Mass producing and marketing cost a lot of time and money. Knowing how well the consumer will respond to or recognize a product prior to mass production and marketing is a good indicator of the product or service’s success.
Determining the feasibility of whether a product or service will be acceptable to the consumer requires tests, surveys, pretests and even prototypes. The result of this research is called consumer acceptability.
When a consumer thinks of peanut butter, for example, what product or brand do they most think of? Acceptability of a particular brand depends on price, taste, distribution, advertising effects, availability, performance and customer service.
The goal of a mass producer or service provider is to ensure that their brand stands out and becomes the consumer’s preferred choice. An evoked set is a subconscious set of brands known to the consumer. Within an evoked set, there’s an inert set, which are brands the consumer considers so-so; and an inept set which are brands considered unacceptable by consumers. Companies and advertisers use strategies from these sets to get consumers to change their minds and to make their product or service the preferred option.
