The Power of Perception

In the marketing world, perception is synonymous with reality. Perception is a process we use to interpret the many stimuli we come across on a daily basis, and how we view the world around us. What we have to remember is that what we perceive to be real, in fact, may not be what is “true.” Marketers use this to their advantage, because how customers perceive the things around them is ultimately what affects their actions.

It is the marketer’s job to capture their consumer’s attention through exposure to their brand and products. How consumers come to formulate their own opinions about a certain brand becomes their perception about a product. Whether or not a certain brand is necessarily better than another brand that offers the same product is still up for debate. There will never be a right answer, because it is all subjective. To prove my point, I will give you some examples.

Perception and Optical Illusions
The one thing we all know and love about optical illusions is that the image we see is tricking us to believe a certain way. The funny thing is, even after we learn the truth about a certain image, how we perceive it still remains the same.

Take a look at the picture to your right. As you look at this checkerboard, do you notice a difference between the square labeled A, and the square labeled B? You would probably say that square A is a darker shade of gray, and square B is a lighter shade. What would you say to me if I told you that square A and square B are the exact same shade of gray? You probably wouldn’t believe me, but it is true (check yourself by cropping out the two different squares and compare them together).

Below are some more optical illusions for your viewing pleasure. When you look at Figure 1, do you see gray dots in between the squares? In truth, the gray dots don’t exist. In Figure 2, our perception is that the line above is somehow shorter than the line below. In truth, they are the same length. In Figure 3, we perceive the lines as slanted, when in truth, they are all perfectly straight.

    Fig 1.                                             Fig. 2                                                  Fig 3.

     

Blind Taste Tests
Perception is a powerful tool marketers use to influence consumers about their feelings towards a certain product. One extremely well known example is the Pepsi and Coke debate. Does Coke necessarily taste better than Pepsi, or any other cola alternative? As I mentioned before, positioning is the “act of framing the company’s image and offer in the target consumer’s minds, so it occupies a distinct and valued place in relation to competitors.” Although Coke might be considered to die-hard Coca-Cola fans as better than Pepsi, how do they fare when it comes to blind taste tests? 

Just a few a weeks ago, I witnessed a Coke vs. Pepsi vs. RC Cola experiment in one of my business classes. Seven die-hard Coca-Cola fans volunteered, and swore they would be able to tell the different between Coke and Pepsi in a heartbeat. As they stepped out of the room briefly, my professor set up the experiment. Each volunteer was given three small Dixie cups of cola. However, the three different sample sips didn’t necessarily contain three different beverages. For example, someone was given two Pepsi and one Coke, or two RC Colas and one Pepsi, or even all Cokes, etc.; the mix was random. Nevertheless, the main goal remained the same: to identify whether or not they were experiencing the Coca-Cola taste.

After the taste test, a chart was made on the blackboard, and each volunteer had to assign a brand to each Dixie cup they were given. To make things more interesting, they also had to choose which cup contained their favorite beverage. Naturally, the one they thought was Coke was also the one they assigned as their favorite.

The results were quite interesting. Only one die-hard Coke fan correctly identified the Dixie cup that contained Coke.  A number of them had named RC Cola as their favorite cola, while the rest of the volunteers were shocked to find that they had named Pepsi, their rival, as their favorite beverage of choice. When asked whether or not they would make the switch to Pepsi or RC Cola, all of them seemed to be disgusted by the idea. Like the optical illusions above, even though we are given the truth, our perceptions are so strong it is what drives us to believe what we want to believe (that Coke is still the best).

While this was a fun and informal experiment we did in class, there are still a number of studies that back up the same conclusion: how we respond to a certain product relies largely on the brand associations we assign in our minds. Consequently, our perception of the brand is an incredibly important factor. In 2004, Baylor College of Medicine conducted a research on Coke vs. Pepsi using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI). The fMRI machine was able to monitor each test subject’s brain activity and how they respond to the information they were given. In their study, volunteers were exposed to image cues of either a flash of light, a picture of a Coke can, or a Pepsi can before taking a sip of either Coke or Pepsi. They found that when subjects were given Coke as their brand identification, their taste preference changed, as well as their brain activity. The Coke brand image activated areas of the brain that indicated the modification of behavior based on emotions.

Recognizing the Importance of Perception
What does this ultimately tell us? Coca-Cola does a fantastic job in their marketing because they understand that in order to win the hearts of consumers, you must connect with them, and have them perceive your brand the way you want them to perceive it. Throughout the years, they have maintained a very consistent message that has allowed them to have consumers with such a strong brand loyalty. Their success is their mastery of creating positive perceptions around their brand.

My intent is not to claim that marketers are manipulating us to believe a certain way. After all, everyone has their own opinions -- one person's favorite could be another person's least favorite. It is, however, being able to recognize that humans have a natural tendency to assign an emotional connection with certain brands. Once they come into contact with a stimulus, their brain automatically forms their own opinions about it. Understanding the importance of perception is crucial, because what customers perceive is, ultimately, what drives their decisions and actions. Many companies have failed because they did not recognize the power of perception. Offering a superior product may not be enough to be profitable and sustainable in today’s market. Although their product might be better in quality, if it is not perceived that way, it won't make a difference.The key is getting your primary target to believe that your product is better. Remember, our perception is what we construct to be our reality.