Chapter 2
Perception
By Michael R. Solomon
Consumer Behavior
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What was Gary’s perception of Parmalat?
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Why is shelf-stable milk popular in Europe?
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In the focus group research, what were the
U.S. consumers’ perceptions of Parmalat?
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What is Parmalat doing to overcome the
obstacles associated with marketing
shelf-stable milk in the United States?
Sensation and Perception
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Sensation:
– The immediate response of our sensory receptors (eyes, ears, nose, mouth, fingers) to basic stimuli such as light, color, sound, odors, and textures
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Perception:
– The process by which sensations are selected, organized, and interpreted
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The Study of Perception:
Sensory Systems
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External stimuli, or sensory inputs, can
be received on a number of different
channels.
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Inputs picked up by our five senses are
the raw data that begin the perceptual
process.
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Hedonic Consumption:
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The multisensory, fantasy, and emotional aspects
Sensory Systems - Vision
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Marketers rely heavily on visual
elements in advertising, store design,
and packaging.
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Meanings are communicated on the
visual channel through a product’s
color, size, and styling.
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Colors may influence our emotions
more directly.
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Arousal and stimulated appetite (e.g. red)
This ad targets which senses?
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This Finnish ad
emphasizes the
sensual reasons to
visit the city of
Sensory Perceptions - Vision
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Some reactions to color come from
learned associations.
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(e.g. Black is associated with mourning in the
United States, whereas white is associated with
mourning in Japan.)
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Some reactions to color are due to
biological and cultural differences.
–
(e.g. Women tend to be drawn to brighter tones and
Perceptions of Color
This ad campaign by the San Francisco Ballet uses color
perceptions to get urban sophisticates to add
Sensory Perceptions - Vision
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Color plays a dominant role in Web page
design.
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Saturated colors (green, yellow, orange, and
cyan) are considered the best to capture
attention.
– Don’t overdo it. Extensive use of saturated colors can overwhelm people and cause visual fatigue.
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Trade Dress:
– Colors that are strongly associated with a corporation, for which the company may have exclusive rights for their use.
Perceptions of Color
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As this Dutch
detergent ad
demonstrates
(Flowery orange
• First Heinz gave us
“Blastin’ Green” ketchup in a squeeze bottle. Now they have introduced
“Funky Purple” ketchup.
• What sensory perception is Heinz trying to appeal to? Do you think this product will be
successful? Why or why not?
VIDEO: Snapple
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Snapple drinks were
revived by the
Whipper Snapple
product, thanks to
consumers forming
their own perceptions
about the product.
Sensory Perceptions - Smell
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Odors can stir emotions or create a calming
feeling.
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Some responses to scents result from early
associations that call up good or bad feelings.
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Marketers are finding ways to use smell:
– Scented clothes – Scented stores
– Scented cars and planes
Smell in Advertising
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This ad pokes fun at
the proliferation of
Sensory Perceptions - Sound
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Advertising jingles create brand awareness.
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Background music creates desired moods.
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Sound affects people’s feelings and behaviors.
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Muzak uses a system it calls “stimulus
progression” to increase the normally slower
tempo of workers during midmorning and
midafternoon time slots.
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Sound engineering:
Sensory Perceptions - Touch
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Relatively little research has been done on
the effects of tactile stimulation on the
consumer, but common observation tells
us that this sensory channel is important.
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People associate textures of fabrics and
other surfaces with product quality.
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Perceived richness or quality of the
Applications of Touch Perceptions
• Kansai engineering: A philosophy that
translates customers’ feelings into design elements.
Tactile Quality Associations
Tactile Oppositions in Fabrics
Perception Male Female
High class Wool Silk Fine
Low class Denim Cotton
[image:21.720.29.689.48.479.2]Sensory Perceptions - Taste
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Taste receptors contribute to our
experience of many products.
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Specialized companies called “flavor
houses” are constantly developing new
concoctions to please the changing
palates of consumers.
Exposure
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Exposure:
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Occurs when a stimulus comes within the range of
someone’s sensory receptors
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Consumers concentrate on some
stimuli, are unaware of others, and
Sensory Thresholds
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Psychophysics:
– The science that focuses on how the physical environment is integrated into our personal subjective world.
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Absolute Threshold:
– The minimum amount of stimulation that can be detected
on a given sensory channel.
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Differential Threshold:
– The ability of a sensory system to detect changes or
Weber’s Law
• The amount of change that is necessary to be
noticed is systematically related to the intensity of the original stimulus
• The stronger the initial stimulus, the greater a change must be for it to be noticed.
• Mathematically:
– K = A constant (varies across senses)
– Δi = The minimal change in the intensity required to produce j.n.d.
– I = the intensity of the stimulus where the change occurs
I
i
Subliminal Perception
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Subliminal perception:
– Occurs when the stimulus is below the level of the consumer’s awareness.
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Subliminal techniques:
– Embeds: Tiny figures that are inserted into magazine: advertising by using high-speed photography or
airbrushing.
Subliminal Messages in Ads
• Critics of subliminal
persuasion often focus on ambiguous shapes in drinks that
supposedly spell out words like S E X as
evidence for the use of this technique. This Pepsi ad, while hardly subliminal, gently
Attention
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Attention:
–
The extent to which processing activity is devoted
to a particular stimulus.
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Attention economy:
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The Internet has transformed the focus of
marketers from attracting dollars to attracting
eyeballs.
Attention and Advertising
Personal Selection Factors
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Experience:
– The result of acquiring and processing stimulation over time
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Perceptual vigilance:
– Consumers are aware of stimuli that relate to their current
needs
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Perceptual defense:
Factors that Lead to Adaptation
• Intensity: Less-intense stimuli habituate because they have less sensory impact.
• Duration: Stimuli that require relatively lengthy exposure in order to be processed tend to habituate because they require a long attention span.
• Discrimination: Simple stimuli tend to habituate because they do not require attention to detail.
• Exposure: Frequently encountered stimuli tend to habituate as the rate of exposure increases.
Stimulus Selection Factors
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Size:
– The size of the stimulus itself in contrast to the competition
helps to determine if it will command attention.
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Color:
– Color is a powerful way to draw attention to a product.
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Position:
– Stimuli that are present in places we’re more likely to look
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What technique does
this Australian ad rely
on to get your
attention?
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Does the technique
enhance or detract
from the
advertisement of the
actual product?
Attention to Stimuli
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Interpretation:
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The meaning that we assign sensory stimuli.
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Schema:
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Set of beliefs to which the stimulus is assigned.
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Priming:
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Process by which certain properties of a stimulus
Schema-Based Perception
Stimulus Organization
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A stimulus will be interpreted based on its
assumed relationship with other events,
sensations, or images.
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Closure Principle:
– People tend to perceive an incomplete picture as complete.
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Principle of Similarity:
– Consumers tend to group together objects that share the
same physical characteristics.
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Figure-ground Principle:
– One part of a stimulus will dominate (the figure) and other
Principle of Closure
Semiotics: The Symbols Around Us
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Semiotics:
Field of study that examines the
correspondence between signs and symbols
and their role in the assignment of meaning.
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A message has 3 components:
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1)
Object:
the product that focuses the message
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2)
Sign:
the sensory imagery that represents the
intended meanings of the object
Semiotics (cont.)
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Signs are related to objects in one of
three ways:
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1)
Icon:
a sign that resembles the product in some
way
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2)
Index:
a sign that is connected to some object
because they share some property
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3)
Symbol:
a sign that is related to a product
through conventional or agreed-upon associations
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Hyperreality:
The becoming real of what is
Perceptual Positioning
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Positioning Strategy
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A fundamental part of a company’s marketing
efforts as it uses elements of the marketing mix to
influence the consumer’s interpretation of its
meaning.
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Many dimensions can establish a brand’s position
in the marketplace:
• Lifestyle • Competitors
• Price Leadership • Occasions
Perceptual Map
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Figure 2.3: HMV
