan for a client
Task
Consider a single consumer action that you have taken.  Follow the stimuli that took you to final action.   Some sample actions to get you thinking:
•    You decide to go to a movie
•    You vote a certain way
•    You download an app
•    You buy a new brand of shampoo
•    You begin to binge a new series
•    You buy a new video game
Whatever your consumer action, record the path that led you to your decision.
Assignment
Empathy Mapping:  Illustrate that path that led you to your decision with an empathy map.  Include:
•    all aspects of each interaction:  See; Hear; Think; Do
(a) What did you see and how did it visually connect with you? (examples:  an ad, a blog post; favourite actor)
(b) What did you hear and how did it connect with you? (examples:  conversation; radio chat; podcast)
(c) What did you think or feel.  There should be evidence of thought or feeling in every interaction you have in this exercise.
(d) What did you do?  You may have acted throughout the process or your only action may have come at the end.
•    Connect each of the actions above (a to d) to the source that connected you to your action.  Some examples (not an exhaustive list) advertising; articles; social media; personal interaction.

The format of the mapping can be illustrated in a way that fits with the journey your decision took.   Some suggestions are provided at the end of this document.

Reflection:  Herbert E. Krugman believed that the optimal frequency of messaging was 3, as he explains in “Why Three Exposures May Be Enough”, Journal of Advertising Research 12, 6 (1972).  Focus on p.13-14 in sections called “Recent Research” and “An Explanation”.
http://search.ebscohost.com.myaccess.library.utoronto.ca/login.aspx?direct=true&db=buh&AN=5226451&site=ehost-live
Consider how Krugman’s theory relates to your own experience.
Material Submission
You will submit the following:
(1)    One-Page Empathy Map recording the path that led you to your decision.  Created in Word in a portrait format, times new roman 11pt.
The Map can take many forms.  Two suggestions were given in class.  Some sample templates are provided with this assignment:
– a simple process or cycle chart,
– empathy map
(2)    A maximum one-page, single-spaced, times new roman, 11 pt reflection that:
– describes the process shown in the empathy map
.  discusses how this one experience helps you to agree or disagree with Krugman’s Theory of Three

Please submit assignment with the following information:
Student Name:
Student #:
Empathy Mapping Subject:

Sample Process Chart

Cycle Chart

Empathy Map
Hear    See

Think/Feel    Do