Perception Management That We Ignore
Manipulations are perhaps the greatest perception management we have ever experienced without realizing it. I wonder if we are aware of this guidance that is beyond our control enough to affect our lifestyle?
The purpose of perception management, which was first developed by the American army, was to try to direct people’s perceptions of the state and communities in a certain direction. Another definition is that the ideology that is tried to be accepted is imposed on societies and creates psychological warfare.
Perception management in marketing
Nowadays, when it was realized that this tactic worked, it started to be used in companies, politics and communication tools such as social media. From an ordinary company to the largest states and companies in the world, everyone has started to get their share of perception management. Especially the marketing side, which is the promotional face of the brand to the world. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that through perception management, the company tries to present its product or service as if it is what people need.
The corporate side of perception management
Perception management is the most preferred method for institutions to have a positive impact on people. If there is a negative image, it is to turn it into a positive one. Because the main purpose of this method is to change people’s emotions in their favor. It is to analyze what reactions and emotions it evokes in people while preserving the created image. For this reason, perception management can be used for good or bad. How it will be used varies depending on its purpose.
So, Why Do We Continue to Be Under the Effect of Manipulations?
One of the biggest reasons for this is that we lack the ability to question what is imposed on us. In particular, believing information or news we read without verifying its accuracy and even causing this information to spread causes these manipulations to grow like an avalanche. Nowadays, social media can be considered the biggest tool of these manipulations.
Recently, social media tools have frequently come to the fore with social movements. In this respect, it can be said to be a large communication network that makes it easy for people to organize with each other. However, unlike other communication tools, social media is open to all interactions, which paves the way for it to become a tool that can be easily manipulated and diverted from its purpose. This situation causes the control of the social movement to weaken. Because the information flow is processed incorrectly.
In the 2018 US presidential elections, it was claimed that Facebook used data on users’ political views in favor of Trump. It was said that users’ political opinions were manipulated through propaganda. What actually happened here was to create a political advertising model in his favor by accessing people’s data. After all, those who manage instantaneous information flows also manage perceptions.
Even though what was done was unethical, unfortunately we encounter many similar incidents today. Our duty is to be cautious, approach the information we read or hear with skepticism and investigate its authenticity. Maybe this way we can prevent manipulations.
