PERCEPTION
December 2003
four major US
networks air an average
of 52 minutes of
promotional clutter
between 8 & 11 pm (130
commercials)
up 8% from 2000 and
up 36% from 1991
Networks use fewer commercial breaks during primetime than
in previous years, but the average length of each break continues
to rise, to an all-time high of 3.05 minutes, up 41% from just five
years ago.
Superchannel has 6 minutes of ads (every 15-20 minutes)
How many pages of
the 750 are devoted
to Editorial?
A:Less than 100
What’s the
problem then for
the advertiser?
What is Sensation?
The immediate response to sensory receptors (eyes,
ears, nose, mouth, fingers) to such basic stimuli as
light colour and sound. The process of receiving,
translating, and transmitting messages from the
outside world to the brain
What is Perception?
The process by which we select, organize, interpret
and give meaning to sensations.
An Overview of the
Perceptual Process
Perceptual Process:
• Exposure (Can I see it?)
• Attention (Am I looking at it?)
• Interpretation (What do I see?)
Exposure
Consumers are exposed to information in the environment
including marketing strategies, primarily through their
own behaviours
Two Types
Accidental
Intentional
What you want is ad exposure to the right people
Will influence where you place your ad
February 2003 Cunning Stunts
Communications announce the
launch of foreheADS™ - the
medium that alleviates student debt
while bringing a brand's message to
the fore.
Exposure
Cunning Stunts have a network of
students to display brand logos on
their foreheads. Ads are placed
using a temporary transfer.
Students must display the ads for a
minimum of 3 hours a day in highly
visible locations such as the student
bar, local pubs and shopping areas.
They receive £90.00 for a week's
Capitalism gone too far?
work.
1. Will “advertising on
heads” catch on in
Canada?
2. Do brands risk being
tarnished by being
promoted this way?
3. Are there certain types
of products better suited
for this type of
promotion?
Marketers are
always looking for
new places to expose
people to ads
ATTENTION
Procter & Gamble Inc. has hired
actors to pose as shoppers at WalMart, Loblaws and other stores. On
cue, they ditch their carts and launch
into a "performance ad" for Liquid
Cheer laundry detergent
What will make us pay attention?
In what Areas of Marketing will Vision be
Important?
Stimulus Organization
Gestalt
 Closure Principle
 Figure-Ground Principle
 Principle of Similarity
Closure
Is it satisfying to “close” the image?
Figure Ground
Principle of Similarity
the two filled lines gives our eyes the
impression of two horizontal lines, even
though all the circles are equidistant from
each other
We group objects that
are similar
the larger circles appear to
belong together because of
the similarity in size
Things which are closer
together will be seen as
belonging together or related.
SMELL
Aroma Marketing
The system employs the latest
dispensing technology and a
selection of over 50 fragrances
to put the appropriate aroma in
your service or retail
environment
•Freshly-brewed coffee
•Frangipani mist
•Baby Talc Mist
•cut grass
•new leather
•male and female colognes and
perfumes
What Scents would be appropriate?
sensory evaluation of products
Which scents
go with which
product?
sensory branding
Two pairs of the same Nike running shoe were placed in separate, but
identical rooms.
One room was infused with a mixed floral scent. The other wasn’t.
Test subjects inspected the shoes in each room, and then answered a
questionnaire.
 84 percent preferred the shoes displayed in the fragrant room.
 The consumers estimated the value of the “scented” shoes to be, on
average, $10.33 higher than the pair in the unscented room.
none of the respondents was aware of the smell in the room.
Martin Lindstrom: Brand Sense: Build Powerful Brands through Touch, Taste, Smell, etc
What is the value of using pleasant
scents in a retail environment?
Improve the perception of customers as to the
evaluation of the store
Improve the perception of customers as to the stores
environment
Improve the perception of customers as to the
merchandise
Improve the perception of customers as to specific
products
Improve the intentions of customers to visit the store
Improve purchase intentions for specific products
Spangenberg et al 1996 (J of Marketing)
In 80% of cases the decision to buy this or that product is
made by a client in points of sales (POS) and only 20% of
cases are influenced by advertising in mass media.
Touch
This Caress Ad Uses
Tactile Stimulation as
a Selling Point
This Finnish Ad
Emphasizes Sensual
Reasons to Visit Helsinki
The original contour of the "Mae West" bottle
was designed in 1915
to be identified by touch even in the dark.
The Coke bottle was not encumbered with a
lot of text, and the color scheme was universal.
The tactile encounter with the bottle conveyed
a sense of pleasure across multiple cultures
Modern perfume bottles come in
all shapes and sizes but most are
made of glass.
Handling an elegant sculpted
glass container provides the
consumer with a sense of luxury
that does not come across in the
same way with more modern
materials,
although the latter can actually
assume more shapes and textures.
Fruit of the Loom ad inserts containing an actual pair of 3-inch
men's briefs in the Sept and Oct 1997 issues of Rolling Stone (1.2
mil)
"The mini-briefs, made from the same fabric of the full-size version,
caught the attention of consumers in a big way.
What qualities do
we associate with
each of these
fabrics?
TASTE
This Ad Uses
Taste to
Motivate
People to Buy
Their Product
Do they taste the same?
SOUND
brand awareness
Role of Music in Marketing
attracting attention
implicitly or explicitly carrying the message,
creating emotional states
acting as a mnemonic cue
Impact of Background Music
Variables
Slow Music
Fast Music
As an environment becomes more pleasurable so people are
likely to demonstrate 'approach behaviors' towards it, such
as a greater willingness to return.
Congruency of scent and music as
a driver of in-store behavior
Hypothesis
Matching high arousal scent and high arousal
music conditions will lead to enhanced
(a) pleasure,(b) store environment,
(c)impulse
buying and (d) satisfaction, compared to
mismatched conditions (ie high/low or low/high).

For Scents:
• Lavender = low arousal scent
• Grapefruit = high arousal scent

For Music:
• Slow tempo classical = low arousal music
• Fast tempo classical = high arousal music
Sensory Thresholds
•Absolute Threshold
Subliminal Advertising does not work
If you can sense it, it is above the
threshold and therefore not
subliminal
Many ads use hidden messages, most of them
harmless. Can you find the hidden message in this
company logo?
Differential Threshold
Stimulus Generalization
Applications of Stimulus Generalization
Look-Alike Packaging
Product Line Extension
Family Branding
Licensing
Stimulus Discrimination
If all brands are perceived to be alike, why
should consumers buy your brand?
The real thing
(1970)
The Choice Of A New
Generation (1984)
How do Consumers
Choose What to Pay
Attention To?
Stimulus Selection
Factors
Size
Colour
Position
Create Contrast so That
Stimuli is More Likely to
Be Noticed.
Lexus Conveys
the Sensation of
Speed in a Novel
Way to Position
Its Vehicles
This Ad Relies on
Color Contrast to
Get Noticed
research indicates colour selection alone may impact
sales by a margin of 5 to 40 percent
 What colours compel customers to spend more?
 What colours make people come into a business?
 What are the best colours to use on a web site?
 What are the best colours to use in print advertising?
 What are the best colours to use for stationery;
packaging, products, uniforms
Colour and Demographic Variables
Age
Gender
Culture
RED
Impulse
Desire
Passion
Urge to succeed
Increases blood pressure
VIOLET
Magical
Enchanting
Unimportant
Unrealistic
Irresponsible
Immature
GRAY
Neutrality
Un-committed and un-involved
Escape from anxiety
YELLOW
Bright
Cheerful
Restless
Seeking change
Creates anxiety
BLUE
traditional
complete calm
reduces blood pressure
BROWN
Reduced sense of vitality
Passive
Solid roots
GREEN
Stimulus for interaction
Analytical
Precise
Accurate
Resistance to change
BLACK
Negation of emotion
Powerful
Strong
Uncontrollable
Extinction
Nothingness
Personal Selection Factors
Experience
Environment
Culture
Which belong
together?
The green things
and the blue things
Or the circles and
the bars ?
Interpretation
The meanings that people
assign to sensory stimuli
What things might influence
Interpretation?
Interpretation
Consumers assign meaning to stimuli based on
Schema, or set of beliefs, to which the stimuli is
assigned.
The schema will determine what criteria will be used
to evaluate the
product
package
message
This Singaporean Ad for Toyota Evokes a Car
Schema Even Though Using Household Furniture
KAZON
KAZON
KAZON
KAZON
Semiotics: study of how meaning is created
How do consumers interpret the meanings of
symbols? What do they mean to people?
Object
Sign
Interpretant
Product Positioning
How are these
products positioned?
How are these companies positioned
In 1998 Pepsi changed the color of its cans from red
and white (Coke’s colors) to blue and white to help
differentiate it from Coca Cola
Perceptual Map of Brand Images
Classy distinctive proud
Cadillac
Lincoln
Mercedes
Oldsmobile
Conservative
older people
Chrysler
BMW
Dodge
Lexus
Spirited
performance
young people
fun sporty
Pontiac
Buick
Ford
Porsche
Honda
Chevrolet
Nissan
Toyota
VW
Practical fuel
efficient affordable
Hyundai