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 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 Perception? The process by which we select, organize, interpret and give meaning to sensations. 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

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 Accidental What you want is ad exposure to the right people Will influence where you place your ad Intentional Two Types

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. 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 work. Exposure Capitalism gone too far?

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 Wal- Mart, 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?

Gestalt  Closure Principle  Figure-Ground Principle  Principle of Similarity Stimulus Organization

Closure Is it satisfying to “close” the image?

Figure Ground

the two filled lines gives our eyes the impression of two horizontal lines, even though all the circles are equidistant from each other Principle of Similarity

the larger circles appear to belong together because of the similarity in size We group objects that are similar

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?

Which scents go with which product? sensory evaluation of products

 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. sensory branding Martin Lindstrom: Brand Sense: Build Powerful Brands through Touch, Taste, Smell, etc

 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 What is the value of using pleasant scents in a retail environment? Spangenberg et al 1996 (J of Marketing)

In 80% of cases the decision to buy this or that product is made by a client at the point of sale (POS) and only 20% of cases are influenced by advertising in mass media.

Touch

This Finnish Ad Emphasizes Sensual Reasons to Visit Helsinki This Caress Ad Uses Tactile Stimulation as a Selling Point

 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

 attracting attention  implicitly or explicitly carrying the message,  creating emotional states  acting as a mnemonic cue Role of Music in Marketing

Variables Slow Music Fast Music Impact of Background Music As an environment becomes more pleasurable so people are likely to demonstrate 'approach behaviors' towards it, such as a greater willingness to return.

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). Congruency of scent and music as a driver of in-store behavior

w For Scents: Lavender = low arousal scent Grapefruit = high arousal scent w 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 Family Branding Product Line Extension 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 Contrast Create Contrast so That Stimuli is More Likely to Be Noticed. Size Colour Position

Lexus Conveys the Sensation of Speed in a Novel Way to Position Its Vehicles

This Ad Relies on Color Contrast to Get Noticed

 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 research indicates colour selection alone may impact sales by a margin of 5 to 40 percent

Colour and Demographic Variables Age Gender Culture

RED Impulse Desire Passion Urge to succeed Increases blood pressure GRAY Neutrality Un-committed and un-involved Escape from anxiety BLUE traditional complete calm reduces blood pressure GREEN Stimulus for interaction Analytical Precise Accurate Resistance to change VIOLET Magical Enchanting Unimportant Unrealistic Irresponsible Immature YELLOW Bright Cheerful Restless Seeking change Creates anxiety BROWN Reduced sense of vitality Passive Solid roots 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?

Schema,  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 Interpretation

This Singaporean Ad for Toyota Evokes a Car Schema Even Though Using Household Furniture

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 Conservative older people Spirited performance young people fun sporty Practical fuel efficient affordable LincolnCadillac Mercedes Oldsmobile Chrysler Buick BMW Pontiac Lexus Porsche Honda Chevrolet Nissan Toyota Hyundai VW Ford Dodge