CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR

Perception is defined as the process by which an individual selects, organizes, and interprets stimuli into meaningful and coherent picture of the world. Stimulus: A stimulus is any unit of input to any of the senses. Examples of stimuli include packages, brand names, advertisement and commercials. Sensation: Sensation is the immediate and direct response of their sensory organs to stimuli.

Sensory Receptors: Sensory receptors are the human organs (the eyes,ears,nose,mouth and skin) that receive sensory inputs. Their sensory functions are to see, hear, smell, taste, and feel.

Absolute Threshold: The lowest level at which an individual can experience a sensation is called the absolute threshold. The Point at which a person can detect a difference between something and nothing is that persons absolute threshold for that stimuli.

Example: The distance at which a driver can note a specific billboard on a highway is that individuals absolute threshold. Two people riding together may first spot the billboard at different times thus that appear to have different absolute threshold. Adaptation: As our exposure to the stimulus increases we notice it less. In the field of perception the term adaptation refers to getting used to certain sensation that is becoming accommodated to certain level of stimulation.

Sensory adaptation: Sensory Adaptation is a problem that concerns many national advertisers, which is why they try to change their advertising campaigns regularly. They are concerned that consumers will get so used to their current print ads and TV commercials that they will no longer see them, that is the ads will no longer provide sufficient sensory input to be noted.

The minimal difference that can be detected between two similar stimuli is called differential threshold or Just Noticeable Difference. This theory has been propounded by Ernst Weber and it stated that the stronger the initial stimulus, the greater the additional intensity needed for the second stimulus to be perceived as different.

Manufacturer and Marketers endeavors to determine the relevant j.n.d for their product for two very different reasons So that negative changes(e.g Reduction in product size or quality or increase in price) are not readily understood by the people(they remain below the j.n.d) So that product improvement (e.g.. Improved packaging, larger size, or lower price) are very apparent to consumers (that is they are just above the j.n.d)

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Stimuli that are too weak or too brief to be consciously seen or heard may be strong enough to be perceived by one or more receptor cells. This process is called Subliminal perception.

Three aspects of Perception

The selection Organization Interpretation of stimuli

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Which stimuli get selected depends on two major factors in addition to the nature of the stimulus itself 1. Consumers previous experience as it affects their expectations(what they are prepared or set to see} 2. Their motives at that time (their neds,desire,interset and so on)

Selective Exposure: Consumers actively seek out messages that thy find pleasant or with which they are sympathetic and they actively avoid painful or threatening one. They also selectively expose themselves to advertisements that reassure them of the wisdom of their purchase decision. Selective Attention: Consumers exercise a great deal of selectivity in terms of the attention they give to commercial stimuli. Thus consumers are like to note ads for products that would satisfy their needs and disregard those in which they have no interest.

Some people are more interested in price, some in appearance and some in social acceptability. Some people like complex, sophisticated message and others like simple graphics.

Perceptual Defense: Consumers subconsciously screen out stimuli that they find psychologically threatening, even though exposure has already taken place, Thus threatening or otherwise damaging stimuli are less likely to be perceived than are neutral stimuli at the same level of exposure.

For example since research showed that most Canadian Smokers no longer pay attention to the written warning labels on cigarette packs, Canada now requires tobacco firms to feature graphic health warnings on cigarette packs: one such warning shows a damaged brains and warns about strokes, etc. Perceptual Blocking: Consumers protect themselves from being bombarded with stimuli simply turning out-blocking such stimuli from conscious awareness.

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People do not experience the numerous stimuli they select from the environment as separate and discrete sensation rather they tend to organize them into groups and perceive them ad unified whole. The three most basic principles of perceptual organization are FIGURE AND GROUND GROUPING CLOSURE

The stimuli that contrast with their environment are more likely to be noticed. A figure is perceived more clearly because in contrast to its ground, it appears to be well defined, solid and in the forefront. Consider the stimulus of music. People an either bathe in music or listen to music. In the first case, music is simply background to other activities and in the second case it is the figure.

Individual tend to group stimuli so that they form a unified picture or impression. The perception of stimuli as group or chunks of information, rather than as discrete bits of information facilitates their memory and recall.

Grouping can be used advantageously by marketers to imply certain desired meanings in connection with their products. For example an advertisement for tea may show a young man and woman sipping tea in a beautifully appointed room where the overall mood implied by the grouping of stimuli leads the consumer to associate the drinking of tea with romance, fine living and winter warmth.

Individuals have a need for closure. They express this need by organizing their perception so that they form a complete picture. If the pattern of stimuli to which they are exposed is incomplete they tend to perceive it as complete. That is they consciously or subconsciously fill in the missing pieces. Thus a circle with a section of its periphery missing is invariably perceived as circle nor an arc. Need for closure has interesting implication for marketers. Promotional messages in which viewers are required to fill in information beg for complete b consumers and the very act of completion serves to involve them deeply in the message.

The interpretation of stimuli is uniquely individual, because it is based on what individual expects to see in light of their previous experience, motives and interest at the time of perception. How close a persons interpretation are to reality depends on the clarity of the stimulus, the past experience the perceiver, and his or her motive and interest at the time of perception.

Individuals are subject to a number of influences that tend to distort their perception such as: Physical Appearance Stereotypes First impression Jumping to conclusion Halo Effect

Studies have found that attractive models are more persuasive and have a more positive influence on consumer attitude and behaviour than average looking models. But one study has revealed that highly attractive models are perceived as having more expertise regarding enhancement products like jewellery, perfumes, lipsticks,etc but not problem solving products like acne and dandruff. Therefore advertisers must ensure that there is rational match between the product advertised and the physical attributes of the model used to promote them.

Individuals tend to carry pictures in their mind of the meaning of various kinds of stimuli. These stereotypes serve as expectation of what specific situation ,people , or event will be like and they are important determinants of how such stimuli are subsequently perceived. Several years ago, an ad for Benetton featuring two men-one black and one white-handcuffed together, which was a part of the united colours of Benetton campaign promoting racial harmony , produced a public outcry because people perceived it as depicting a white man arresting a black man. clearly, this perception was the result of stereotypes, since there was nothing in the ad to indicate that the white person was arresting the black person.

First impression tend to be lasting. A shampoo commercial effectively used a line, "You will never have a second chance to make a first impression.Since first impression are often lasting therefore introducing a new product before it has been perfected may prove fatal to its ultimate success, subsequent information about its advantage even if true will often be negated by the memory of its early performance.

Many people tend to jump to conclusion before examining all the relevant evidence. For example, the consumer may hear just the beginning of the commercial message and draw conclusion regarding the product or service being advertised. For this reason , many copywriter are careful to give their most persuasive argument first. One study found that consumers purchase packages that they believe contain greater volume, whether or not this is actually so, and that they perceive elongated package to contain more volume than round package. Clearly these findings have important implication for package,advertisement and pricing.

Halo effect is used to describe a situation in which the evaluation of a single object or person on a multitude of dimension is based on the evaluation of just one or few dimension. Marketer take the advantage of the halo effect when they extend a brand name associated with one line of product to another. Manufacturer and retailer hope to acquire instant recognition and status for their products by associating them with well known brand names.

Perceived risk is defined as the uncertainty that consumers face when they cannot foresee the consequence of their purchase decision. High risk perceivers are often described as narrow categorizers because they limit their choice to few safe alternatives. Low risk perceivers have been described as broad categorizers because they tend to make their choice from a much wide range of alternatives.

Functional Risk: Functional risk is the risk that the product will not perform as expected ( e.g. Can this cell phone work full a week without being recharged?) Physical Risk: Physical risk is the risk to self and others that the product might pose (e.g. Is cellular phone really safe , or does it emit harmful radiations?)

Financial Risk: Financial risk is the risk that the product will not be worth its cost (e.g.-Will very soon new model will be replace it?) Social risk: Social risk is the risk that a poor product choice may result in social embarrassment ( e.g.-Will my classmate laugh a my purple coloured hair?)

Psychological risk: Psychological risk is the risk that a poor product choice will bury consumers ego (e.g.-will I be embarrassed when I invite friends to listen to music on my 10 years old stereo?) Time risk: Time risk is the risk that the time spent in product search may be wasted if the product does not perform as expected.(e.g.Will I have to go through the shopping effort all over again?)