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CB6-the lowest level at which a person can experience a

sensation is called absolute threshold.

A persons absolute threshold is that point when he can

detect the diff between something &nothing.

Senses tend to become increasingly dulled under constant

stimulation(driving thru hoardings on NH-6, abs

threshold rises).

Adaptation refers to getting used to certain level of

stimulation.

Marketers try to cut thru daily clutter by increasing sensoryinput.

Some increase &others reduce(use silence) to generate

attention.

Use of unusual media/use of unique smell to gain attention.

JND-The minimal difference that can be perceived between

two stimuli is differential threshold or JND(reduction insize/quality).

Webers law states ,stronger the initial stimulus the greater the

additional intensity needed for second stimulus to be perceived as

diff. .(IBM-LEXMARK.laser printer, IBM erased totally)

CB6-Consumers try to preserve/enhance their self image by buying

products they believe will match with their self image and vice versa.This is consumer imagery.

Positioning conveys a concept or clear meaning of the product in terms

of how it fulfills a consumer needs.

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How a product is positioned in the mind of the consumer is more

important for the products success, than its actual characteristics.

A positive brand image will raise consumers interest in future brand

promotions.

Halo effect-consumers often evaluate entire product line on the basis of

one product.

CB6-people see what they expect to see and depend on familiarity&

previous experience.

Stimuli that conflict sharply with expectations often receive more

attention.

Blatant sexuality in ad if irrelevant , will defeat mktg objective,

audience remember sexual aspect of the ad,but not the product/brand.

People tend to perceive things they need or want, stronger the

need, greater the chance to ignore unrelated stimuli in environment.

Selective exposure-consumers actively seek out messages, which

they find pleasant or with which they are sympathetic.

Heightened awareness is given to stimuli that meet their need/

interest.

Consumer buying decision,

5 roles-initiator /influencer /decider/buyer/user.

Complex &exp buys need more buyer deliberation& more

participants. Degree of buyer involvement 4 types.

Complex buying behavior-product expensive, bought infrequently, risky&self expressive( 3steps-develops belief, dev attitude &thoughtful

choice).

Strategy-assist buyer learns product attributes& their importance.

Differentiate brand features, use print media, motivate salesman &

raise buyer awareness to influence brand choice.

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Dissonance reducing buyer behavior-highly involved but sees little

difference in brands. If consumer finds diff he will go for higher P. if

little diff then may buy on P or convenience.

Dissonance from disturbing features or favorable things from

competing brands.

Strategy-to confirm belief& evaluation that makes him comfortable

C.B-Consumer decision making is influenced not only by family,

friends, ads and role models but also by mood, situation &emotion

Three stages-input stage, output stage& process stage.

Input stage focuses on product need and depends on cos mktg effort(product, price, promotion, availability) &external social

influence(family, friends, neighbors, class, culture, membership).

Process stage focuses on psychological factors of consumer (perception,

motivation, learning, attitude, personality)& experienced gained by

alternative evaluation.

Output stage focuses on purchase behavior (trial or repeat

purchase)&post purchase evaluation

The Differential Threshold

The minimal difference that can be detected between two stimuli is the

differential thresholdorjust noticeable difference.

Webers law- the stronger the initial stimulus, the greater the additional

intensity needed for the second stimulus to be perceived as different.

Marketing Applicationsreductions/increases in product size, or

reduced qualityare not readily discernible to the public. Product

improvements are readily discernible to the consumer.

Marketers meet or exceed consumers differential threshold so that

they readily perceive the improvements.

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Subliminal Perception

People are also stimulated below their level of conscious awareness

they can perceive stimuli without being consciously aware of it.

Stimuli below the limen of conscious awareness, too weak or brief to

be consciously seen or heard, may be strong enough to be perceived by

one or more receptor cells.

In late 1950s messages persuading people to buy goods without

their being aware of it. The effectiveness was tested in theatre by

flashing the words eat popcorn and drink coke on the screen, so

quickly that the audience was not aware of it. In a six-week test,

popcorn sales increased 58 percent and coke sales 18 percent.

There is no evidence that subliminal stimulation can influence

consumption motives or actions. Individuals see what they want to see

(e.g., what they are motivated to see) and what they expect to see.

Human beings are constantly bombarded with stimuli every minute.

Three aspects to perceptionselection, organization, and

interpretation of stimuli. Individuals are very selective as to which stimuli

they recognize. They interpret such stimuli (i.e., they give meaning to

them) subjectively in accordance with their needs, expectations, and

experiences.

Perceptual Selection

Consumers subconsciously exercise selectivity, depends on two major

factors.

Consumersprevious experience as it affects their expectations.

Their motives at the time (their needs, desires, interests, and so on).

Nature of the Stimulus- Marketing stimulus contains an enormous

number of variables.

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Examples -Nature of product & attributes, package design, brand

name, advertisements.

Advertisers use extreme attention-getting devices to get maximum

contrast and penetrate the consumers perceptual screen. Advertisers

use color contrasts, size, etc., to create stopping power and gain

attention. Sometimes advertisers capitalize on the lackof contrast.

Motives

People tend to perceive things they need or want. The stronger the need,

the greater the tendency to ignore unrelated stimuli..

Markers recognize the efficiency of targeting their products to the

perceived needs of consumers.

Selective Perception

Selective exposureconsumers actively seek out messages they find

pleasant or with which they are sympathetic. Consumers actively avoid

painful or threatening messages.

Selective attentionconsumers have a heightened awareness of the

stimuli that meet their needs or interests. Consumers have a lower

awareness of stimuli irrelevant to their needs.

Perceptual defensethreatening or otherwise damaging stimuli are

less likely to be perceived than are neutral stimuli. Individuals

unconsciously may distort information that is not consistent with their

needs, values, and beliefs.

Perceptual blockingconsumers screen out enormous amounts of

advertising by simply tuning out.

Perceptual OrganizationPeople tend to organize stimuli into groups and perceive them as unified

wholes.

1. Gestalt psychology (means pattern or configuration) Three of the

most basic principles of perceptual organization are figure and

ground,grouping, and closure.

2.

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Figure and Ground

Stimuli that contrast with their environment are more likely to be

noticed.

There is contrast between a figure and the ground. Figure is usually

perceived clearly. The ground is usually perceived as indefinite, hazy,

and continuous.

The figure is more clearly perceived because it appears to be dominant

the ground appears to be subordinate and less important.

Advertisers have to plan their advertisements carefully to make sure

that the stimulus they want noted is seen as figure and not as ground. At

times they confuse the consumer because there is no clear indication of

which is figure and which ground is.

GroupingIndividuals tend to group stimuli in chunks rather than as discrete

bits of information.

Grouping can be used advantageously by marketers to imply certain

desired meanings in connection with their products.

Closure

Individuals have a need for closure. As a result, people organize a

perception so they see a complete picture.

If the pattern of stimuli to which they are exposed is incomplete, they

tend to perceive it as completethey fill in the missing pieces. The very

act of completion serves to involve the consumer more deeply in the

message.

Perceptual Interpretation

The interpretation of stimuli is uniquely individual because it is based

on what individuals expect to see in light of their previous experience.

Stimuli are often highly ambiguous.

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When stimuli are highly ambiguous, individuals usually interpret them

in a way that they serve to fulfill personal needs, wishes, and interests.

How close a persons interpretations are to reality depends on

the clarity of the stimulus, the past experiences of the perceiver, and his

motives and interests at the time of perception.

Perceptual DistortionConsumers are subject to number of influences that distort their

perceptions.

Physical Appearances-Attractive models have a more positive influence

on consumer attitudes than do average-looking models.

First Impressionsthese tend to be lasting but formed while the

perceiver does not know which stimuli are relevant, important, or

predictive.

Jumping to Conclusionsmany people tend to jump to conclusions

before examining all the relevant evidence (by hearing the beginning of

an ad).

Halo Effectwhen evaluation of a single object/person on a multitude

of dimensions is based on the evaluation of just one or few dimensions.

Consumers often evaluate entire product line on the basis of the one

product.

Licensing also is based on the halo effectassociating products with a

well-known celebrity or designer name.

CONSUMER IMAGERY

Consumers try to preserve/enhance their self-images by buying

products they believe agree with that self-image and avoid products that

do not. Consumers try to shop in stores that have images that agree withtheir own self-images.