First Assignment Worries and Research...

Assignment: Packaging and Perception
Deadline: Friday 6th November
Emotion: SCARED!!!

Right, So it is week 6 and the Packaging and Perception assignment is due in.  All my usual thoughts are running through my head.... How am I going to finish this?  Where am I going to get all my references from?  What research will I need?  After my breakdown (nearly) My next thought was calm down, just follow the assignment brief and it will be fine, and that's exactly what I did.

Research was definitely the main thing that helped me complete this assignment  It was also necessary to complete, to be able to aim for a higher grade, without this, my assignment would have been just a blank page.  Research is used to gather knowledge from books, journals, reports, Internet etc that has not been taught and has been found by an individual.  It usually is facts and theories that relate to a certain topic.  In my case this was perception and packaging.

The first research I carried out was by using both books and journals.  The library helped me search for books and journals that related to perception and packaging.  Some of these books included;

• Consumer Behaviour: A European Perspective. 4th Ed.  By Michael R. Solomon, Gary Bamossy, Soren Askegaard and Margaret K. Hogg.
• Consumer Behaviour.  3rd Ed. By P, M Chisnall.
• Consumer Behaviour.  3rd Ed.  By J Hofmeyr and B Rice.

I used these books to help me understand what perception was and also gave me a basic idea of the perceptual process.  I included these within my assignment and referenced them.  Without these I would have found it harder to define perception.  The book by P. M Chisnall also explained both the Howard-Sheth model and the Engel, Kollat and Blackwell model.  I was able to understand what they were and how they related to the perception subject.  The book by Michael R. Soloman gave an in depth description of the perceptual process.  This meant I could use it without my assignment fully referenced ofcorse.  Journals were also included in my research these were useful for giving facts on packaging.  Through these I discovered research that has been conducted such as; the methods that Ampeuero and Vilo used to conduct research on packaging.  Using the journals also allowed me to discover what different theories there were on package design by a variety of people. 

 I think that book and journal research is very good due to the fact it usually shows a variety of different theories.  Book research also helps makes topics easier for individuals to understand, it usually includes all relevant information and is concise.  The disadvantages of using book and journal research is that it is harder to find the certain books that are needed, it can be expensive and finally a good and helpful book may be passed by unintentionally either by being unnoticed or unavailable.

I used the Internet significantly during this assignment and gathered a huge amount of research using it.  Some of the websites which I used are listed below:

• http://www.ehow.com/about_6561090_consumer-perception-theory.html
• http://www.pepsico.co.uk/walkers-crisps
• http://www.tnsglobal.com/_assets/files/The_power_of_packaging.pdf 

I used these website to discover addition information on consumer perception and packaging.  I also gathered Walkers research using the PepsiCo website.  This gave me facts and figures that were useful to use.  The tnsglobal website  was very good as it gave information on packaging factors, what makes a good packet and how it applies to different brands, I used this to analysis  the packaging I chose and how good it was compared to different factors that this website stated.  Other websites I used gave information on different theories and models, it explained what they were and how they applied to perception.  Also websites gave information on consumer behaviour, why they bought things, how to grab attention etc. A website that should definitely not be used for assignments and gather information, is wikipedia due to it being very unreliable.  Therefore I made sure not to look or research using this website.

Internet research is good because it is easy accessible, there are many different articles, reports and websites with a variety of information.  It contains a huge range of facts, and also opinions of things can be found.  The Internet is aimed for everyone therefore if information is hard to understand it is very easy to find a simpler version.  It also includes many different images and pictures to illustrate theories and information.  However using the Internet for research also has disadvantages which include; some information is not accurate, correct or reliable, there may be too many varied results.  The certain information may not be easily found and many searches may be necessary.  It can be time consuming searching through all the results and finally websites may disappear or change therefore some information may not be accessed.

I think that research is necessary to passing a university course.  Hard work, reading and research is essential for university and it is a fact not to leave everything to the last minute!

Research Is Key!

Hmmmm Blogging...

This is my 4th blog and I thought it was time for me to write my opinion on blogging.  At the moment I actually have mixed feelings on it and think sometimes it can be fun whilst other times it is quite long and boring.  I understand that it is a good way of making sure I understand the lectures, but isn't that what my notes show?

A blog is usually part of a website or is a website itself.  They are interactive and allow people to view it, leave comments and message each other over widgets.  Most blogs will be based upon a certain topic or subject and provide opinions and facts on it.  Other blogs may be personal diaries.  The blogs will usually include; text, images and links.  Blogs have become increasingly popular throughout the media and public as it allows people to freely express their opinions and allows others to comment and add their opinions.  I have first hand experience on writing a blog (obviously)  therefore I have decided to blog my opinions about good points and bad points of blogging.

The reasons why I like writing a blog is the fact that I can express my opinions on a subject and also it allows me to review what I learnt during lectures, this means I get a thorough understanding of a certain subject.  I also like writing a blog as it means I can use my own writing style, it does not have to be formal and more importantly I can actually write in the first and second person.  I can also express opinions and ideas that I might not have been able to in my lectures.  It is also personalised and individual which I like as it means I can design it the way I like and with my preferences.  I love the way that it allows me to research different video and images and import the ones which I think are good and relevant.  I also gather different facts by researching the topics online.  Finally the main reason I think blogging is good, is due to the fact my lecturer can access it and give each individual student her opinion.  This allows us a chance to improve the blogs and to possibly get a higher grade.

However, I do believe there are some disadvantages to writing a blog.  Firstly it is quite time consuming.  I mean some blogs like this one is quite simple to write so it does not take very long, however others that include links, research and different facts can seem more like an essay then a short lecture summary.  I also think that as it does not have a word limit it is hard to know when a blog is too long or too short, if it waffles on or if it doesn't actually have a point to it.  This could mean that time is wasted producing a blog which is not very good.  I also think that as we are told to blog after every lecture that if we become ill or miss a lecture, it is going to make us one blog behind everyone else which is not good. Also this blog assignment lasts for the entire year therefore I think it is more likely people will get bored of doing it and will find it more of a chore then a hobby. Finally I also think that even though this is being graded it does not actually seem like an assignment, more like an extra curriculum activity (even though it isn't) therefore it is more than likely people will not actually complete it or leave it to the last minute.

Considering all of these points I think that doing a blog is a good idea.  It is different to other assignments and is definitely more relaxed.

Blogging Is Actually OK!

The Way We Percieve The World...

OK, so week 2 the topic was Perception, now moving on to week 3 the topic is... Perception?  Yep that's right Perception again.  So how much more on this subject could there be?  After the lecture it was easy to discover that the answer to that question is ALOT.  But that is not actually a bad thing. 

The only way people can perceive or gather a perception of something is through the use of their five senses.  This concept has been shown by many different theorists and is how many of them define perception.

During this lecture we discussed how advertisements try to appeal to the consumers five senses; sight, smell, sound, taste and touch.  So that people perceive them in a certain way and hopefully in the best possible way.  The sight receptor includes things such as; colours used in the advertisements and packaging and the visual images.  People associate different colours with different factors such as; blue can symbolise coldness or purity, whilst red can symbolise lust or anger.  Marketers use this as people usually perceive an object by the colours used on advertisements.  Examples of this is shown below:

During the lecture we discussed how this advertisement uses the blue colour, to show the purity of the drink.  Blue is also considered both a unisex colour so it appeals to both sexes.  We also discussed as a class how the colour also is bright and bold to capture attention and how it is also has a calming factor about it.  We also said the visual images of this advertisement such as the slender glass and a bold strong bottle symbolises both male and female characteristics.  By including these factors helps people perceive the object as being multi-gender.

 

However, even though this advertisement also uses the colour blue this is perceived in a very different way.  As a group we discussed that by using a dark blue colour within the mans suit, tie and the bed sheets makes it more masculine, it also relates the colour to the packaging of the product.  By using this colour only on the male character also makes it seem as though the advert is aimed for men, putting the male in the foreground and the women in the background shows clearly who it is aiming at and perceives the object to the audience as being only for men.

A website I discovered which shows in depth colour association is:

http://www.color-wheel-pro.com/color-meaning.html

Music and sound of an advertisement is important to marketers. This is due to the fact that advertisement jingles create brand awareness to consumers and background music is used to create a desired mood.  A good example of an advert which uses sound is the 'Go Compare' advert.  This includes a song sang by a main character, this makes people remember the product and service.  Smell is addressed through the use of certain imagery on advertisements such as; flowers and chocolate, an example of this is the Lynx chocolate advert.  The characters within this advert are attracted to the male because of the chocolate scent.   This is done so that people are familiar with a smell and are more likely to buy the product if they like the smell.

Advertisements can appeal to the taste receptors through showing people eating the products and their emotions towards it, an advertisement that does this is 'Danepak.' Their current advert shows a man making a bacon sandwich and taking a bite, it shows him enjoying it.  This again is done as people already have personal experience of flavours therefore people who like the taste of a product are more likely to buy it. Touch is emphasised in advertisements by showing characters feeling and touching the products and their feelings towards that touch.  A great example of this is the 'Bold 2 in 1' me time add.  It shows a women wrapped in a dressing gown and shows her touching with her feet and hands, it perceives the object as being soft and comfortable.  Finally marketers do this so that a product texture is shown clearly to the consumers.  People have different opinions on textures therefore will be drawn to their individual likes.

Video Links:
Go compare - http://www.tellyads.com/show_movie.php?filename=TA10250
Lynx:Chocolate - http://www.tellyads.com/show_movie.php?filename=TA5906
Bold 2 in 1 - http://www.tellyads.com/show_movie.php?filename=TA3978

I think that this lecture was very interesting.  It showed a huge range of examples so that the class could understand how the five senses relate to marketing and also it let us explore the individual senses and different advertisements.  All I can say now is...

Senses Are Amazing!

Lets Begin with Perception...

During the second week of university, the term Perception was introduced.  As this workshop is all about the topic of understanding the customer, it obviously means the perception of a brand, product, packaging or advertisement by a consumer. 

Sound complicated? Don't worry it's not as hard as it seems....

So lets discuss what perception actually is.  As it is definitely something that needs to be understood. During the lecture we were introduced to a few definitions of perception,  this certainly helped the class to understand what the topic was, and what we would be addressing.  Many theorists have defined the meaning, and one of the simplest ways being; “….perception is how we see the world around us." (Schiffman and Kanuk 2003).  This is a good definition as its very concise and to the point.  Some other defintion were;

• “sensations are absorbed by the consumer and used to interpret the surrounding world.”  (Solomon et al, 2010 p 118).
• According to Chisnell (1997) “perception has to be described as to observe through the senses.” 
• "Perception is the process of sensing, selecting and interpreting consumer stimuli in the external world," (Wilkie, 1994).

Using these given definitions, made it easy for us to understand perception.  All the theorist believe that the way a person see, hears, feels, smells and tastes something will help them perceive and interpret an object.  The perception process is as follows; Firstly information is obtained through human sensory receptors such as; eyes, ears, nose, mouth and fingers, after this, the information is then selected, organised and interpreted.  Therefore my own definition of perception is 'the way an individual person interprets the world, using their five senses.'  I think the task of making our own definition of perception was a good idea as it helped each of us to personally understand the meaning of it.

When I was researching perception, I found a couple of useful websites which helped explain perception;

http://www.ehow.com/about_6561090_consumer-perception-theory.html

http://www.consumerpsychologist.com/cb_Perception.html.

During the lecture we were also introduced to 'The Howard - Sheth Theory of Buyer Behaviour.' Lets be honest at first glance this model and the theory behind it did seem very complex, and honestly I was a bit scared by it.  However after it was explained clearly and I used thorough research (books and the Internet) it was actually quite simple to understand.  This model simply shows how during the consumer/buyer decision making process the perceptual process is addressed. An everyday example of this process could be; the decision of a consumer to buy a 'Mercedez Benz’ car.  A consumer may decide they need or want this product, they will then consider alternative cars, not necessarily a Mercedes, such as a Jaguar, or Porsche.  Then a decision will be made based on the competing alternatives as to what to purchase, such as the prices of the different cars and the quality.  Next the purchase of the car will be made, the consumer will then decide if they are satisfied and if they will purchase from the Mercedez' brand again.

There were many notes taken in this lecture (obviously), as I think it was a very interesting subject, the discussions in class helped us understand the subject and the activities gave us a chance to use the different theories. Yes, I have to admit understanding Perception was slightly difficult to begin with, but after the lecture,  I can certainly say I have learnt something new and interesting.

What a great start!

Goodbye Sevenoaks.... Hello High Wycombe!

So here I am. 

After 3 months of anticipation and excitement, I am finally here in my own room in High Wycombe and it has definitely lived up to my expectations!  Both the Hughenden halls and the Advertising management and digital communications course itself (try saying that when your drunk!). Come on lets be honest.. peeling onions (and drawing them) in one of my first lessons is certainly in my top ten things to do before I die. 

Anyway on a more serious note, it has been great meeting new people from all paths of life, especially socialising the night away when everyone is dressed in Togas!  I must admit that the night life in High Wycombe is not so great, but when you are gathered around people that are interesting and funny, that thought just doesn't seem to enter your mind.  The four weeks (nearly) that I've been here, have just seemed to have flown by without me even noticing, especially since I've been going home at weekends.. to work sadly.  The only problem I seem to have is that, I did think the travelling from home to uni was going to be a lot simpler! Getting on two trains, two underground tubes, a coach and a taxi just to get 63 miles isn't any one's idea of fun, but I must say I wouldn't have it any different.

Now moving away from the subject of partying! The course I'm on now, which I mentioned earlier, (Advertising Management and Digital Communications), is great.  Everyone in my class is so enthusiastic about the subject and all my lecturers are the same, very different from college I can tell you.  The different subjects are only just starting, but still I have a feeling that the next 3 years ahead of me, are going to be both tough and challenging, but also really enjoyable and possibly the best three years of my life.

So all I can say now is.... Bring on Week 5!