How to Format a Perceptual Map

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Formatting Your Perceptual Map

Let’s have a look at how to reformat your perceptual map. To help you get started, the free template already produces four different designs – so you can pick and choose the map that best suits your presentation needs. You can review the designs here: Four Perceptual Map Designs

Don’t have the free Excel perceptual map tool yet? Take me to the download page: Free Download of the Perceptual Map Template

Formatting Tips

If you want to modify and redesign the perceptual map in the Excel template, then please follow these redesign instructions.

To Remove Gridlines

Click on the map and click the big plus button (+) to the right. A new menu pops up – and then deselect gridlines, as per the image below.

To Change Colors of the Circles/Bubbles

To change ALL circles/bubble to the same color, click on any bubble ONCE. To change the color of ONE circle/bubble only, click on that bubble TWICE.

This will bring the Format Data Point menu to the right hand side. Click the paint can icon, then Solid Fill (or other choice), then select your required color – as per the below image.

To Change Bubble/Circle Sizes

If you want to adjust relative sizes – then use the Circle Size input (Step 6 on the template on the INPUT YOUR DATA tab).

However, if you want to make ALL bubbles bigger or smaller, then you need to:

  • Click on any circle top highlight it
  • Right click to bring up the ‘Format Data Series’ menu
  • In the menu (pops up to the right), enter a value in ‘Scale bubble size’

Note: You may want to have different circle/bubble sizes to reflect:

  • The brand’s market share
  • To highlight your brand
  • The current versus prior position of the brands

To Add Market Segments

A quite effective way of understanding product positioning is by placing the brands AND the preferred needs of the various market segments onto the same perceptual maps.

This type of map is known as a joint space perceptual map, because brands and market needs are jointly shown in the same map – and there is an example of this type of map below.

To create a joint space map, enter the ideal consumer preference score (for each attribute) the same way that you would enter a brand, but instead, label it as a market segment -0 see below, segments = S1, S2, etc.

 

To Show Repositioning (or Time Changes) on a Perceptual Map

This Excel template can very useful for showing how brands have been (or are planned to be) repositioned, as shown in the following example perceptual map for fast food.

To set up a repositioning style map, firstly enter brand with a time code (e.g. ‘Before’, ‘Last Year’) – this will produce the circles on the map as usual.

Then click on the map to select it – then insert an arrow shape onto the map – and then drag it to the required position, as shown in the following map.

Need Mapping Help?

I hope that you find the spreadsheet templates easy to use, as well as being a big time-saver. If you have any questions, you can email me.

Or I can design a template for you – email me for a quote. Email = geoff@perceptualmaps.com

MORE PERCEPTUAL MAPS INFORMATION

About The Author

Geoff is a highly experienced marketing lecturer, a published textbook author, and has had an extensive corporate career in marketing. He has taught marketing at all levels for more than 20 years across ten different Australian universities, and has held senior marketing roles at six firms, primarily in the financial services sector.
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