This document discusses consumer perception and the process by which consumers select and organize stimuli to make sense of the world. It describes perception as involving more than just sensing something, but assigning meaning to it. The key aspects of consumer perception discussed are exposure to information, attention, and perceived risk. Exposure deals with consumers initially noticing marketing stimuli, while attention refers to how much processing capacity they allocate to a stimulus. Perceived risk involves consumers' assessment of potential consequences of a purchase or service.

1. Consumer Perception

2. Consumer Perception

Perception




Process via which consumers select and organize
stimuli, so as to provide themselves with a
meaningful and coherent view of the world
More than sensing something
Assigning meaning and incorporating it into their
world
Part of the “Information Processing” process

3. Consumer Perception

Consumer’s Processing of Information






Exposure
Attention
Comprehension -- Working Memory
Acceptance
Retention -- Permanent Memory
Perception

Deals with the first two steps

4. Consumer Perception

Exposure Information

Consumers are exposed to virtually an infinite
amount of information



Non-marketing
Marketing
Consumers self select the information for which
they come into contact

Some consumers never watch CNN – will never be
come into contact commercials (marketing stimuli) that
run on this network

5. Consumer Perception

Is it difficult to achieve exposure?
 What percent of individuals watching TV actually watch the
commercials?



Estimates range from 20% to 80% (best guess is 41%)
Radio estimates are even slightly lower (i.e., about 40% listeners
actually listen to a commercial)
How do consumers decide?
 Sensation (raw sensory response to a stimulus), is needed to
facilitate exposure

Must notice something before you allow exposure




P(Sensation) = f (absolute threshold)
Absolute threshold -- minimal amount of stimulus intensity necessary for
sensation to occur
j.n.d. -- smallest amount of a change required to allow the C to notice
Examples -- sales prices, price increases

6. Consumer Perception

Weber’s Law


Ability to note a change in a stimulus, depends on
its initial level
Example:



$500 increase in the price of a car
$500 increase in the price of a personal computer
P (notice a stimulus change) = Change in stimulus
/Initial level of stimulus

7. Consumer Perception

Attention


Definition -- allocation of processing capacity to an
incoming stimulus
Dimensions




Direction -- object of focus
Intensity -- amount of capacity
Importance -- Use of humor (or emotion) in an ad
C’s may be intense, but be directed to the emotion
(“Mikey”)

8. Consumer Perception

Attention


Ad Clutter -- Even when forced to focus on ads,
C’s best remember first & last ads in a pod, well;
best remember stand alone ads
Does attention guarantee success?

Shadowing experiment results – say not necessarily




C’s could tell that human’s were talking
C’s could detect male and/or female voice
C’s could not tell the content of the message
Key is not to tradeoff direction for intensity

9. Consumer Perception

Application – Perceived Risk



Consumers assessment of potential
consequences which may result from the
purchase or usage of a product or service
PR = f (Uncertainty, Consequences)
Why do Cs perceive risk?



Limited experience
Limited knowledge
Past dissatisfaction

10. Consumer Perception

Application – Perceived Risk

Types of Perceived Risk





Functional
Physical
Financial
Social Psychological
Even if unwarranted, Marketers must deal with it

Belgium’s scare with Coca-Cola