Page 185 - Marketing Management

162 PART 3 CONNECTING WITH CUSTOMERS

inputs to create a meaningful picture of the world. 39 It depends not only on physical stimuli, but
also on the stimuli’s relationship to the surrounding environment and on conditions within each of
us. One person might perceive a fast-talking salesperson as aggressive and insincere; another, as
intelligent and helpful. Each will respond to the salesperson differently.
People emerge with different perceptions of the same object because of three perceptual
processes: selective attention, selective distortion, and selective retention.

SELECTIVE ATTENTION Attention is the allocation of processing capacity to some stimulus.
Voluntary attention is something purposeful; involuntary attention is grabbed by someone or
something. It’s estimated that the average person may be exposed to over 1,500 ads or brand
communications a day. Because we cannot possibly attend to all these, we screen most stimuli
out—a process called selective attention. Selective attention means that marketers must work hard
to attract consumers’ notice. The real challenge is to explain which stimuli people will notice. Here
are some findings:
1. People are more likely to notice stimuli that relate to a current need. A person who is motivated
to buy a computer will notice computer ads and be less likely to notice DVD ads.
2. People are more likely to notice stimuli they anticipate. You are more likely to notice computers
than radios in a computer store because you don’t expect the store to carry radios.
3. People are more likely to notice stimuli whose deviations are large in relationship to the normal
size of the stimuli. You are more likely to notice an ad offering $100 off the list price of a
computer than one offering $5 off.

Though we screen out much, we are influenced by unexpected stimuli, such as sudden offers in the
mail, over the phone, or from a salesperson. Marketers may attempt to promote their offers
intrusively in order to bypass selective attention filters.
SELECTIVE DISTORTION Even noticed stimuli don’t always come across in the way the
senders intended. Selective distortion is the tendency to interpret information in a way that fits
our preconceptions. Consumers will often distort information to be consistent with prior brand
and product beliefs and expectations. 40
For a stark demonstration of the power of consumer brand beliefs, consider that in “blind”
taste tests, one group of consumers samples a product without knowing which brand it is, while
another group knows. Invariably, the groups have different opinions, despite consuming exactly
the same product.
When consumers report different opinions of branded and unbranded versions of identical
products, it must be the case that their brand and product beliefs, created by whatever means (past
experiences, marketing activity for the brand, or the like), have somehow changed their product
41
perceptions. We can find examples with virtually every type of product. When Coors changed its
label from “Banquet Beer” to “Original Draft,” consumers claimed the taste had changed even
though the formulation had not.
Selective distortion can work to the advantage of marketers with strong brands when consumers
distort neutral or ambiguous brand information to make it more positive. In other words, coffee
may seem to taste better, a car may seem to drive more smoothly, the wait in a bank line may seem
shorter, depending on the brand.

SELECTIVE RETENTION Most of us don’t remember much of the information to which we’re
exposed, but we do retain information that supports our attitudes and beliefs. Because of selective
retention, we’re likely to remember good points about a product we like and forget good points
about competing products. Selective retention again works to the advantage of strong brands. It
also explains why marketers need to use repetition—to make sure their message is not overlooked.

SUBLIMINAL PERCEPTION The selective perception mechanisms require consumers’ active
engagement and thought. A topic that has fascinated armchair marketers for ages is subliminal
perception. They argue that marketers embed covert, subliminal messages in ads or packaging.
Consumers are not consciously aware of them, yet they affect behavior. Although it’s clear that
42
mental processes include many subtle subconscious effects, no evidence supports the notion that
marketers can systematically control consumers at that level, especially enough to change
moderately important or strongly held beliefs. 43