CONSUMER IMAGERY

BY ANAGHA DAS
CONSUMER IMAGERY
Consumer imagery refers to consumer’s perception of all the
components of products, services, and brands, and to how
consumers evaluate the quality of marketers offerings.
ISSUES
• Product positioning and Repositioning
• Perceived Quality
• Perceived Price
• Price-Quality Relationship
• Perceived Risk
PRODUCT POSTIONING
SELF IMAGE
Self concept is the person’s level of aspiration. The different types
of self image are:
• Actual self image - How consumers see themselves.
• Social self image -Consumer’s perception of how they
are seen by others.
• Ideal self image -How consumers would like others to
see them as.
• Expected self image -Consumer’s expectations of how they
would like to be seen as, at some
specified time in the future.
BRAND IMAGE
Brand image will indicate the overall perception of the brand and is based
on how the consumer draws inference about the brand.
Brand image is also influenced to a great extent by the company brand
name too.
Eg.: Tata Steel, Bajaj Tempo travellers
Product Positioning
A very important aspect influencing consumer’s brand image is product
positioning. Marketers try to position their brand such that it can meet the
needs of the defined market segment.
Eg.: Dell Computer : Focused on personalising technology and
getting consumers to think about how they
can use product features
NOKIA 1100 India phone : Innovative technology meant for rugged
use.
But if the product is not positioned properly it may fail to capture the
consumer’s mind.
Eg.: Mountain Dew, a lemon drink, with the USP “ The Spirit of
Adventure – Do the Dew”. But this USP failed to position
Mountain Dew as an adventure drink in the minds of the
consumers.
Perceptual Mapping
Perceptual mapping is a technique used by marketers to know consumer’s
perception of their products or services in relation to competitor’s brand
on one or more relevant characteristic.
Perceptual mapping is multidimensional in nature
Eg.: Positioning against competitor like 7up’s slogan “ the Un-Cola”
Positioning based on specific benefit like “Horlicks for Women”
PACKAGE IMAGE
In addition to the product’s name, appearance and features,
packaging also conveys the brand image.
Eg.: The Tide detergent version that promises stain removal
comes in an orange plastic container with a large handle on its
side and conveys the heaviness of the product, because associate
heaviness with the power to remove stains.
 Perceptions of Perfume Bottle

PACKAGE MASSIVE CONTRASTING NATURAL DELICATE

SHAPE

Muted, sleek,
Robust and Non-harmonious Harmonious and
PERCEIVED delicate,
AS unelaborative and irregular archetypical elaborate and
attention-seeking
CHARACT- Unexciting, Excited and rugged Sincere and Competent and
ERSTICS Unsophisticated but but lacking in the sophisticated sophisticated but
rugged necessary ability not rugged
PERCEIVED QUALITY
Product Quality
Consumers perception of quality is often based on his or her
evaluation on product attributes. This is in turn determined by
certain physical cues such as taste, smell, size and shape.
These cues can be
• Extrinsic or External Cues
• Intrinsic or Internal Cues
External cues are extrinsic to product-itself such as brand name,
price, promotion, display, P.O.P retail outlet, etc..
Eg: Many disinfectants are purchased on the basis of their smell
Incense sticks are bought on the basis of fragrance.
Intrinsic factors are related to the actual characteristics of the product itself
like size, color, feel and functional effectiveness.
Eg.: Laptop attached to the LCD projector is preferred because of its
functional effectiveness and size.
Generally both intrinsic and extrinsic cues will affect the consumer’s
perception about the quality of product and its perceived value.
Service Quality
It becomes difficult for the consumer to evaluate the quality of services.
This is mainly because of certain distinctive characteristics associated with
services such as perishability, tangibility, variability.
In the absence of a method, the consumers compare the quality of services
using extrinsic or surrogate cues.
Eg.: In evaluating a hotel’s services, the consumer may look into the
quality of furniture, interior décor, the services provided at the front office
etc..
SERVQUAL SCALE
This scale measures the gaps between customer’s expectations of the
services that they had purchased and their perception of the services that
they had actually received.
This basically includes two factors:
• Outcomes – focus on whether or not the services purchased were
delivered reliably.
• Processes – focus on how the core services were delivered.
Eg.: Amazon’s core service is selling many types of products and
brands( outcome dimension). Amazon’s advantage over competition is
exceeding customer’s expectations through superior “processes”.
PERCEIVED PRICE
Consumers perceive value in brands when:
• They are cost driven brands
• The product brands have certain unique benefits which offset their
premium prices.
Eg.: Pepsico in the initial stages was trying to find a place in the Indian
market for its juice brand Tropicana because of its premium pricing.
Finally they had to rethink on its positioning.
Other examples are IBM, HP and Compaq.
Therefore, marketers need to understand that consumer’s price
perception will be based on:
• Price-Quality Relationship
• Price Expectations
• Actual versus Reference prices
Consumers Reactions to Unexpected Prices
CONSUMERS ENCOUNTERS WITH UNEXPECTED PRICES

CONSUMERS REDUCE DISONANCE USING ONE OF THE FOLLOWING

SEEKING CONSONANT CHANGING ATTITUDE TRIVIALIZING

INFORMATION

Evaluate alternative Update Price Reduce the importance

suppliers Expectation of:
Evaluate substitute
1.Money
products
2.Shop around savings
Seek consonant Attribute higher prices to: 3.Savings money
information from 1, Product quality
another retailer or a 4.A good deal
2.Updated product information
substitute product 5.Fair pricing
3.Product attributes
remain dissonant 4.General rising prices
6.value

Change attitude,
Disonance is reduced Dissonance is reduced
trivialize or remain
dissonants
Price Expectations
Generally, consumers have an acceptable price range, for a particular
product, which shows a willingness to accept the range of prices.
Eg.: Suppose if a consumer is planning to replace an old Phillips TV set,
with a new 29 inch colour TV. He may expect to pay around Rs.18000/-
for the new set, This price is the consumers reference price.
Comparison between Actual and Reference Prices
In the previous example, we presume that the consumer’s expected range
for 29 inch colour TV is from Rs.14000/- to Rs.18000/-, while the actual
price may range fro Rs.16000/- to Rs.24000/-. If the difference between
the actual and reference is within the consumer’s acceptable price range,
they tend purchase the product.
A PRICE - QUALITY
RELATIONSHIP
Generally it is found that when consumers do not have sufficient
information about product quality, they are likely to use price as an
indication of quality.
Eg,: In the case of high end products such as electronic items,
computers, cars, etc., where technological along with functional
attributes counted, Indian consumer behavior, has been showing
positive inclination towards top brands such as Toyota, Sony, Samsung
and L.G.
In the case of low priced products such as hair dye or hair oil, Indian
market is dominated by brands such as Godrej hair dye and Parachute
hair oil.
Corporate Image
A corporate image carries an “added value”. A corporate image goes a
long way in its ability to enter into a relationship with its customers.
Just as brands create an image in the minds of their customers, so do
the organizations for both its internal customers and for their external
customers.
The corporate image of some established companies such as Tisco,
Tata Motors, Infosys, Wipro Technology is well known.
 COMPANY

Internal External
Marketing Marketing

Interactive
Marketing

EMPLOYEES CUSTOMERS
Advertising and Perceived Benefit
Advertising helps in converting a product into a brand by adding
psychological intangibles and functional tangible value to it.
Advertising helps to make an asset out of a product, with ‘cash
value’.

Eg.: Jet Airways

advertises about its
services and price
perceived benefit value.
Sales Promotion and Perceived Value
Promotion activities can be split into price and non price related
activities:
Price related:
• Consumer Price Promotions
• Trade Advertising Allowances
• Dealer Promotions
• Free samples or goods
• Trade bonuses
Non- price related:
• Merchandising
• Point of purchase
• Coupons
Perceived value promotional offers from Big
Bazar
Public Relation and Perceived Value
Every firm strives to have a good relationship within the
environment in which it operates.
Public relation is a marketing tool used by firms to add value
especially to the organization.
Personal Selling and Perceived Value
Personal Selling through company’s sales force is another effective
marketing technique used by the firm.
Few advantages are:
• Due to direct communication the sales person can use this to
build a more intimate relationship with the customers.
• The sales person can help the customers articulate their
requirements more clearly and also modify the offer so as to fit
the perceived needs of the customer
PERCEIVED RISK
Perceived Risk can be defined as the uncertainty experienced by the
consumers due to their inability to foresee the consequences of their
purchase decisions.
The major types of risk perceived by consumers are:
• Functional Risk : The perception that the product will not
function as expected.
• Financial Risk : The risk that the product may not be
worth its cost.
• Physical Risk : The risk related to the physical
characteristics of the product.
• Social Risk : The risk of the product not being
accepted by the society
• Psychological Risk : The risk that the product choice may
result in hurting and bringing down
the morale and ego of the consumer.
• Time Risk : The risk combined with the fear that
the time spent in product search
may be in vain
The type of shopping method used by the consumer also influences
his/her notion of perceived risk.
Risk Reduction Strategies Adopted by Consumers
Consumers usually develop their own strategies for reducing perceived
risk. They are :
• Consumers seek information : Under this the consumers are
engaged in search of product from various sources of information.
This method is quite straight forward.
• Continuing with the Same Brand : Consumers try to reduce the risk
by avoiding changing the brand and going for new brands.
• Going by Brand Image : When consumers are required to make a
choice from a particular product category, they tend to place more
trust and favour the product which is a well known brand.
• Going by the Store Image : Retail outlets also carry store image.
Store image will communicate about the quality of products sold by
them.
• Buy the Most Expensive Product : There is a perception among
people that high price is an indicator of high quality.
• Seeking Reassurance : Seek assurance by adopting the various
schemes offered by companies. These schemes may include money
back guarantees, warranties, samples, etc.
CONSUMER MOODS
AND EMOTIONS
Emotion and moods affect and are affected by human motives. It’s
a two way relationship. Motives have an impact on emotions and
moods; and, emotions and moods also impact human motives
EMOTIONS
Emotions are changes in the body state that impact psychological
processes thereby resulting in expression of feelings and observable
behavioral reactions. While emotions are varied, psychologists have
tried to categorize them.
According to the nineteenth century psychologist, Wundt, emotions
comprise pairs of opposite states, and there are three of such pairs:
• pleasantness/unpleasantness
• tension/release
• excitement/relaxation.
Emotions are personal states, private and subjective. A bodily state that
could change differently in response to the environment, it varies
within a person and across persons, and gets reflected as a
psychological arousal.
Also, emotions can be slight or intense and remain for short or long
periods of time. They bear a two way relationship with :
• Motivational states
• Cognitive processing capabilities and capacities.
Because they exist in pairs as opposites, emotions tend to replace one
another.
MOODS
Moods are defined as emotional states that are less intense,
transient and short term. They are also described on a continuum
as good or bad, and thus have a positive and negative valence.
Similar to emotions, moods can be inferred through our body
language, gestures and behaviors.
EMOTIONS, MOODS AND
CONSUMER BEHAVIOR
When emotions pertain to a company, its brands, its marketing
strategy and/or the component(s) of its marketing mix, it is
referred to as consumer emotion.
Consumer emotions towards product/service offerings and the 4
Ps can be positive or negative. They can last for short or a long
period of time. When they are specific to a marketing stimuli and
last for a short period of time, they are referred to as moods.
EMOTIONS, MOODS AND
IMPLICATIONS FOR
MARKETERS
A good understanding of the psychological states can help a
marketer design a stimulus that leads to positives states; the
assumption being that when a consumer is on a positive state as
far as emotions and moods are concerned, he would be more
receptive to the product/service and the brand offering. The study
of emotions/moods can be useful for a marketer in the following
ways:
1. An understanding of the psychological states can help the
marketer in triggering positive emotional states and pleasant
receptive moods amongst consumers.
a)a positioning strategy or an appeal that dove tails perfectly with the
need/motive can make a consumer more receptive to a product/service.
b)the design of the 4Ps can also induce positives states; for example:

-Aesthetics, attractive design, good looks, colour etc., arouse positive

emotions and moods states.

-Discounts, special allowances and price reductions, also lead to

curiousity, excitement and delight.

-The store layout, the display of products, service encounters, the

attitude of the salesmen in the store, and other point-of-purchase
stimuli also lead to good/bad mood states.
- The promotion strategy also leads to emotional/mood states, eg. the
advertisement, the message content, the context, music, jingle and
spokesperson/celebrity etc. In fact, the communication cue, whether print or
audio visual, can lead to emotional responses.
2. Emotions and moods states also influence consumer recall of products and
services as well as evaluation of products and services.

-If a person is in a positive emotional and mood state, all the cues that
lead to such a happy state get integrated as a unified unit and get stored
in his memory; this leads to easy recall later on.
-A happy and pleasurable shopping experience at a store leads to store
loyalty; when a person passes by such a store, it leads to an impulse
purchase.

-Similar reactions can be expected when people go down memory lane

and get nostalgic about purchase of certain product/service offerings and
brands. Thus, they prefer buying brands which they bought as children
with their parents.
3. Triggering positive emotional states and pleasant receptive
moods amongst consumers also benefits marketers during post-
purchase evaluation by the former.
REFERENCES
• CONSUMER BEHAVIOR, Leon G. Schiffman, St. John’s
University, New York City
• Consumer Behavior In Indian Perspective, Suja R Nair,
Himalaya Publishing House
• Consumer Behavior, Sangeetha Saney, Vinod Gupta
School of Management Indian Institute of
TechnologyKharagpur, India