Dynamics of Perception
My previous blog was about perception of beauty and how marketers influence people perception and we also figured out that it is somewhat ethical and it plays a vital role in profit generation and brand image. And the Dove social experiments campaign proves consumers act and react of their perception and not on the basis of object reality, for each individual, reality is a totally personal phenomenon, based on that person’s needs, wants values and personals experiences. Hence from a marketer’s perspective consumers perception is much more important than their knowledge of reality.
We defined perception as the process by which an individual receives, selects and interpret stimuli to form a meaningful picture of the world or we can say “how we see the world around us”. A Stimulus is a unit of any of the senses. And the study of perception is largely the study of what we add to and subtract from raw sensory inputs to produce our own picture of the world and most of it is done subconsciously.
There are three aspects/elements of perception:
- Perpetual selection– We are bombarded with lot of stimuli every minute of every day and our selection of the stimuli depends on two major factors, our previous experience which effects our expectation and our motive at the moment of time like needs, desires, interest and so on. People tend to ignore the stimuli that are irrelevant to their needs. This helps a marketer decide the segments to which the product can be targeted, this is where innovative advertisements play a vital role.
Another important factor which determines the probability of the stimuli to be perceived is the nature of the stimuli i:e its physical attributes that is package design, brand name, advertisements and commercials etc.
- Perpetual organisation – We humans do not experience stimuli as separate and discrete sensations rather we organise them into groups and perceive them as unified wholes.
Three most basic principles of perceptual organisations are Figure and Ground, Grouping and Closure.
For example- After the destruction of World Trade Centre, if we want to advertise an airline and feature a flying aeroplane, photographed from the ground up, between two glass high-rise building. The viewer rather than focusing on the plane and the brand (i.e. The Figure) will only think about the two tall towers (i:e The Ground) and the plane crashing into them. Thus advertisers will have to plan their advertisements carefully to make sure that the stimulus they want to be noted is seen as the figure and not as ground.
Similar with Grouping and Closure, individuals tend to group stimuli and look for closure so that they form a unified picture or impression. It is clear that perceptions are not equivalent to the raw sensory input of discrete stimuli, rather people tend to add or subtract from stimuli to which they are exposed according to their expectations and motives, using generalised principles of organisation. (Gestalt Theory)
- Perpetual interpretation– Stimuli are highly ambiguous and are usually interpreted is such a way that they serve to fulfil personal needs, wishes, interest and so on. And how close these interpretations are to reality, depends on the clarity of the stimulus, past experience, motives and interests or in other words is highly subjective. And influences that tend to distort objective interpretation include physical appearance, stereotypes, halo effects, irrelevant cues, first impressions and the tendency to jump into conclusions.
Now the point we can discuss is how can marketers overcome this sensory adaptation and increase the likelihood that consumers will notice their advertisements?
(References:-Schiffman, L, O’Cass, A, Paladino, A, & Carlson, J 2013, Consumer Behaviour, n.p.: French’s Forest, NSW Pearson Australia, [2013], DEAKIN UNIV LIBRARY’s Catalog, EBSCOhost, viewed 17 August 2015)
Marketing Management Blog 
We live now live in a world where there is so much information, more noise, more technology and much more choice for the everyday consumer to handle! So perhaps there should be considerations and censorship to ensure that consumers are not at risk of sensory overload. Maybe not! I have a feeling that this is not the approach that marketers would take.
Instead marketers are finding more innovative ways to spread the placement of advertising such as ‘ad creeping’ where ads have not gone before. Two great examples I came across were, Superette Women’s Clothing Boutique who placed indented plates on bus stop seats. When people sat down they were imprinted with the words ‘Short Shorts on Sale – Superette ‘ on the back of their thighs!
Another was Zurich Financial Services who placed broken glass, key scratches and graffiti stickers on people’s cars that looked like the real thing! After you realised it’s actually a sticker ‘phew’, you peel it off and read “for car repairs that are always this simple and fast, contact Zurich HelpPoint.”
While these examples are somewhat invasive, they do create buzz and word of mouth which in turn may be enough for consumers to take notice
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1996-03-24/news/9603240229_1_taco-bell-dana-carvey-television
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The most critical factor influencing the perception of a consumer is exposure. Consumers become more comfortable purchasing the product only when they possess sufficient information about it. As a result, companies try their best to publicize their products. However, this also create a major problem. When the consumers are bombarded with too much marketing messages, they tend to tune out. Hence, to influence the perception of a consumer, the company should not only expose its products, but also make it to stand out in the market.
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The challenge of sensory overload – for marketers – means that we need to be fully aware of the marketing mix and what it is that our campaigns are designed to achieve. We need to ensure that our messages and engagement are more personalised, targeted and importantly have equity. That is there is a value exchange in the marketing tactic – that would help overcome overload. It also references the fact that customers are more open to messages which are delivered via peer groups, trusted advisors and other more personal and relatable means. From a marketing perspective this means reassessing our marketing mix – to make sure that a broadcast message – distributed by advertising is not the sole means of positioning our message. But that our broadcast messages delivered by the likes of advertising and press – is supported by more intimate and personal engagements.
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If it is not taken in and experienced through the customers personally due to overload, misunderstanding or though miscomununication, then one way might be through a brand ambassador or role model experiencing and portraying changing results, or the products benefits. Rejuvenating the qualities of the product and playing with the target audiences self-concept, for example self-efficacy – encouragement, you can do it. According to Skinner, customers behaviour can be influenced four ways – positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, extinction and punishment.. One of these might just have some impact.
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I had the joy of watching ‘The Smurfs’ movie yesterday whilst caring for sick children. For those of you not familiar with ‘The Smurfs’, the main non-smurf character is an advertising exec. Towards the end of the movie we see his ad plastered all over electronic billboards including Times Square.
Times Square has to be a quintessential example of sensory overload, so why does it remain so popular?
I’m wondering if total saturation, like in Times Square, serves to confuse consumers (like loud music does in fashion retail outlets) prompting impulsive purchases. Or does sensory overload create unintentional consequences by being associated with an unwanted stimulus?
I’m also interested in the balance between the subconscious brain and conscious brain, where something like only 5% of our brain function is conscious. Why then does Iacobucci (and others) dismiss subliminal marketing? What is the minimum exposure time required to validly perceive something?
I’m starting to think that to be involved in marketing you have to be one part psychologist, one part economist, one part artist, one part IT genius, one part logistics guru and one part wizard (or smurf!).
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Thanks for posting – I really enjoyed your post. I found ‘Perception’ to be one of the really interesting topics that was explored in the Organisational Behaviour unit, when I took that class last year. Some of the other themes in perception – repetition, familiarity and novelty have been well utilised in the Rhonda and Ketut advertising campaign to great effect (week 2 additional reading article).
When something is created that will be explored by others (whether that is a work of art, a piece of writing or advertising), the consumer’s experience of that product will result from both the material that was created, but also the perspective and experience of the consumer. I have heard numerous authors discuss on book podcasts their view that the experience you will have when you read their book will not necessarily be the one they intended to create. I have found that when I have re-read a book after many years. When I first read ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ I identified with Scout. Now I am closer in age to Atticus.
So in answer to the question posed at the end of the blog post, the marketer would attempt to provide sufficient context for their product to be seen in the way they intended, and alter that context or content for different markets, such as different cultural markets.
In a related fashion, here is a link to a recent Huffington Post article that I found fascinating with regard to perception and cultural differences.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/what-the-ideal-womans-body-looks-like-in-18-countries_55ccd2a6e4b064d5910ac3b0?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular&kvcommref=mostpopular§ion=australia&adsSiteOverride=au
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Thanks for a really interesting blog post!
I find it interesting about your reference to the twin towers in perception. I don’t necessarily agree that someone looking at a plane and large building will necessarily associate it with terrorism but that just might be my perception on the issue!
A thing that is particularly clear to me when positioning is the use of point of purchase (POP) items. Generally consumers of a particular demographic will be targeted due to their perception of what they wish to accommodate other purchase e.g. when at a petrol station consumers are often bombarded at the till with various mints and chewing gun (sensory overload) and their perception of needing something to chew on whilst they drive.
Similarly, reality is another bi-product of perception, will a woman who is 130kg perceive herself to be not of a standard to purchase similar items e.g. a bikini due to societal norms telling her she cant?
Or is perception closely aligned with the notion of classical conditioning in that we perceive only what marketing programs portray to us is normal behaviour and therefore our view on the world and certain products is already distorted?
Perception is a fantastic topic in that it is unlikely the two people view the world in exactly the same light.
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A very interesting subject. Gestalt theory really centers around the mind giving order or organisation to stimuli; a perception which forms in the mind.Gestalt can be a difficult perception to break, especially once the mind has developed a conclusive idea about the stimuli it has received. Also, as the post suggests, this can be shaped by previous experiences in a persons life. I think this is a very important point for marketers to understand. So how can marketers avoid the Gestalt effect? One thing that comes to mind is providing a very clear and simple message, as to avoid perceptual bias. But even then, people will form perceptions; however, a simple message can reduce the impact of perceptual scatter. Any other thoughts?
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It is interesting how perception of customers influences customers behaviour. People at all times have different perceptions on different objects and ideas. People do not retain most information that they are exposed to but they do retain information that supports their attitudes and beliefs and it is by this that influences the buying behaviour of most customers. The reason why strong brands will keep repeating their advertisements is to ensure that the message stick into their customers mind and it is by this that it influences their buying behaviour and hence their sales go up.
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A great blog, thanks for this. Perception has so much individual basis (what is that person’s norms) as well as environmental factors. A good example could be a person wearing a bright floral Hawian shirt. If this person was on the beach or at a holiday resort they would simply blend into the masses but if this person was in a board room or a typical white collar professional business environment they would stand out and be noticed. I think this is a strategy that marketers use, particularly for a convenience item (covered in chapter 2 of the textbook) where a marketer only has seconds to cut through the “white noise” to get the attention of the consumer. I think the expertise is in being able to stand out by understanding the perceptions and perception filters of the targeted market segment BUT then being able to relate to the consumer so they actually purchase the product/segment instead of just raising their eye brows and moving on. The blog post about hamburgers showing a well known celebrity washing a car in the first week of blogging is a good example where the advertisement stands out (who washes a car and eats a hamburger at the same time?) but after the advertisement got my attention I could not relate to it and hence it was not effective for me. Thanks again for the blog post.
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Another thought to add since my last comment; Also regarding the Gestalt effect. Although its a specific example related to my work place, it does provide some context to the above post. In 2013 Ford of Australia announced that in 2016 it’s manufacturing operations will cease. Furthermore, the President of Ford of Australia also stated the following:
“Ford will remain a significant employer in Australia, with more than 1500 team members, as will our network of more than 200 dealers around the country,” said Graziano. “The Australian team’s role as a global center of excellence for vehicle development also will continue to be an important focus for us.”
That day and the weeks to follow, there were news reports, headlines in major Australian papers, and social media discussions suggesting the total shut down of Ford Motor Company of Australia.
I work for Ford product development here in Australia. So why is it that just about everyone I come across asks me, ‘Do you still have a job beyond 2016?’, ‘What are you going to do’?
I then proceed to describe Mr Graziano’s statement around Ford’s future role in Australia. Even then, the same people still say to me, ‘Will you have a job beyond 2016’? It doesn’t seem to sink in.
Talk about Gestalt. Anyway, now that I’ve got that off my chest, from a marketing perspective, it demonstrates the persuasion that negative publicity has; particularly when a single aspect is exacerbated over and above a very positive one. It also demonstrates that given the right strategy and methods, perception is all that really matters in the context of marketing. Create the right perception around a product, and the targeted segment will purchase it.
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In answer to your question, I don’t think marketers need to overcome this sensory adaptation, they need to harness it. As Sue said in an earlier post, many people across the world are attracted to the chaos and sensory overload that is Times Square. Despite the fact it challenges our sensory ability, thousands of people perceive it to be fancinating – A real example of the worlds progress and perhaps an insight into the future.
Employees are motivated by work that provide self meaningfulness, that contributes to their self-concept and to self esteem. Consumers buy brands that do likewise. Voters support leaders that reflect their values and attitudes. Consumers buy brands that do likewise. The point is, perception important to build and strengthen the bond between a brand and consumer. Depending on the segment of consumers, the perception a brand wants to deliver will vary.
In any case, we are biased in the way we perceive, organise and interpret information, making us easier targets to marketers!
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When I was in high school, my English teacher gave an example of how she caught the attention of her students – she stopped talking mid-sentence and stood silently; and it worked! She explained that when we’re talking, we use fillers like ‘ah’ or ‘um’ and we are caught off-guard when we hear nothing whilst someone gathers their thoughts. So perhaps in order to combat sensory overload, companies should consider doing nothing.
I’ll give an example (though it’s not an advertisement). There is a scene in The Dark Knight Rises where Batman is fighting Bane in the sewers. There is no soundtrack. The only sounds in this scene are grunts, fists making contact, Bane taunting Batman. The lack of soundtrack makes this a very memorable and confronting scene. Here’s a link to the scene I’m talking about: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVFi6Pb4Guw
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Nice to read this post.
In response to the blog, I was reading additional articles online and came across a video. ‘Real Marketing: Stop Advertising and Start Selling’. I may not fully accept the video but the two concepts being talked about are fairly appealing.
It talks about two worlds. The world of identity and the world of action.Suggesting that brands should focus more on the world of action, it talks about micro consumer analysis and customer focus.
I recommend watching the video on the complicated world of marketing.
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I agree with many of the points of your blog and the comments following. The challenge for marketers is to understand and harness the power of perception. This requires a depth of understanding into the target segment or population and managing the perception of the product or service being offered. This step is hard enough but even if you do get it right, our human behavior will lean towards something new and fresh therefore the battle for perception is one that has to not only be on target but continually updated. Attached is a good article on this from Forbes. Thanks for the blog.
http://www.forbes.com/2007/01/15/jack-trout-on-marketing-oped-cx_jt_0116reality.html
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Thanks for a really interesting blog post!
I find it interesting about your reference to the twin towers in perception. I don’t necessarily agree that someone looking at a plane and large building will necessarily associate it with terrorism but that just might be my perception on the issue!
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I think the most important factor for influencing the preception of a consumer is the exposure of a product. Consumers will tend to purchase a product if they have personal association with it, also according to studies,The brand names simplify these selection process when there are clutters of product categories. Furthermore, according to Needham survey it was shown that only 60% of consumers agrees that they prefer the comfort, security and value of well-known brand.
The most critical factor influencing the perception of a consumer is exposure. However, this also create a major problem. When the consumers are exposed with so many marketing advertisements on so many different platforms, they tend to ignore these messages subconsiously. So in order to get the attention and influence the perception of a consumer, the organization should not only advertise its products by spamming it on various platforms, but they need to make it interesting and capture consumers attention.
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I think customer behavior study is based on consumer buying behavior which be affected by user, payer and buyer. I agree with you that stimulate is a important factor for consumer behaviour. But I can not accept perceptual organization about figure ground, grouping and closure that how interact with consumer behavior, expecially I dont unerstand the example about plane.
I think consumer behavior is study individual characteristics of comsumer ,such as demographics and behavioral statistics to understand consumer‘s demand.if you could grasp the consumer ‘s demand , in a way , you can raise your consumer retention.
For example, you want to develop a kind of coffee, you need market research at first, study standard of consumptions, the most of pepple like taste and the price of coffee. SWOT analysis yourself company to develop the best product to meet the demand of consumers.
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