PERCEPTION

 Perception(DECEPTION) is
subjective(partial) —
approximation of reality
 More information is available
than can be processed
 “Perceptual guards”
 Perception leads to emotion.
 Its vary from person to person

MKTG 371 PERCEPTION Lars Perner, Instructor 1

 Alteration of Images for Optimal
Perceived Stimulus

Photoshop
manipulation
enhancing
eyes

http://www.jasc.com/support/learn/tutorials/archive/paintshoppro/eyeenhancement.asp?pg=1

MKTG 371 PERCEPTION Lars Perner, Instructor 2

 Information Processing for
Consumer Decision Making
EXPOSURE
Random______________Deliberate
PERCEPTION

ATTENTION
Low involvement—High Involvement

Text, p. 278
INTERPRETATION
Low involvement—High Involvement

MEMORY
Short term____________Long Term

PURCHASE /CONSUMPTION
DECISIONS
MKTG 371 PERCEPTION Lars Perner, Instructor 3
 Exposure, Attention, and
Perception
 What is necessary to reach consumers?
– Exposure (e.g., consumer must see your
billboard)
– Attention (e.g., consumer must look at ad
message)
– Perception (e.g., consumer must “take in”
message)

MKTG 371 PERCEPTION Lars Perner, Instructor 4

 The Senses
 Vision
– Influence of colors
– Priority of attention
 Smell
– Strong affective impact; associations in memory
 Hearing
– Priority of attention
– Habituation

MKTG 371 PERCEPTION Lars Perner, Instructor 5

 More Senses
 Touch
– Affective impact
 Taste
– Acquired tastes
– Influence of smell

MKTG 371 PERCEPTION Lars Perner, Instructor 6

 Definition
Exposure: the process
by which the consumer
comes in physical
contact with a
stimulus.

MKTG 371 PERCEPTION Lars Perner, Instructor 7

 Sensing Change
(Perceptual Thresholds)
 “Downsizing” of
products
 Reducing alcohol
content of beverages
 Weber’s Law—larger
change is needed in a
strong stimulus before
it can be detected

MKTG 371 PERCEPTION Lars Perner, Instructor 8

 Subliminal Perception: A
Diabolical Marketing Tool?
 Subliminal messages
in ads are illegal in
U.S.
 Some research
support for modest
effects

MKTG 371 PERCEPTION Lars Perner, Instructor 9

 How Do You Gain Exposure?
 Research target group
habits
 “Hidden” product
placements
 Computer screen
savers
 Point-of-purchase
displays

MKTG 371 PERCEPTION Lars Perner, Instructor 10

 Selective Exposure
 How much attention are you
likely to give to the following
advertising encounters?
– radio ad while driving
– ad in newspaper or magazine
– freeway billboard
– direct mail appeal

MKTG 371 PERCEPTION Lars Perner, Instructor 11

 How Can We Increase
Consumers’ Exposure?
 “Roadblocking”--you
can run, but you can’t
hide!
 Repetition
 Wide presence

MKTG 371 PERCEPTION Lars Perner, Instructor 12

 Properties of Attention
 Selective
 Capable of being
divided
 Limited

MKTG 371 PERCEPTION Lars Perner, Instructor 13

 Some Determinants of Attention
Given to Stimuli
 Self-relevance
 Movement (animation)
 Position
 Isolation
 Format 3 7
 Pleasantness = 81
 Surprisingness 9 6
 Contrast
 Information quality
 Interestingness
 Ease of processing

MKTG 371 PERCEPTION Lars Perner, Instructor 14

 Color, Movement, and Position
 Color
– Brighter colors are likely
to get more attention
– Preference for color
 Movement
– Attention to moving
object is evolutionarily
adaptive
MKTG 371 PERCEPTION
 Position
– Placement relative to
the viewer’s visual field
– Objects closer to center
are more likely to be
seen
 Eye level shelf space is
preferred
– Right hand ads tend to
receive more attention
than those at left
– Gaze Motion Theory
Lars Perner, Instructor 15
 Isolation and Format
 Isolation
– Fewer competing
stimuli
– Use of “white space”
 Format
– The way a message is
organized
– Simpler layouts tend to
get more attention (less
effort required)

MKTG 371 PERCEPTION Lars Perner, Instructor 16

 Contrast/Expectations
 More attention given to a stimulus which
does not “blend in” to the background
 Stimuli with unexpected content tend to
receive more attention (prioritized as
potentially important information)
 Adaptation Level Theory—stimuli will
eventually be less unexpected based on
prior experience
MKTG 371 PERCEPTION Lars Perner, Instructor 17
 Interestingness and Info Quantity
 Interestingness
– Interest motivates
allocation of attention
– Intense competition for
interest
MKTG 371 PERCEPTION
 Info Quantity
– Information overload
 Difficult to cope with
excessive information
– Better organized
information is more
useful
Lars Perner, Instructor 18
 Self-Relevance
 Needs, values, and goals
 Similarity of source
 Dramas
 Rhetorical questions

MKTG 371 PERCEPTION Lars Perner, Instructor 19

 Pleasantness of Stimuli
 Attractive visuals
 Music
 Humor

MKTG 371 PERCEPTION Lars Perner, Instructor 20

 Surprisingness of Stimuli
 Novelty
 Unexpectedness

MKTG 371 PERCEPTION Lars Perner, Instructor 21

 Ease of Processing
 Prominence
 Concreteness
 Contrast

MKTG 371 PERCEPTION Lars Perner, Instructor 22

 Interpretation
 Meanings assigned to stimuli
– Often highly culturally influenced based on
expectations
– Cognitive interpretation and categorization
 Categories as a way to simplify the world
– Social/linguistic categories
– Ad hoc categories
 Prototypes and “perfect” examplars
– Superordinate (e.g., “furniture”), basic (e.g., “chair”), and
subordinate (e.g., “office chair”).

MKTG 371 PERCEPTION Lars Perner, Instructor 23

 Perception and Marketing Strategy
 Retail  Media strategy
– Allocation of retail shelf – Product category vs.
space involvement
 High volume items  Advertisements and
 Category allotment
Package Design
– Point-of-purchase
– Use of humor—
displays
attention to the humor
 Brand name/logo vs. the product
development
– Brand associations
– Visual images

MKTG 371 PERCEPTION Lars Perner, Instructor 24

 Advertising Evaluation
 Exposure  Interpretation
– People meters – Focus groups
– Web site visits/”hits” – Projective research
– Click-through rates  Memory
 Attention – Brand awareness levels
– Day after recall
– “Starch” scores based on
attention given to advertising
parts
 “Noted”
 “Seen-associated”
 “Read most”

MKTG 371 PERCEPTION Lars Perner, Instructor 25

 Ambush Marketing
 Attempt to associate brand with a non-
owned entity
– E.g.,
 Advertising for the use of one brand of film at the
Olympics when another brand is the official sponsor
 Sponsoring a small part of the event
 Advertising during the event

MKTG 371 PERCEPTION Lars Perner, Instructor 26