And Americans do this better than anybody else. They know that the overtones and relationships a product creates in the minds of their children are as much a part of the product as the packaging. And as influential in the buying process. The fact is, consumer perception is everything. And companies who ignore or discount this reality do so at their own peril.
Perceptions are like weather systems.
The trick is to anticipate and prepare for them ahead of time rather than to ignore and deal with them after the fact. Perceptions are dynamisms that are always waiting to occur. They happen fast and emerge from a social and ethical back drop that greatly influences the acceptance of a product or service and the company that introduces it. Perceptions once formed are often tough, though not impossible, to change. They become guiding beliefs that turn rigid and tend to last.