Session 7: What influences perception? Flashcards
What Influences Consumers’ Perceptual Processes?
- Knowledge and Expectations
- Actual Stimulus (Perceptual threshold)
- Needs and Goals
- Contextual Influences
Does Green Label Mean Healthy?
Even nutritional label color affects perceptions of healthfulness (e.g., calorie content, perceived healthfulness)
The “Organic” Path to Obesity?
People infer that organic cookies are lower in calories and can be eaten more often than conventional cookies
Sensory Factor in Perception
Phonetic Symbolism & Brand Names
- Sounds in words convey meaning
New line of cars: Brimley or Bromley
Which one rated higher on perceived legroom, trunk space, and engine power?
Brimley
High, front sounds
i e
Low, back sounds
a o u
Blackberry
Sensory Factor in Perception
- Strawberry was rejected because straw is a slow syllable
- B associated with reliability
- Short e - evokes speed
- Berry - conveys small
- Name consulting is a big business
McDonald’s & Fat
The power of expectations:
When McDonald announced that it would move to a trans-fat-free oil, the impact was immediate as consumers flooded the fast feeder with complaints that its fries didn’t taste as good.
The Salad Society
The power of expectations:
Mcdonalds has done everything they can to prove they are the best burger experts which lead to a neglection in salad. They launched their salads without their brand and had a M at the bottom of the bowl
Confirmation bias
Expectations shape our experience, especially subjective and ambiguous experiences.
Expectations ______ our physiological responses.
Transform
Airborne
Placebo effect
- No studies supporting Airborne’s effectiveness
- The word “cold” no longer appears on the new package
Power of price
Full-price vs. discounted pain relief pills or seasonal cold medicines and their perceived effectiveness
Energy beverage experiment
The power of price:
Control group (9 out of 15)
Full price condition (9 out of 15) (12.3)
Discounted price condition (6.5 out of 15) (7.1)
Absolute Threshold
The minimum amount of stimulation at which you can detect a difference between “something” and “nothing”
When do consumers detect a difference?
When that difference exceeds the Just Noticeable Difference (j.n.d. = the minimum difference required to result in detection of a change)
In which of the following cases would firms want the perceived change to exceed just noticeable difference?
Price decrease
If you want consumers to notice a change?
Price decrease
Size increase
If you do not want consumers to notice a change ?
- Downsizing: candy bars, chips,
- Kraft Mac&Cheese, cigarette length
- Price Increase
- Brand Names & Spokesperson
Just Noticeable Difference: Campbell’s
Campbell’s new soup label design is aimed at helping busy consumers more easily identify the variety of soup they want.
Subliminal Perception
Our perception of the stimuli presented below the threshold level of awareness (i.e., below the absolute threshold)
What are examples of subliminal perception
- Super-fast image presentations
- Hidden shapes
- Seductive images
- Subtle audio suggestions
Absolut subliminal
Subliminal perception: Absolut Vodka
James Vicary’s study in New Jersey movie theater in 1957
- 2 messages flashed during playing of film: “Drink Coca-Cola” and “Hungry? Eat Popcorn
- Results: Increase in Coca Cola sales and popcorn
Family Guy
Subliminal advertising - smoke
Limits to subliminal exposure
- May affect general liking for or approach/avoid tendencies toward products (but not memorable nor long-lasting)
- For important (high-involving) decisions, careful processing would override any subliminal influence. (The effects of consciously processed ads on our behavior are ten times stronger than unconsciously processed one)
