Whatyouwilllearn

Session 1:
Consumer behaviour and Marketing strategy

Session 2:
Cross-Cultural Variations, and Group Influence
on Consumer Behavior
Session 3:
Customer Perception

Session 8:
Article presentation
Session 9:
The Process and Problem Recognition
Session 10:
Information search
Session 11:
Alternative Evaluation, and Selection

Session 4:
Consumer learning, memory,
and product positioning

Session 12:
Post-purchase processes, customer satisfaction,
and customer commitment

Session 5:
Motivation, Personality, Emotion

Session 13:
Organizations as consumers

Session 6:
Attitudes and Influencing Attitudes

Session 14:
Group Project presentation

Session 7:
Self-concept and lifestyle

Session 15: Final exam

CHAPTER

08

Perception

McGraw-Hill/Irwin

Copyright 2013 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

8-3

Learning Objectives
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

8-4

ConsumerBehaviorInTheNews
Now THATS Heavy!
Can you guess which part of a product package
is perceived as suggesting heavier versus
lighter?
First Bottom versus Top?
Second Left versus Right?

Source: X. Deng and B. Kahn, Is Your Product on the Right Side? Journal of Marketing Research, December 2009, 725-738.

8-5

ConsumerBehaviorInTheNews
Now THATS Heavy!
Can you guess which part of a product package
is perceived as suggesting heavier versus
lighter?

Bottom-right is correctthese are considered

heavy locations

Implication - when weight is positive (cookies = more

is better), putting a product picture in heavy package
locations creates highest attitude.

Source: X. Deng and B. Kahn, Is Your Product on the Right Side? Journal of Marketing Research, December 2009, 725-738.

8-6

The Nature of Perception

8-7

Exposure
Types of Exposure
1. Selective Exposure

The highly selective nature of consumer exposure is a

major concern for marketers, since failure to gain
exposure results in lost communication and sales
opportunities.

2. Voluntary Exposure

Although consumers often avoid commercials and other

marketing stimuli, sometimes they actively seek them
out for various reasons including purchase goals,
entertainment, and information.

8-8

Exposure
Selective Exposure and DVRs
DVRs in 40% of U.S. Households
DVR may increase ad avoidance although evidence
is mixed
Strategies to adapt in a DVR world

Ad compression
Still-frame ads
Hybrid ads
Interactive ads
Dynamic ad placement

8-9

Attention
Attention is determined by three factors:
1. Stimulus Factors

Are physical characteristics of the stimulus itself

2. Individual Factors

Are characteristics which distinguish one individual from

another

3. Situational Factors

Include stimuli in the environment other than the focal

stimulus and temporary characteristics of the individual
that are induced by the environment

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Attention
Stimulus Factors
Size
Intensity
Attractive Visuals
Color and Movement
Position
Isolation
Format
Contrast and Expectations
Interestingness
Information Quantity
8-11

Attention
Stimulus Factors: A Closer Look
Color and Movement
Color and movement attract
attention.

Color and Size Impact on

Attention1

A brightly colored package

or display is more likely to
received attention.
Color and movement are
also important in ads.
Source: 1How Important is Color to an Ad? Starch Tested Copy. February 1989,
p.1. Roper Starch Worldwide, Inc.

8-12

Attention
Stimulus Factors: A Closer Look
Position
Position is the placement of an
object in physical space or
time.
In retail stores, items that are
easy to find or stand out are
more likely to attract attention,
such as end-caps and kiosks.
High impact zones in print ads
in the U.S. tend to be toward
the top left portion of the ad.

End-caps provide a way to

capture the shoppers attention

8-13

Attention
Stimulus Factors: A Closer Look
Contrast and Expectations

Consumers pay more attention to

stimuli that contrast with their
background.
Expectations drive perceptions of
contrast. Ads that differ from
expectations for a product category
often motivate more attention.
Adaptation level theory suggests
that if a stimulus doesnt change
over time we habituate to it and
begin to notice it less.

This billboard ad provides

contrast for enhanced attention.

8-14

Attention
Individual Factors

Motivation
Ability

8-15

Attention
Situational Factors

Clutter
Program Involvement

8-16

Attention
Situational Factors: A Closer Look
Program Involvement
Program involvement
refers to interest in the
program or editorial
content surrounding the
ads.
Program involvement has
a positive influence on
attention (see graph).
Source: 1Cahners Advertising Research Report 120.1 and 120.12 (Boston: Cahners Publishing, undated).

8-17

Attention
Nonfocused Attention

Hemispheric lateralization
Subliminal Stimuli

8-18

Attention
Nonfocused Attention
Hemispheric Lateralization refers to activities that take place on
each side of the brain.

The left side of the

brain controls
activities related to
rational thought.

The right side

of the brain
deals with
images and
impressions.

8-19

Attention
Nonfocused Attention
Subliminal Stimuli

A message presented so fast, softly or masked by other messages

that one is not aware of seeing or hearing it is call a subliminal
stimulus.
stimulus
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.
Subliminal advertising has been the focus of intense study and
public concern.

8-20

Interpretation
Three aspects of interpretation:
interpretation
1. It is generally a relative process rather than absolute,
referred to as perceptual relativity.
relativity
2. It tends to be subjective and open to a host of psychological
biases.
3. It can be a cognitive thinking process or an affective
emotional process.

8-21

Interpretation

Cognitive interpretation is a process whereby stimuli

are placed into existing categories of meaning.

Affective interpretation is the emotional or feeling

response triggered by a stimulus such as an ad.

Jack Links Uses Affective Interpretation

YouTube Spotlight
8-22

Interpretation
Interpretation is determined by three Characteristics :

1. Individual Characteristics
2. Situational Characteristics
3. Stimulus Characteristics

8-23

Interpretation
Individual Characteristics

Traits
Learning and Knowledge
Expectations

8-24

Interpretation
Individual Characteristics

8-25

Interpretation
Individual Characteristics
Learning and Knowledge
The meanings attached to
such natural things as time,
space, relationships, and
colors are learned and vary
widely across cultures.
Consumers also learn about
marketer-created stimuli like
brands and promotions
through their experiences
with them.

Color is used in the Wrigleys ad

to mean icy and cool.

8-26

Interpretation
Individual Characteristics
Expectations
Interpretations tend to be consistent
with expectations, an effect referred
to as the expectation bias.
Consumers often evaluate the
performance of a well-known brand
as higher than that of an identical
product with an unknown brand
name.

Brands create expectations and

can thus bias perceptions.

8-27

Interpretation
Situational Characteristics
The situation provides a context within which the focal
stimulus is interpreted.
The contextual cues present in the situation play a
role in consumer interpretation independent of the
actual stimulus.

8-28

Interpretation
Stimulus Characteristics
Traits
Organization

Proximity
Closure
Figure-Ground

Changes

Sensory Discrimination
JND

8-29

Applications in Consumer Behavior

Stimulus Characteristics: A Closer Look
Traits

This McDonalds
billboard is designed
like a clock and is
interpreted as telling
consumers when it is
time for various
McDonalds products.
Christopher Kerrigan

8-30

Interpretation
Consumer Inferences
Quality Signals
Interpreting Images
Missing Information and Ethical Concerns

8-31

Perception and Marketing Strategy

Retail Strategy
Brand Name and Logo Development

Linguistic Consideration
Branding Strategies
Logo Design and Typographics

Media Strategy
Advertisements
Package Design and Labeling

8-32