When it comes to perception vs. reality, people see the world through their own lens and Marketers need to respect this fact.
I’m going to share a quick story about perception vs. reality that was shared with me a few years ago. It was from a then employee of the government who had a “customer” aka tax-payer, facing role.
“Hey, when I’m at work I’m not able to use my cell. It doesn’t matter if I’m answering emails, checking my calendar for my next meeting, or whatever, it doesn’t matter. They do not want me on my cell.”
“Someone can walk in and see me on my phone. They’ll think I’m on my phone wasting time (and by extension tax-paper money). But, if I walked in and saw someone on their phone, I would think the same thing.”
Perception isn't limited to phones and government offices.
Walking into any given parking lot right now, you would see a bunch of cars (hopefully a bunch of different ones). They’re all parked. They’re all just sitting there doing the same thing, which is nothing. But, they don’t look, cost or “drive” the same. Those three elements are based more on delivering on perception than reality. A high-end Lexus, sitting next to a low-end Toyota will share more things in common than the owner of the high-end Lexus would like to admit. However, the one thing that the Lexus does deliver against is the fact that to own it, is to have “money” or “success” or “you pick a metric” that allows the car owner to spend 5x the amount on that Lexus than the equivalent Toyota. The Lexus delivers on perception. It will last longer; it will drive better, the quality of the ride will be noticeably better. It doesn’t matter if it “does” or if it “doesn’t,” the owner of the Lexus believes it does – and it is worth every “extra” penny.
Another classic example of perception vs. reality is what Pepsi was hoping to do with it’s classic “Taste Test Challenge.” They wanted to prove that they’re pop was more flavourful than Coca Cola’s, and they did a double-blind taste test. I’m not sure if they accomplished what they were setting out to accomplish, but many people walked away thinking “man, Coke and Pepsi sure taste a lot alike, I’ll just buy whatever is on sale.”
If your brand wants to shift its perception, our marketing consultants are the masters of reality. Contact us today.
Alternatively, think of the lottery.
Finally, when you think of a "good job" what comes to mind?
Is it someone who is working behind a counter at Loblaws (Canada), walking the floor at Walmart, or answering questions BestBuy? Again, perception vs. reality.
So what does all this mean?
Can small or new companies/brands do this? Yes. The differences are the perceptions themselves.
Perception has its roots in healthcare, the reality is that perception encompasses the vast majority of the choices we make. As they say, there are always three sides to every story, but the only one that matters is the one you believe.
If your brand is looking to shift its perception among its audience, reach out to our Marketing Consultants now!
Major forces shaping our behaviours in 2019
We have gone from a time when the primary way we communicated with machines were through a device like a mouse or a keyboard; then we shifted to a high-touch experience with the rise of smartphones. However, we are now in a time when our voice is the remote control, and our eyes are gaining their place in how we engage with technology – far beyond just “looking at something.”
