Consumer Behavior

CHAPTER 8

Perception

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PART III: INTERNAL INFLUENCES

L01

L02

L03

L05

L04

Describe the nature of perception and its relationship

to consumer memory and decisions

Explain exposure, the types of exposure, and the

resulting marketing implications

Explain attention, the factors that affect it, and the

resulting marketing implications

Explain interpretation, the factors that affect it, and the

resulting marketing implications

Discuss how perception can enhance strategies for

retailing, branding, advertising, and packaging

Learning Objectives

What is Consumer Perception?

Consumer’s awareness and

interpretation of reality

Perception

• Perception is the process by which sensations are selected, organized, and interpreted (SOI).

• Sensation is the immediate response of our sensory receptors (eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and skin) to basic stimuli (light, color, sound, odor, and texture).

• Sensory marketing

• Neuromarketing

Perceptual Process

Exposure

 Process of bringing some stimuli within proximity of a

consumer so that the consumer can sense it with one of

the five human senses

 Marketing stimuli for different sensory receptors?

 Vision (Eye)

 Advertising, store design, packaging, color

Vision

Which line is longer: horizontal or vertical?

Which one is for women?

Examples of Exposure on Sensory Receptors

 Smell (Nose)

 Store fragrance

 Sound (Ears)

 Background music, speaking rates, high vs. slower

tempo

 Taste (Mouth)

 Marketing different taste to different segments

(Pepsi Soda Diet)

 Touch (Skin)

 Handshaking in sales interactions, free sample

Q&A

Males and females have different appreciations of textures

(touch sensitivity). When feeling fabrics, men evaluate

which of the following as "high class"?

A) wool

B) silk

C) denim

D) cotton

How to foster Exposure retail strategy?

 High-margin items in high-traffic areas

 Frequently purchased items in separate sections

 Firms must place the ad in those media to which

the target consumers are most frequently

exposed

Attention

 The process by which an individual allocates part of

his/her mental activity to a stimulus.

Attention

Attention is determined by three factors:

1. Individual Factors

• characteristics which distinguish one individual from

another

2. Situational Factors

• include stimuli that are induced by the environment

3. Stimulus Factors

• physical characteristics of the stimulus itself

Attention

 Consumer’s motivation (product or advertising

involvement)

 Consumer’s ability to process information

 Brand familiarity

Individual Factors

Attention

 Program involvement or interest in program

 Clutter

 Sensory overload

 Ad avoidance (Zapping, Zipping, Muting)

Situational Factors

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To draw attention, marketers use:

Subliminal Stimuli

A message presented so fast, softly or masked by other

messages that one is not aware of seeing or hearing

A subliminal ad “hides” key persuasive information within the

ad by making it so weak that it is difficult or impossible for

someone to physically detect.

Does it work??

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MunPARnI0dE

Nonfocused Attention

Infomercials

Attention

 Size of stimulus

 Intensity (e.g., loudness, brightness, length)

 Attractive Visuals

 Color and Movement

 Position

 Isolation

 Format

 Contrast and Expectations

 Interestingness

 Information Quantity

Stimulus Factors

Size

Intensity

Attractive Visuals

Color and Movement

trade dress

Isolation

Interestingness and Personally Relevant

Design

Kinsei engineering

A philosophy that translates customers' feelings into design elements

Position

1 2

87

65

43

Contrast

Your family owns an upscale jewelry store. Your

mother asked you to develop an advertisement for

the store. You know that it is important for consumers

to pay attention to your ad or else the money you've

spent on media exposure is wasted. Discuss how five

of the several stimulus factors influence attention to a

stimulus, and explain how you can use each in your

advertisement.

Interpretation

Different Interpretation of same event/stimulus

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Interpretation is determined by three Characteristics:

1. Individual Characteristics

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Interpretation is determined by three Characteristics:

2. Situational Characteristics

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Vs.

Interpretation is determined by three Characteristics:

3. Stimulus Characteristics

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Applications in Consumer Behavior

Applications of Perception in

Marketing Strategies

 Retail Strategy

 Brand Name and Logo Development

 Media Strategy

 Advertisements

 Package Design and Labeling

 Pricing

 Etc.

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Some implication of perception A. Blind taste tests in the 1980s showed that most Coke drinkers

preferred a cola that was sweeter than the current product. When Coca-Cola attempted to make its product sweeter, brand loyal customers revolted and demanded the old product be returned. Explain how Coca-Cola marketers could have used the principles of psychophysics to introduce the new coke without creating these problems.

Answer: If the sweetness of the cola was increased by less than a j.n.d. in stages over time, the final product would be much sweeter without most brand loyal customers recognizing the change. Less than the JND is wasted effort because the improvement will not be perceived; more than the JND is again wasteful because it reduces the level of repeat sales.

Some implication of perception A. As people age their sensory detection abilities decline.

The Baby Boomers are fast reaching retirement age. How will advertisements in the future likely change sensory stimuli to accommodate this changing demographic?

Answer: Colors look duller to older people, who prefer purer and brighter colors. It becomes increasingly difficult for older persons to separate background sounds from direct speech (figure-ground), requiring less distraction in the sound track. Because smell has the power to bring older memories to consciousness, it may become more important in advertisements in the future.

Perception and Marketing Strategy

 Brand Name and Logo Development (Knowledge of how words are interpreted, the visual images they convey, and the ease with which they are remembered)

 Logo Design (Quality, trustworthy, naturalness, elaborateness, and symmetry)