Perceptual Map

As can be seen on the perceptual map, the trend seems to be that unhealthy cereals are marketed to children, while "healthy" cereals are marketed towards adults. The children's cereals are designated as such because their packaging displays characters, mini games, etc. and bright colors that will appeal to children. Children tend to focus more on flavor than on health benefits of food, while adults are more likely to lean towards healthier choices, so it makes sense that the cereals designated as 'adult' should be healthier. Indeed, Special K and FiberOne are both brands that base a large portion of their marketing on their products' health benefits - lower sugar, more fiber, and lower calories, etc. draw in consumers who are concerned with their health or losing weight. The cereal that falls in the middle, Golden Grahams, is categorized as such because it does use the child-friendly colorful packaging discussed above, as well as mentioning health benefits to appeal to adults as well. Overall, Golden Grahams is not categorized as a healthy cereal because of its high sugar content.

Q1. Based on the perceptual map, which competitors are the most similar and dissimilar to your favorite brand in customers’ minds? Why? 
I believe that Corn Pops are less similar to the other cereals in the "children" category here. Marketing schemes do mention the health benefits of Corn Pops, and while the cereal is certainly a sugary treat marketed towards children, it is a sweetened corn cereal rather than fruit flavored, chocolate, etc.
Q2. Describe the two dimensions (axes) of the perceptual map that you generated. How would you label these dimensions? Explain specifically how you decide on the label of the Dimension I and Dimension II. How much of the variance does each dimension explain? What is the total variance explained by two dimensions? Do you think this is satisfactory? How would you increase the explained variation in perceptual maps? 
The two dimensions I used are adult/child and healthy/unhealthy. The adult category contains cereals that are marketed to, or appealing to adults, and the child category contains those that are more appealing to children, or clearly marketed to a younger age group. The healthy vs. unhealthy scale is simply based on which cereals give the impression of being a healthier product based on brand recognition, packaging, etc. I would like to increase the variance by including more dimensions, such as specifying between "actually healthy" and "perceived as healthy".
Q4. How do customers perceive the positioning of a brand among its competitors? On which attributes is this brand a stronger or a weaker competitor? Why?
Customers perceive the positioning of a brand among its competitors by what factors stand out. Does one children's cereal stand out as a healthy option or does one healthy cereal stand out as more child-friendly? Brands that are stronger competitors will stand out more in a greater variety of ways - a cereal using marketing tactics to appeal to children that can prove actual health benefits will be a very strong competitor, while a cereal that markets based on only one of these attributes will be a weaker competitor. The consumer does not want to research the product to find which is better based on minimal differences, so they will choose a product that stands out in obvious ways. Additionally, the products that are most in the center of a perceptual map (appeal to more groups of people) will probably see greater sales.



For background - there are three National Scenic Trails that are collectively known as the Triple Crown of long distance hiking. They are the Appalachian Trail (2189 miles), the Continental Divide Trail (3100 miles), and the Pacific Crest Trail (2650 miles). Each year, varying numbers of individuals will attempt to hike from one end to the other on each of these trails, but few will succeed. The Appalachian Trail is completed by the most people each year, with thousands of hikers starting and about 25% of these completing the trail (Appalachian Trail Conservancy, n.d.). The AT is less remote in many areas than the other two members of the Triple Crown, with easier access to water and resupply options. Because both the Pacific Crest Trail and the Continental Divide Trail traverse desert areas, it is more difficult for hikers to find water and resupply options.
My Google Map shows the proximity of major airports to the termini if the United States' triple crown of National Scenic Trails - The Appalachian Trail, Continental Divide Trail, and Pacific Crest Trail. The proximity of these airports shows which hubs should be allocating resources towards marketing to thru-hikers. While the Continental Divide Trail and Pacific Crest Trail serve smaller populations, thousands of individuals will attempt to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail every year, a significant market segment for smaller airports such as Bangor International. I chose this topic because I am an aspiring Triple Crown hiker - I'm starting my thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail this May, and plan to keep knocking one out every time I'm able until I've done all three!
The termini of the AT are Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mt. Katahdin in Maine, nearest to Atlanta Int'l Airport and Bangor Int'l Airport, respectively. The PCT stretches from the US/Mexico border in California all the way across the US/Canada border north of Washington, and the CDT traverses from Crazy Cook Monument in New Mexico to the US/Canada Border in Glacier National Park (MT). The travel plans of PCT and CDT hikers tend to vary more than those of AT hikers - since a smaller number of individuals will attempt these trails each year, there's less of a set way of doing things. I've shown on the map which airports are closest in each state, but some hikers do choose to fly into a neighboring state or travel via bus or train instead of flying. This map is meant merely to demonstrate which airports have a unique market segment that they should consider trying to appeal to.

1. The Appalachian Trail Conservancy. Thru Hiking. n.d., accessed 3/23/2018. http://www.appalachiantrail.org/home/explore-the-trail/thru-hiking