Perception Experiment

One way to test perception is to conduct an experiment. Experiments can be done with a large or small amount of people looking or listen to an advert to see how it makes them think or feel. Experiments can also be done on products, for example food or drink. Using blind taste tests and asking people to comment on the packaging.

Other types of experiments can include;

1. Testing of the effect of music in adverts on perception of the product or the target market

2. The test of retail atmospherics e.g. flooring, music, lighting, layout, paintwork, pictures, signage or logo

3. High / Low involvement in purchasing and FTPEPS comparing two customers in a high and a low purchase

Research from Baylor College of Medicine, shows the difference between Coke and Pepsi. Researchers conducted a blind taste test among 67 consumers and found the preference was split down the middle. But interestingly, when researchers told the consumers which cola they were drinking Coke was preferred by 75% to 25%. Goldsmith (2008).
This shows just how important branding is to any product, people are more likely to go with a product if they familiar with the brand and trust it.

My experiment tested which product consumers prefer the taste of and which packaging they find more appealing. First a blind taste test was done. I poured a small amount of each into cups labelled A, B and C. A represented Pepsi, B was Coca-Cola and C held Tesco Cola. After the blind taste test each person was shown the packaging for each and asked which they found more appealing. I have compared the results for these against which of the three drinks they would usually pick to purchase and here are the results.

Two people preferred the Tesco Cola packaging out of the choices. They both mentioned that the design looked refreshing. Only 1 person preferred the Pepsi packaging even though 6 people would usually by this product. They said they thought the packaging had a clear message and they preferred the colour. The majority of people preferred the Coca-Cola packaging. Some of the reasons given for this were, the brand is very memorable, it has a classic and stylish image, clean and clear packaging, grabs attention and the colour red stands out as it is very prominent and iconic brand.