Perceptual Map

What is a Perceptual Map?

A perceptual map is a visual representation of the perceptions of customers or potential customers about specific attributes of an organization, brand, product, service, or idea. 

This diagrammatic technique (perceptual mapping) asks participants to place products relative to one another along 2 or more axis. 

The resulting map shows how consumers see the strengths of competing products in a particular market.

Perceptual maps are also referred to as position maps and market maps. Examples include:

  • Quality vs Price
  • Functionality vs Price
  • Healthiness vs Tastiness
  • Price vs Performance
  • Price vs Safety & Reliability
Tips on how to make a perceptual map for your brand.

Why Create a Perceptual Map?

Understanding what your customers think about you and your competitors is crucial to your success. A perceptual map helps organizations to:

  • Understand the thoughts and behaviors of consumers.
  • Gain insight into their competition.
  • Track market trends.
  • Identify gaps in the market.

Use it for:

  • Environmental scanning prior to planning.
  • Developing marketing, branding, and positioning strategies.
  • Informing product and service development initiatives.
  • Tracking the performance of new products.
  • Identifying the extent of damage to products on the decline.
  • Regular reviews to determine market changes and new trends.

Who Should you Use Perceptual Maps?

Perceptual maps are useful for any organization that wants to identify gaps in the market, monitor their own products, or look for potential partners or takeover/merger targets.

Perceptual Map Template

The most common format for a perceptual map template is a two-dimensional chart where the horizontal and vertical axes represent different attributes that you rate on a scale e.g., Low to High. The map is straightforward and simple to construct and interpret.

Examples of attributes used on a perceptual map template include: price, quality, performance, packaging, size, features, safety and reliability.

Perceptual Map

How to Create a Perceptual Map

Assemble a group of consumers or across a range of relevant demographics. The quality of the outcomes is dependent on the insight of the participants, and a diverse group helps to gain a better insight into the market.

Gathering a large group in one location can be expensive and difficult to coordinate. Using an online collaborative tool such as Groupmap enables facilitators to engage consumers in different places at different times and effortlessly combine the results to get an overview.

There are 3 general steps in perceptual mapping. The time required to complete the map will vary on the size of the group, and the focus of the session. However, there is no reason why the map can’t be completed in less than 20 minutes. Development of a comprehensive plan in response to the map will require further effort.

Set Dimensions

Define the attribute dimensions on the perceptual map template.

Brainstorm

Gather products from a group of consumers.

Position

Position products on the perceptual map template.

Share

Report on the outcomes and monitor as part of your strategy.

Cross Device Compatibility

Save effort, time and money with GroupMap

Whether you have your best minds together in the same room, or distributed around the world, GroupMap’s unique technology allows groups of up to 2000 to submit ideas independently at separate times, from different places, in different timezones. Prevent dominant personalities swaying the group, drowning out the opinions of others – GroupMap allows everyone to brainstorm independently then effortlessly combines that information to reveal the full spectrum of ideas. GroupMap templates keep the objective front and center throughout the session, keeping everyone on task. This ensures the activity identifies actionable issues rather than becoming just a discussion on ideas. GroupMap gives you all the group decision making tools you need to prioritize, decide and take action.

Create your first map and invite people in to start sharing their thoughts right NOW. Experience the power of GroupMap with our 14-day, no risk, FREE trial. You don’t even need to provide your credit card details to access to all of our features, including the entire suite of templates, for a full 14 days.