Consumer Perception Theory

by Chris Blank, Demand Media Google
Consumers are frequently skeptical of nutrition claims associated with food.

Consumers are frequently skeptical of nutrition claims associated with food.

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Merchants aim to increase their sales by determining what drives their customers' purchase decisions. Consumer perception theory attempts to explain consumer behavior by analyzing motivations for buying -- or not buying -- particular items. Three areas of consumer perception theory relate to consumer perception theory: self perception, price perception and perception of a benefit to quality of life.


Consumer perception applies the concept of sensory perception to marketing and advertising. Just as sensory perception relates to how humans perceive and process sensory stimuli through their five senses, consumer perception pertains to how individuals form opinions about companies and the merchandise they offer through the purchases they make. Merchants apply consumer perception theory to determine how their customers perceive them. They also use consumer perception theory to develop marketing and advertising strategies intended to retain current customers -- and attract new ones.

Self Perception

Self perception theory attempts to explain how individuals develop an understanding of the motivations behind their own behavior. Self perception by customers relates to values and motivations that drive buying behavior -- which is also an important aspect of consumer perception theory. For instance, a study by researchers at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst addressed how self perception shaped consumers' buying behavior. The study considered the question of whether consumers believed their buying decisions had a real effect on issues such as environmental impact. The researchers concluded that consumers' self perception was a driving factor in whether or not they placed a priority on socially conscious purchase and consumption practices. Consumers who viewed themselves as socially conscious tended to place more weight on issues such as environmental impact when making buying decisions than consumers who did not hold similar views of themselves.

Price Perception

While mass merchandisers such as Wal-Mart emphasize low prices as an inherent virtue, upscale merchants attempt to emphasize quality and value for money to appeal to potential customers. Researchers at the School of Business Administration at LaSalle University and LeBow College of Business at Drexel University considered several factors, including price perception -- whether consumers believed they were being charged fair prices -- in determining whether online shoppers would make repeat purchases through the same website. The researchers concluded that price perception strongly influenced whether customers were satisfied with their purchases and whether they would make future purchases. Two factors that shaped price perception were the perceived quality of the merchandise or service in question and price comparisons with merchants offering similar merchandise or services.

Benefit Perception

"It's good, and it's good for you." Many consumers are familiar with this phrase frequently associated with food advertising. Researchers from Marquette University, Louisiana State University and the University of Arkansas surveyed customers to determine how nutrition claims associated with food affected their perception of that food's nutritional value. The researchers found that consumers tend to reject general, unsupported claims of enhanced nutrition, especially concerning high nutritional value for foods that are traditionally viewed as unhealthy. The researchers also theorized that consumers would demonstrate a trend toward applying more scrutiny to nutrition claims and would demand more specific information about the foods they purchase.

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