Consumer Perception
1. Key Concepts Sensory adaptation Absolute threshold Differential threshold
• How does sensory adaptation affect advertising effectiveness? How can marketers overcome sensory adaptation?
• Discuss the differences between the absolute threshold and the differential threshold. Which is more important to marketers? Explain your answer.
• For each of these products—chocolate bars and bottles of expensive perfume—describe how marketers can apply their knowledge of differential threshold to packaging, pricing, and promotional claims during periods of (a) rising ingredient and materials costs and (b) increasing competition.
2. Key Concepts Contrast Figure and ground
• How do advertisers use contrast to make sure that their ads are noticed? Would the lack of contrast between the advertisement and the medium in which it appears help or hinder the effectiveness of the ad? What are the ethical considerations in employing such strategies?
• What are the implications of figure-ground relationships for print ads and for online ads? How can the figure-ground construct help or interfere with the communication of advertising messages?
• Find three examples of print advertisements that use some of the stimulus factors discussed in the chapter to gain attention. For each example, evaluate the effectiveness of the stimulus factors used.
3. Key Concepts Selective perception Perceptual mapping
• Define selective perception. Thinking back, relate one or two elements of this concept to your own attention patterns in viewing print advertisements and TV commercials.
• Select a company that produces several versions of the same product under the same or different brands (one that is not discussed in this chapter). Visit the firm’s Web site and prepare a list of the product items and the benefits that each item offers to consumers. Are all these benefits believable and will they persuade consumers to buy