Perceptual Mapping

When marketers and advertising professionals began to display their interest in the perceptions of target consumer segments, the next natural step was to measure those perceptions. This constituted an open invitation to mathematical psychologists to move in which they did. Today, you cannot play the positioning game without ‘perceptual mapping’.

What perceptual mapping does is to represent consumer perceptions-in (usually) two-dimensional space so that the manager can readily see where his own brand is positioned in the mind of his prospect and in relation to other brands. The concept of the consumer’s perceptual space forms the theoretical basis of positioning. It is this concept, which distinguishes positioning and sets it apart as a major contribution to marketing theory and practice. Perceptual mapping helps to make this concept operational.

Product or perceptual mapping refers to methods to analyze and understand consumer perceptions of products. The products can be almost any identifiable object, including consumer products (toothpaste, cars, and over-the-counter drugs), Web sites, industrial products (computers, tools), institutions (corporations, hospitals, and magazine publishers), activities (vacation spots, movies) or people (entertainers, political candidates).

Product mapping produces a picture or map of a market. The map shows how products are perceived on specific features or attributes such as reputation, price, quality etc. Product maps show which products compete in the consumer’s mind and suggests how a product can be positioned to maximize preference and sales.

Marketing Applications of Product Mapping

Product maps provide valuable insights for a number of marketing decisions. Some major applications include –