Perceptual mapping

They can be used to identify gaps in the market and potential partners or merger targets as well as to clarify perceptual problems with a company's product.

Perceptual mapping also allows businesses to see what consumers think of other brands, particularly their competitors.

Perceptual mapping can help define market segments, showing clusters of businesses differentiated by key aspects (such as higher class or number of restaurants).

[1] Perceptual maps can also be used to help keep track of how a new product, such as a recently introduced smartphone, is being viewed in a specific market.

This assumption can hinder the reliability of results, as in some cases, it is not safe to assume that there are only two major factors influencing the decision of purchase for a consumer.

For example, a graph may use quality of food and pricing, but not take into account other relevant variables such as the number of visits and locations.

The range of behaviours that the map covers is also a constraint, as the limitation to two variables means that its application works mainly with purchase decisions made with little thought and effort, such as purchasing a beverage at a store or going to a fast food restaurant.

This sample of consumers felt Porsche was the sportiest and classiest of the cars in the study (top right corner).

Some perceptual maps use different-sized circles to indicate the sales volume or market share of the various competing products.

[9] Traditional perceptual maps are built with two visual dimensions (X- and Y-axis).

This means that the perceptual map can be applied beyond low-involvement purchases, and also helps with identification of segments in a market.

When detailed marketing research studies are done methodological problems can arise, but at least the information is coming directly from the consumer.

An assortment of statistical procedures can be used to convert the raw data collected in a survey into a perceptual map.

Marketers can reveal shoppers' collective perceptual map with increasing precision and detail by aggregating and analysing their data; this is done, for example, in the smartphone and laptop industries.