Consumer Behavior- 2015 - Prof. Rajesh Satpathy

GESTALT PSYCHOLOGY AND THE IMPLICATION ON MARKETERS

Gestalt theory originated in Austria and Germany as a reactionagainst the associationist and structural schools’ atomisticorientation (an approach which fragmented experience intodistinct and unrelated elements).

Gestalt studies made use instead of phenomenology.

GESTALT PSYCHOLOGY AND THE IMPLICATION ON MARKETERS

What is phenomenology ?

Phenomenology is the study of structures of consciousness asexperienced from the first-person point of view, because it is anexperience of or about some object.

Examples: Places & Products Experiences

GESTALT PSYCHOLOGY AND THE IMPLICATION ON MARKETERS

This method, with a tradition going back to Johann Wolfgang vonGoethe, involves nothing more than the description of directpsychological experience, with no restrictions on what ispermissible in the description.

Gestalt psychology was in part an attempt to add a humanisticdimension to what was considered a sterile approach to thescientific study of mental life.

Gestalt psychology further sought to encompass the qualities ofform, meaning, and value that prevailing psychologists had eitherignored or presumed to fall outside the boundaries of science.

GESTALT PSYCHOLOGY AND THE IMPLICATION ON MARKETERS

The concept specifies, As the motion is perceived, the observer’snervous system and experience do not passively register thephysical input in a piecemeal way.

The Gestalt approach to problems in other areas of perception,problem solving, learning, and thinking. The Gestalt principles werelater applied to motivation, social psychology, and personality andto aesthetics and economic behaviour. Gestalt concepts could alsobe used to shed light on problems in ethics, political behaviour, andthe nature of truth.

GESTALT PSYCHOLOGY AND THE IMPLICATION ON MARKETERS

The individual develops a persistent and deep rooted way ofperceiving, thinking and believing.

Psychologist Vernon put forward this statement in 1955, it means,that we set our brain in our ways.

Our brain learns how to process a piece of information, or view animage in a certain way and from then on uses that 'learning style‘.

However, it seems apparent that this can be distorted-bypresenting the brain with different types of information, differentperceptions can be formed.

First meet with Worlds’ most Powerful Man

- An Adult

First meet with Worlds’ most Powerful Man

- A Kid

GESTALT PSYCHOLOGY AND THE IMPLICATION ON MARKETERS

As humans in the modern world of 2015, we are all presented withover three-thousand advertisements every day, our brain registersevery one, but only recognizes about five percent of them.

The trick as an advertiser is to produce an advertisement for aclient that a consumer will not only recognize, but store in theirbrains and hopefully go on to buy the product in the market place.

GESTALT PSYCHOLOGY AND THE IMPLICATION ON MARKETERS

Another form of psychology the Gestalt Psychology, which wasproduced in a school of thought by a number of leadingpsychologists suggests that there are four ways that the brain canbe 'tricked' into believing different things…

1. Figure and ground: this is the 'central element' which capturesour attention. A contrasting background will capture our attentionmore. In an advertisement, we must decide what we want thecustomer to really focus upon-it would be pointless to have afantastic advert with lots of scenery and beautiful images if thecustomer never really remembers what is being advertised!

Honda Cog Commercial

GESTALT PSYCHOLOGY AND THE IMPLICATION ON MARKETERS

Another form of psychology the Gestalt Psychology, which wasproduced in a school of thought by a number of leadingpsychologists suggests that there are four ways that the brain canbe 'tricked' into believing different things…

1. Figure and ground: this is the 'central element' which capturesour attention. A contrasting background will capture our attentionmore. In an advertisement, we must decide what we want thecustomer to really focus upon-it would be pointless to have afantastic advert with lots of scenery and beautiful images if thecustomer never really remembers what is being advertised!

Honda Cog Commercial

Build Beautiful- Ultratech Cements, Air France

GESTALT PSYCHOLOGY AND THE IMPLICATION ON MARKETERS

2. Grouping: we tend to group similar objects together if they sharesimilar characteristics, so-does the product in the advertisementrelate to anything famous that a customer would be likely toremember?

Perhaps another way of doing this would be to include a famousface in your advertisement- if people see or remember the famousface in the future they may automatically link it to your product.

L'Oreal , Adidas by Sachin

GESTALT PSYCHOLOGY AND THE IMPLICATION ON MARKETERS

3. Closure: An example of this is if our brain sees an incomplete picture or piece of information it will fill in the gaps. In the case of quite well established brands, it could be a good idea to produce part of the information about the product in the advertisement and the consumer would fill in the rest, therefore making it stick in their mind.

However, it would be important in this case not to slip up and provide the consumer with too little information-this could make them move on and not remember your advertisement at all.

Scotch-Brite® Scrub Pad with Stain Cutters

GESTALT PSYCHOLOGY AND THE IMPLICATION ON MARKETERS

4. Stimulus Ambiguity: this is a picture or a piece of informationthat does not correspond to an immediately recognizable shape orform. In this case of advertising, one could produce a strangelooking picture which would catch the consumer's eye and relate itto their product.

The brand Police have used David Beckham in their advertisementin the hope that their customers will associate him with theproduct and want to buy it.

Kerala Tourism Your Moment is Waiting, Airtel (India) - Endless Goodbye

Thank You!