Perception, Attention & Interpretation

Mark Arico (208819633)Fan Zhang

(212852224)

Perception, Attention & Interpretation

Logical Order of Knowing

Perception, Attention & Interpretation

Attention

–Herbert Simon, social scientist, in his book Attention Economics(1971)

”

“A wealth of information creates a poverty of attention.”

Author

Why you don’t watch tv ads?

How to Draw Attention?

Be Humane

tHISiSNothUmane

Attention: Human Nature

Self-generation effect

Universal interests

Story telling

Sensitive to stimulus

Perception, Attention & Interpretation

How to draw attention?Be humane:

• attractive• understandable• connections• no mediocre

Billboards are always designed to draw

your attention at the first sight.

Attention: Definition

In consumer information processing, attention occurs when a person lingers and gives mental processing capacity to the external stimulus from a product or brand. Selective perception is when a consumer pays attention to messages that are consistent with her attitudes, beliefs and needs. When a product is inconsistent with these factors, the consumer will withdraw attention.

–Davenport & Beck 2001, p. 20

“Attention is focused mental engagement on a particular item of information. Items come

into our awareness, we attend to a particular item, and then we decide

whether to act.”

Attention: Why it matters

• a major and the first stage of converting non-consumers

• minimal marginal cost of advertising

• consumer's attention becomes the scarce resource

Perception, Attention & Interpretation

Interpretation

Interpretation: Definition

The assignment of “meaning” to sensations, in a way that fulfills personal motives and interests.

•Cognitive and affective interpretation.

•Sometimes biases are “added”, causing stereotypes.

Interpretation: Four stereotypes

Physical appearances

Descriptive terms

First impressions

Halo effect

Perception, Attention & Interpretation

Physical appearances

Making decisions based on how people and products appear.

For example, attractive models.

Perception, Attention & Interpretation

Descriptive terms Verbal messages reflect stereotypes.

For example, comparing the advantages of one product against another.

Perception, Attention & Interpretation

First impressions

First impressions usually tend to last in the minds of individuals.

Should be cautious on how to advertise products.

Perception, Attention & Interpretation

Halo effect

Evaluating multiple objects based on only one dimension.

For example, evaluating an entire product line (Apple) on the basis of one product within that line (iPhone).

Is this Apple example true for anyone? Any other personal examples?

Perception, Attention & Interpretation

Perception

Ferrari

“When Ferrari creates anything, you can pretty much bet it’ll be top of the lin

e.”

Jack Daniel’s

“Jack Daniel's is a brand of sour mash Tennessee whiskey that is the highest selling American

whiskey in the world.”

Playboy

“Are you ready to step out of the shower with Playboy confidence?”

Perception: Definition

Perception is shaped by learning, memory and expectations.

“The process in which a consumer identifies, organizes, and interprets information to create

meaning.” –Boundless

Perception: Three Phases

By definition consumer perception consists of three phases: sensing, organizing, and reacting.

Perception: Sensing Phase

Deciding what information to, and not to, pay attention to.

This is affected by our previous experience, motives, and nature of the stimulus.

Sensing Phase: Selective Perception

•Related concepts:

1. Selective exposure

2. Selective attention

3. Perceptual defense

4. Perceptual blocking

Perception, Attention & Interpretation

Sensing Phase: Selective Exposure

Individuals actively choose what to view, while avoiding certain stimuli in their environments.

For example:

•Walking out of the room when a commercial comes on television

•Internet advertisements

Sensing Phase: Selective Attention

Individuals decide how much attention they will pay to a stimulus, which is consistent with one's personal beliefs or interests.

Perception, Attention & Interpretation

An example: In-game

Advertising•Primary capacity: playing the video game.

•Secondary capacity: recognizing advertisements seen in the video game.

•Assumption: high involvement players will fail to recognize advertisements, while moderately involved gamers are more likely to recognize these advertisements.

Perception, Attention & Interpretation

Sensing Phase:Perceptual Defense

• Individuals protect themselves from psychologically threatening stimuli.

• This is most likely in situations that produce fear or anxiety.

• Refuse to accept the message.

Perception, Attention & Interpretation

Sensing Phase:Perceptual Blocking

Screening out of stimuli that is threatening or contradictory.

For example, choosing not to look.

Sensing Phase: Subliminal Messages

“Subliminal” means “below the threshold”, which are aimed at consumers’ subconscious minds.

For example, techniques include:1. Embed (tiny figures in print messages)2. Auditory messages (messages on sound recordings)

Perception, Attention & Interpretation

Subliminal Messages: Examples

•Example 1: KFC: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrRDEjPoeGw

•Example 2: McDonalds: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMzbwa6PvEE

Sensing Phase: Just Noticeable Difference (JND)

The difference between two stimuli that is “detected as often as it is undetected”.

For example, 10% discount versus a 50% discount.

Sometimes marketers purposely go below this threshold.

Do you notice any differences?

Perception: Organizing Phase

How to mentally arrange information in our minds , so we can understand and make sense out of it.

This phase includes four items: • Figure and ground

• Grouping

• Closure

• Bias for the whole

Perception, Attention & InterpretationOrganizing

Phase: Figure & Ground

Interpreting stimuli in the context of a background.

For example, Starbucks uses this tactic.

Perception, Attention & Interpretation

Organizing Phase:

Grouping

Information is organized into a unified picture/impression, making it easier to process.

For example, the “PC Blue Menu”.

Perception, Attention & Interpretation

Organizing Phase:Closure

Organizing perceptions so that they form a meaningful whole.

If a stimuli is incomplete, our need for closure will lead us complete it.

For example, AXE uses this tactic to get individuals thinking about their advertisements.

Perception, Attention & Interpretation

Organizing Phase:Bias for the whole

Tendency to perceive more value in a whole than in the combined parts that make up the whole.

For example, the Salvation Army asks for leftover coins.

Perception: Reacting Phase

Reacting phase involves with responding and attaching meaning to the stimuli.

Perception, Attention & Interpretation

Reacting Phase:

Shock Value• Tactic to provoke a reaction,

by exposing an individual to “shocking” content.

• An intention of producing disgust, anger, fear or other negative emotions.

In-class Exercise

Please discuss following questions in groups after watching three commercials.

AttentionWhich commercial drew your attention the most? Why? Explain the techniques that were used to increase your attention.

InterpretationDo you want to purchase any of these products? Why or why not?

PerceptionAre these commercials congruent with your perception of the brand or product? Will these commercials shift your perception? If so, to what degree?

Toyota: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dp3OfOQ-yb8

Nike: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6BiemoJmD4

Google: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTjHCCU2E4c

Q & A