SUBLIMINAL PERCEPTION The selective perception mechanisms require consumers’ active
engagement and thought. A topic that has fascinated armchair marketers for ages is subliminal
perception. They argue that marketers embed covert, subliminal messages in ads or packaging.
Consumers are not consciously aware of them, yet they affect behavior. Although it’s clear that
mental processes include many subtle subconscious effects,42 no evidence supports the notion that
marketers can systematically control consumers at that level, especially enough to change
moderately important or strongly held beliefs.43