Perception Experiment

BACK TO PERCEPTION. . . . .

For this section we will see the effectiveness of perception, and the reputation it can give to a brand. I will now be testing successful brand Smirn off vodka, investigating the influence of perception in comparison to a Sainsbury’s own. I am hoping I will be able to prove that consumers are massively influenced by advertising, and purchase a product because of its brand, not necessarily because of its quality. I want to prove that marketing can create a positive brand perception, which consumers want to buy into.

My Experiment

Please view table below in relation to individuals tested:

Male Female

Under 21 5 5
Over 30 5 5

Step 1

I will start by showing 20 individuals two different bottles of vodka:

1st bottle – Sainsbury’s basics Vodka – £7.48 – 37.5%
2nd bottle – Smirnoff’s Vodka 1ltr - £15.00 - 37.5%


I will then ask each person which vodka they would prefer – they will write there answer, with their name, on the provided sheet.

Step 2

The next stage will involve testing the vodkas. I will pore 10ml of vodka in two separate glasses, label glass 1 and Glass2, obviously making sure measures are exact throughout. I will not let anyone see which vodka is in each glass, and ask all 20 to test both. I will then once again ask them to write down which drink they preferred.

On the outset all 20 people agreed that in comparison to Sainsbury’s own, they would all prefer Smirnoff’s. To question whether this decision was based on taste I blind-fold tested each of them. So with two separate glasses filled with two separate vodkas we began. The results disagreed with their first answers, showing 13 out of 20 preferences towards Sainsbury’s own.

Check out the advert below, showing how perception can trick you . . . . .