Perception Chapter 2 Copyright 2008 Pearson Education Canada.

Perception

Chapter 2

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education Canada

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education Canada 2-2

“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?


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


Sensation and Perception

• Sensation– Immediate response of our sensory

receptors…• …eyes, ears, nose, mouth, fingers…

– …to basic stimuli…• …such as light, colour, sound, odour, and texture


Sensation and Perception (Cont’d)• Perception

– Process by which sensations are selected, organized, and interpreted

• Adding meaning to raw sensations

Figure 2-1


Sensory Systems

• We receive external stimuli through our five senses– Perceptual process

begins sensory input

• Hedonic Consumption– Design/form =

function/substance


Vision• Colour

– Colour provokes emotion

– Reactions to colour are biological and cultural

– Colour in marketing is serious business!


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


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


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


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


Taste

• “Flavour houses” (e.g., Alpha M.O.S.)– Develop new concoctions for consumer palates

• Cultural changes determine desirable tastes


Exposure

• A stimulus comes within range of someone’s sensory receptors– We can concentrate, ignore, or

completely miss stimuli


Sensory Thresholds

• Psychophysics

• Absolute threshold– Dog whistle– Billboard with too small print


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.


Weber’s Law

• Used for 2 reasons:– Reductions are not readily discernible to the

public– Product improvements are perceived by the

public


Subliminal Perception

• It is believed that many ads are designed to be perceived unconsciously (below threshold of recognition)

• Subliminal Techniques– Embeds– Subliminal auditory

perception


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.


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


Perceptual Selection• Perceptual Filters

• Personal Selection Factors– Perceptual vigilance– Perceptual defense– Adaptation

• Intensity, duration, discrimination, exposure, and relevance


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


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


Semiotics

• Correspondence between signs and symbols and their role in the assignment of meaning

• Consumer products = social identities– Advertising as culture/consumption dictionary


Semiotic Relationships

MarlboroCigarettes

Cowboy RuggedAmerican

Object(Product)

Sign(Image)

Interpretant(Meaning)Figure 2-3


Semiotics (Cont’d)• Signs are related to objects in 3 ways:

– Icon– Index– Symbol

• Hyperreality– Anne of Green Gables in PEI– “Heidiland” in Switzerland


Perceptual Positioning

• Brand perceptions = functional attributes + symbolic attributes

• Perceptual map– Company’s own strengths and weaknesses in

comparison with competitors– Market position


Perceptual MapFigure 2-4


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


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?


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.

Perception Chapter 2 Copyright 2008 Pearson Education Canada.

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