Perception AND Information Processing

5
PERCEPTION
AND
INFORMATION
PROCESSING
Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd

PPTs t/a Consumer Behaviour by Karen Webb
Slides prepared by Sarah Fletcher and Morena Dobrowolski
Perception and information processing
At the end of this session, you should understand:

• The nature of perception and its role in consumer behaviour
• The concepts of exposure, attention, interpretation, memory
and their role in the interpretation of marketing information
• The information processing process as it relates to consumer
behaviour
• The communication processes involved in perception
• The relevance of gestalt theory to consumer theory
• The concept of semiotics and its relevance to consumer
perception
• The role of risk and risk reduction strategies
• The nature of positioning and consumer behaviour
• The importance of brands in consumer marketing

PPTs t/a Consumer Behaviour by Karen Webb 5-2
What do you see?

What do you see now?

What colour comes to mind?

So….what then is perception?
• How we interpret stimuli from

the environment
• Perception is how we organise

and give meaning to new
information from the
environment
• A sensation is the immediate

experience generated by an
incoming stimulus from our
sensory receptors

Information processing

Exposure
• Exposure occurs when our sensory receptors

detect a stimulus
• Implication for marketers:
– Consumers must be exposed to your marketing efforts
for them to perceive anything
– Ad placement - being in the right place at the right time!!
– Road blocking - catch them at every corner:

Ads on competing channels

Use multiple media

Attention
• Attention occurs when See EXHIBIT 5.1 Unicef uses a striking

information is transferred from statement to gain attention, page 124.
the sensory receptors to the PowerPoint slides supplied on the

brain for further processing Instructor Resource CD to accompany
Consumer Behaviour include
• Attention-getting techniques advertisement images.
could include the use of:
– Colour, size, intensity,
contract, novelty, humour
– Salience - we tend to pay
attention to things that we
think are important to us -
make the ad seem important!
– Repetition

Physiological measures of attention
• Eye pupil dilatation

• Eye tracing
• Tachistoscopic tests
• Theatre tests
• Brain-wave analysis

Interpretation
• Interpretation occurs when consumers give

meaning to the incoming stimulus information
• Information is subject to:
– Cognitive interpretation - the process of adding meaning
from existing knowledge
– Affective interpretation - the processing of information
and adding meaning based on feelings
• Influences on interpretation:
– Individual characteristics
– Stimulus factors
– Situational factors
– The way the information is presented

Memory
• Memory is the information storage facility in the

brain.
– See Chapter 6 for more information

Perception theories that guide marketing
decisions
• Absolute threshold
– Lowest point that we perceive stimuli
– Adaption - the process of flipping through the pages and

‘ignoring’ the advertisements
– Marketers need to break through the clutter

decisions
• Weber’s concept of Just Noticeable Difference
(JND)
– Just Noticeable Difference - the minimum level of change
to a stimulus that is required in order for the change
to be noticed
– Weber’s law states: ‘the stronger the initial stimulus,
the greater the change required for the stimulus to be
seen as different’
– Some things you want your customers to notice -
e.g. specials, improvements
– Others you don’t - changes in packaging, size

decisions
• Selective exposure
– We don’t notice everything!
– We filter out unwanted information
• Selective distortion
– We add preconceived ideas or attitudes to interpret new
information that enters the sensory store of the memory
• Selective retention
– We remember information that we find meaningful and
interesting
• Selective attention
– We don’t take in all the information around us
– Marketers need to identify what their customers will notice
and pay attention to

decisions
• Stimulus generalisation
– When a conditioned response occurs to stimuli that are
similar to the conditioned stimulus
– When you find it hard to tell the difference between two
stimuli - e.g. ‘me-too’ products
• Stimulus discrimination
– Ability to see a distinct difference between stimuli
– What marketers want to achieve from their products

decisions
• The influence of colour on perception
– Colours have different meanings, which can vary from culture
to culture
– What do these colours mean to you?

Blue

Red

White

Green
– Choose colours carefully for advertising, signage and packaging
as it can influence what they mean to your target audience
• The influence of semantics on perception

– Words can have double meanings - choose them carefully

decisions
• Perceptual categorisation
– Personal constructs - we categorise related information
into sets in our mind
– Applications for marketers


Family branding

Communication process

Gestalt theory
• Gestalt is about patterns or configurations
• Individuals categorise incoming stimuli into patterns

that are meaningful to them
– e.g. a setting with two adults and children picnicking
in the park may be perceived as a traditional family
• The view is of the whole rather than the parts of a

message
• Categorisation occurs at the interpretation stage of

information processing
Figure and ground perception
• Figure and ground perception See EXHIBIT 5.4 This advertisement

demonstrates figure and ground perception,
– The way in which we page 140.
distinguish between a figure
and its background PowerPoint slides supplied on the Instructor
Resource CD to accompany Consumer
Behaviour include advertisement images.

Grouping
• Grouping stimuli to make
sense of messages
– Similarity

Use of family branding
– Proximity
– Closure

Taking existing
information from our
memory and relating it to
new information to make
sense of incomplete
messages

‘Copycats trip over spitting images’ -
Activity
• Case in point 5.1
– ‘Big brands, after a landmark court win, have a new
weapon against imitators - the gestalt factor’
• Read the above case study and discuss the

associated questions

Semiotics
• Use of symbols or signs to establish an image

and convey a message

Perceived value
• Three types of consumer value:

– Extrinsic vs. intrinsic

Extrinsic – consumption satisfies some further goal
• e.g. mobile phone in order to communicate

Intrinsic – consumption for its own sake
• e.g. CD for pleasure
– Self orientated vs. others oriented
– Active vs. reactive

Active – doing something with a product, such as eating
a meal

Reactive – responding to a product, such as the pleasure
of visiting an art gallery

Perceived risk
• The fear that products or services purchased may

result in disappointment or unpleasant
consequences
• For services, perceived risk can be diminished by:
– Advertising to make intangible aspects tangible
– Demonstrating the service
– Encouraging word of mouth communication about the
service
– Aiming for brand building

Types of risk
• Financial risk
• Physical risk
• Social risk
• Ego risk
• Opportunity risk

Strategies to reduce risk
• ‘Try before you buy’ techniques

• Extended warranty and money back guarantee
• Building a strong brand image
• Extensive advertising and promotion using
respected spokespeople
• Providing rewards for reinforcement of purchase
• Providing back up customer service and technical
support

Reducing risk
See EXHIBIT 5.6 Reducing perceived
financial risk and EXHIBIT 5.7 Another risk
reduction promise, page 145.
PowerPoint slides supplied on the

Instructor Resource CD to accompany
Consumer Behaviour include advertisement
images.

Positioning
• How your offering or organisation is perceived

in the mind of the consumer

Positioning maps
• A graphical representation
of the market according to
consumer perceptions

Positioning strategies
• Positioning: See EXHIBIT 5.8 Arnott’s Emporio are

– In relation to competitors positioned for a usage situation, page 149.
– On the basis of product PowerPoint slides supplied on the Instructor

Resource CD to accompany Consumer
attributes and benefits Behaviour include advertisement images.
– On the basis of usage
occasion (e.g. Emporio
biscuits)
• Repositioning brands

Brands
• A brand is a mix of tangible and intangible elements that make
up an identifying name, mark or symbol
• Important to differentiate products that are essentially the same
– e.g. to create feelings, emotions, loyalty
– Aaker’s brand identity model, a brand is a person
• A brand is ‘a link between the organisation’s marketing
activities and consumer perceptions’
• Brand evaluation
– Functional and feature orientated, or abstract and intangible
• Brand equity
– The value customers attribute to the brand itself
• Brand names
• Line and brand extension

The means end chain theory
• A way of determining consumer behaviour,

based on perception of brand attributes, benefits
and customer values
• Links the tangible attributes of a product with the

individual and social needs (benefits and values)
of customers

Positioning and brand building in the
pharmaceutical industry
• Case in point 5.4
– ‘Bringing healthcare brands to life’
• Read the above case study and discuss the

associated questions


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5

Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd

At the end of this session, you should understand:

Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd

Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd

Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd

Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd

• How we interpret stimuli from

• Perception is how we organise

• A sensation is the immediate

Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd

Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd

• Exposure occurs when our sensory receptors

Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd

• Attention occurs when See EXHIBIT 5.1 Unicef uses a striking

the sensory receptors to the PowerPoint slides supplied on the

Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd

• Eye pupil dilatation

Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd

• Interpretation occurs when consumers give

Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd

• Memory is the information storage facility in the

Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd

– Lowest point that we perceive stimuli

– Adaption - the process of flipping through the pages and

– Marketers need to break through the clutter

Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd

Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd

Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd

Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd

• The influence of semantics on perception

Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd

– Applications for marketers

Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd

Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd

• Gestalt is about patterns or configurations

• Individuals categorise incoming stimuli into patterns

• The view is of the whole rather than the parts of a

• Categorisation occurs at the interpretation stage of

• Figure and ground perception See EXHIBIT 5.4 This advertisement

Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd

Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd

• Read the above case study and discuss the

Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd

• Use of symbols or signs to establish an image

Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd

• Three types of consumer value:

Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd

• The fear that products or services purchased may

Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd

Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd

• ‘Try before you buy’ techniques

Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd

PowerPoint slides supplied on the

Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd

• How your offering or organisation is perceived

Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd

Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd

• Positioning: See EXHIBIT 5.8 Arnott’s Emporio are

– On the basis of product PowerPoint slides supplied on the Instructor

Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd

Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd