Chapter 2

Question 1

What are the three stages of the perception process?

Answer 1

The three stages of perception are:
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Exposure: Contact with a stimulus through the senses.
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Attention: Focusing on and processing a stimulus.
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Interpretation: Assigning meaning to a stimulus.

Question 2

What is the absolute threshold?

Answer 2

The absolute threshold is the minimum level of stimulus intensity needed for a consumer to detect it.

Question 3

Explain Weber’s Law and its relevance to marketing.

Answer 3

Weber’s Law states that the stronger the initial stimulus, the greater the change needed for a difference to be noticed. This is relevant for marketers when making decisions about:
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Pricing changes
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Product improvements
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Packaging updates

Question 4

What are the three forms of perceptual selectivity?

Answer 4

Perceptual selectivity includes:
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Perceptual vigilance (paying attention to relevant stimuli).
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Perceptual defense (ignoring threatening stimuli).
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Adaptation (becoming accustomed to stimuli).

Question 5

What is sensory marketing?

Answer 5

Sensory marketing uses sensory elements (sight, sound, smell, taste, touch) to create specific perceptions and influence consumer responses. Marketers use this to enhance product appeal.

Question 6

What is perception?

Answer 6

Perception is the process by which sensations (from our sensory receptors) are selected, organized, and interpreted. It is more influential than sensation in shaping consumer preferences

Question 7

Why is understanding exposure important in marketing?

Answer 7

Exposure is critical because it’s the first step in the perception process. If consumers are not exposed to a marketing stimulus, they cannot pay attention to it or form any interpretation. Marketers need to ensure their messages are presented through channels that their target audience is likely to encounter. (This explanation is synthesized from the source material and is not a direct quote.

Question 8

What factors influence stimulus selection in perception?

Answer 8

Multiple factors impact what consumers notice:
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Stimulus characteristics: Size, color and contrast, location, intensity, novelty, movement, isolation, unexpectedness, and puzzle-like qualities.
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Individual factors: Sensory thresholds (absolute and differential thresholds), age, and perceptual selectivity (vigilance, defense, adaptation).

Question 9

What is sensory marketing and how is it used?

Answer 9

Sensory marketing involves engaging consumers’ senses (sight, sound, smell, taste, touch) to influence their feelings and behaviors. For instance:
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Sight: Color can evoke emotions and cultural meanings. Marketers use color strategically in packaging. Renova’s use of black toilet paper is an example of differentiating through color.
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Smell: Odors can trigger memories and emotions. For example, the smell of cinnamon buns can even induce arousal! Scented marketing is a growing field.
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Touch: Tactile sensations influence product experience. Vaseline’s repositioning campaign emphasizing “touch” is a good example.
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Sound: Sound symbolism suggests that the way a word sounds can influence our perception of the product it describes. Music tempo can also affect consumer behavior, such as time spent in a restaurant.
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Taste: Flavor houses create new tastes catering to evolving consumer palates. Offering free samples at Costco has been shown to increase sales

Question 10

What challenges do marketers face in capturing consumer attention?

Answer 10

Sensory Overload: Consumers are bombarded with thousands of marketing messages daily, making it hard to stand out.
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Clutter: To combat this, some marketers use guerrilla marketing tactics – unconventional approaches designed to grab attention in unexpected ways.