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Perceptual Mapping
Description:
Perceptual mapping research can help clients
better understand and ultimately act upon
their customers perceptions of the vendors
and products operating in their market space.
Perceptual maps provide an excellent visual
display of how companies compete on specific
factors such as price, product characteristics,
service or technology. Using this information,
clients can more readily determine how to
position their product offering and messaging
in order to maximize preference and sales.
Objectives:
- Market description and
segmentation
- Identification of product
strengths and weaknesses
- Concept development guidance
- Understanding of differences
between customer groups
- Tracking changes in perceptions
over time
Sample Issues:
- If products and vendors
are perceived differently based on customer
demographics, what market segmentation
would gain the best results?
- What new promotional or
positioning strategies would most improve
market perception of the company and its
products?
- How would several competing
new product concepts stack up against
existing products in the context of a particular
market space?
- How do users and non-users
of products differ in their perception
of the company and its products?
Process:
- Determine which product
and vendor characteristics customers will
rate in order to provide the primary data
for perceptual mapping.
- Calculate the sample size
needed to produce reliable results; if
any subgroups are targeted this will increase
the requirements.
- Define the rating scales
to be used: Likert scales are most common,
but other methods such as semantic differential
scales may also be used.
- Pre-test the survey design
to ensure reliable data collection and
to validate the analytical validity on
the back-end.
- Analyze the final data
collected using the appropriate tools (multivariate
discriminant analysis, multidimensional
scaling, or factor analysis) in order
to produce the appropriate perceptual maps.
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