Why use perceptual mapping?

There are many reasons why a firm would undertake perceptual mapping, the following table lists a number of these reasons.

Reason	Benefits of Perceptual Maps
Check reality	To see how the target consumers actually perceive the various offerings and positions
Impact of campaigns	To measure/track the impact of recent marketing campaigns and any other marketing mix changes
Monitor new products	To identify how well any new products have been positioned into the market
Monitor competition	To monitor the impact of various competitive offerings over time
Look for gaps	To assist the company identify market gap, as an input into the new product development process
Understand segments	To provide information that will help further understand different market segments
Track preference changes	To track any changes in consumer preferences (and other environmental factors) over time