MKTG 3202 – Consumer Behavior: Perception (5)

Summary

In Chapter 5 of Solomon's Consumer Behavior, Nancy Southerland delves into the role of perception in consumer decision-making. She explores how product design, sensory marketing, and subliminal messaging influence consumer behavior. By examining the stages of perception—exposure, attention, and interpretation—students learn how marketers can effectively capture and shape consumer attention. The lecture also discusses the concept of semiotics, emphasizing how symbols and signs create meaning in marketing. Southerland encourages students to reflect on their own sensory experiences with products, offering practical insights into how marketers can craft messages that resonate with consumers.

Takeaways

• 😀 The design of a product is crucial for its success, as it drives both functionality and emotional appeal, a concept central to hedonic consumption.
• 😀 Sensory marketing plays a significant role in how consumers perceive products, with sight, scent, sound, touch, and taste influencing decision-making.
• 😀 Products with great design and sensory appeal, like those from Target or Coca-Cola, are more likely to succeed in the market.
• 😀 Subliminal advertising is largely ineffective in influencing consumer behavior despite its controversial reputation.
• 😀 Perception involves a three-stage process: exposure, attention, and interpretation, through which raw stimuli are processed and given meaning.
• 😀 Consumers' attention is selective; they are influenced by stimuli that align with their needs, expectations, and past experiences.
• 😀 Perceptual filters like vigilance, defense, and adaptation shape the stimuli consumers are more likely to notice or ignore.
• 😀 Color, size, and novelty are key factors that enhance the chances of a stimulus being noticed by consumers in a crowded market.
• 😀 The sensory threshold concept explains that stimuli must reach a certain level of intensity for consumers to notice them, and small changes may go unnoticed if they don't surpass the threshold.
• 😀 The Gestalt psychology perspective teaches that consumers interpret stimuli as part of a whole pattern, influencing their perceptions of products and messages.
• 😀 Semiotics helps marketers understand how symbols and signs are used to create meaning, helping shape brand positioning strategies in the marketplace.

Q & A

What is the main concept behind the design of a product in terms of consumer behavior?

The design of a product is a key driver of its success or failure. In addition to functionality, consumers often seek emotional and hedonic value from products, meaning design plays a crucial role in appealing to both practical and emotional consumer needs.

How do sensory elements such as sight, scent, and sound affect consumer behavior?

Sensory elements play a significant role in consumer decisions. For example, visual elements such as color and design influence perceptions, while scent (like Starbucks' coffee aroma) and sound (like specific store music) can create emotional connections or moods that enhance the product experience.

What is the role of 'just noticeable difference' (JND) in consumer perception?

JND refers to the minimum difference between two stimuli that a consumer can detect. This concept helps marketers determine how subtle or noticeable changes in a product, such as price, packaging, or logo, need to be to attract consumer attention without being too subtle to notice.

What is the significance of the 'absolute threshold' in marketing?

The absolute threshold is the minimum level of stimulation required for a consumer to notice a stimulus. Marketers must ensure that their messages or visual elements are above this threshold so they can be effectively perceived by consumers.

How does 'perceptual vigilance' affect consumer attention?

Perceptual vigilance occurs when consumers are more likely to notice stimuli that relate to their current needs or interests. For instance, a consumer looking for a new car is more likely to pay attention to car advertisements.

What are the three key stages in the perception process?

The three key stages in the perception process are exposure (when a stimulus comes within the range of a consumer's sensory receptors), attention (when a consumer actively focuses on a stimulus), and interpretation (when the consumer assigns meaning to the stimulus).

What is the difference between 'vigilance' and 'defense' in the context of perceptual filters?

Vigilance is when consumers are more aware of stimuli related to their current needs, while defense occurs when consumers actively avoid or distort threatening or unwanted stimuli, making them less likely to notice or accept certain marketing messages.

How does 'adaptation' impact consumer behavior over time?

Adaptation happens when consumers no longer pay attention to a stimulus because they have become overly familiar with it. This leads to a decreased sensitivity to frequent, repetitive stimuli unless the intensity or novelty is increased.

What is semiotics, and how does it relate to marketing?

Semiotics is the study of signs and symbols and their meanings. In marketing, it helps explain how consumers interpret symbols (such as logos or advertisements) based on learned associations, which allows marketers to strategically position brands and communicate effectively.

Why is subliminal advertising considered largely ineffective?

Subliminal advertising, which involves sending hidden messages below the threshold of conscious perception, is considered ineffective because there is little evidence to support that it can influence consumer behavior in meaningful ways. It often lacks the necessary conditions for any potential impact.