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Perception
Chapter 2
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“Alternative” Milk
Parmalat
Shelf-stable milk: Can last for 5-6 months unopened without refrigeration
Discussion: Would you drink milk out of a room-temperature, square, litre-size box?
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3. Overflowing Sensations
Our world is a symphony of colours, sounds, odours, tastes, etc.
Marketers contribute to the commotion
Advertisements, product packages, radio and TV commercials, billboards
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4. Sensation and Perception
Immediate response of our sensory receptors…
…eyes, ears, nose, mouth, fingers…
…to basic stimuli…
…such as light, colour, sound, odour, and texture
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5. Sensation and Perception (Cont’d)
Process by which sensations are selected, organized, and interpreted
Adding meaning to raw sensations
Figure 2-1
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Sensory Systems
We receive external stimuli through our five senses
Perceptual process begins sensory input
Hedonic Consumption
Design/form = function/substance
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Vision
Colour
Colour provokes emotion
Reactions to colour are biological and cultural
Colour in marketing is serious business!
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Vision (Cont’d)
Size
We tend to eat more:
When food container is larger
When our plate still contains food
When we see assortment of foods
We focus on height rather than width when pouring liquid into a glass
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Smell
Odours = mood and memory (limbic system)
Scented marketing ($90 million business)
Cadillac’s “Nuance” scent = expensive upholstery
Most recognized smells:
J&J Baby Powder, chocolate and coconut
Reactions to odours depend on cultural background
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Hearing
Many aspects of sound affect people’s feelings and behaviours
Phonemes of brands = unique product meanings
“i” brands are “lighter” than “a” brands
Effect of Muzak
MUZAK.COM
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Touch
Haptic senses affect product experience and judgment
Kansei engineering
Fabric textures and surfaces with products and packaging
Perception
Male
Female
High Class
Wool
Silk
Fine
Low Class
Denim
Cotton
Heavy
Light
Course
Table 2-1
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Taste
“Flavour houses” (e.g., Alpha M.O.S.)
Develop new concoctions for consumer palates
Cultural changes determine desirable tastes
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Exposure
A stimulus comes within range of someone’s sensory receptors
We can concentrate, ignore, or completely miss stimuli
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Sensory Thresholds
Psychophysics
Absolute threshold
Dog whistle
Billboard with too small print
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15. Sensory Thresholds (Cont’d)
Differential threshold
J.N.D.
Weber’s Law
Discussion: Many studies have shown that our sensory detection abilities decline as we grow older.
Discuss the implications of the absolute threshold for marketers attempting to appeal to the elderly.
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Weber’s Law
Used for 2 reasons:
Reductions are not readily discernible to the public
Product improvements are perceived by the public
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17. Subliminal Perception
It is believed that many ads are designed to be perceived unconsciously (below threshold of recognition)
Subliminal Techniques
Embeds
Subliminal auditory perception
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18. Subliminal Perception (Cont’d)
Most researchers believe that subliminal techniques are not of much use in marketing
Discussion: Assuming that some forms of subliminal persuasion may have the desired effect of influencing consumers, do you think the use of these techniques is ethical? Explain your answer.
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Attention
The extent to which processing activity is devoted to a particular stimulus
Sensory Overload
3,500 ad info pieces per day
Multitask
Marketers need to break through the clutter
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Perceptual Selection
Perceptual Filters
Personal Selection Factors
Perceptual vigilance
Perceptual defense
Adaptation
Intensity, duration, discrimination, exposure, and relevance
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21. Perceptual Selection (Cont’d)
Stimulus Selection Factors
Weber’s Law
Differences in size, colour, position, and novelty
Interpretation: assigned meaning to stimuli
Schema leads to stimulus evaluation
priming
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22. Stimulus Organization
Stimulus interpretation is associated with other related events, sensations, or images
Gestalt: “the whole is greater than the sum of it parts”
Principle of Closure
Principle of Similarity
Principle of Figure-ground
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Semiotics
Correspondence between signs and symbols and their role in the assignment of meaning
Consumer products = social identities
Advertising as culture/consumption dictionary
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24. Semiotic Relationships
Marlboro
Cigarettes
Cowboy
Rugged
American
Object
(Product)
Sign
(Image)
Interpretant
(Meaning)
Figure 2-3
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Semiotics (Cont’d)
Signs are related to objects in 3 ways:
Icon
Index
Symbol
Hyperreality
Anne of Green Gables in PEI
“Heidiland” in Switzerland
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26. Perceptual Positioning
Brand perceptions = functional attributes + symbolic attributes
Perceptual map
Company’s own strengths and weaknesses in comparison with competitors
Market position
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Perceptual Map
Figure 2-4
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Positioning Strategy
Marketing mix elements influence the consumer’s interpretation of brand’s meaning
Brand’s position as a function of:
Lifestyle, price leadership, attributes, product class, competitors, occasions, users, and quality
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Discussion
Do you believe that marketers have the right to use any or all public spaces to deliver product messages? Where would you draw the line in terms of places and products that should be restricted?
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Discussion
Assume that you are a consultant for a marketer who wants to design a package for a new premium chocolate bar targeted to an affluent market.
What recommendations would you provide in terms of such package elements as color, symbolism, and graphic design?
Give reasons for your suggestions.
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