Perceptual Maps
Helen Strong
Perceptual Maps: Purpose
Perceptual maps are used in strategic marketing to help researchers form a picture of the relationships between brands and also between a brand and the ideal characteristics for the product class. They would be used in strategic marketing exercises where the team wants to find the most competitive positioning for their product.
Perceptual Maps: Structure and Description
Maps can take several forms, ranging from a simple two-variable comparison to one in which many variables are used.
Consumers’ ratings of critical selection variables are used to place the brands on the map. In gap analysis, one looks to find areas that have not been claimed by any brands. In the (fictitious) following example (Figure 24.1), consumer perceptions (ratings) of price and quality of a product on the market are being compared. The map suggests that there is an opening for a product or brand that is of average quality and price.
Researchers are not limited to two-dimensional representations of the relationships, but if you intend mapping several variables, you are advised to seek professional help in using statistical software that can produce multivariate maps.
The following illustration (Figure 24.2) from Sawtooth Technologies (n.d.) provides a good example of how variables can be considered in relation to types of beverages. The closer that a product lies to a variable, the more it is associated with that variable.
Figure 24.1 Perceptual map for gap analysis
Figure 24.2 Vector map of consumer ratings
Source: Sawtooth Technologies
Perceptual Maps: Implementation
Researchers will identify variables that are used by consumers when selecting or viewing a particular product category. These variables could be found from brainstorming, prior studies, qualitative research, use of management models, or via a literature review.
The variables are then included in quantitative (large sample) research in which (target market) consumers are given the task of rating competitive brands. They would probably also rate the ideal brand on those attributes.
Perceptual Maps: Strategic Implications
If significant variables for the product class are used, the tool can be applied in brand positioning, gap analysis, and assessing the brand against its competitors and for designing new products.
Perceptual mapping can be used to define the relationship between variables that emerge from an ideal product rating. The researcher then compares the ratings of the company and competitive brands against the ideal rating to see how far they are perceived to be from the ideal figures.
Because of the visual representation, it is relatively easy to show team members the type and strength of relationships that exist between products and their brands.
Perceptual Maps: Conclusions
The value of perceptual maps lies in identifying the relative positions of brands and products; however, this value is only realized when relevant and significant attributes or variables are used in the comparisons. Hence the researcher needs to find the drivers and differentiators of a market before he or she is able to complete the most powerful maps.
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