There's a fine line between perception and reality. An individual may possess core beliefs that are less likely to change from how s/he perceives issues and people. As creatures of habit, we tend to trust family, friends and some colleagues and far fewer outside the proverbial "circle of trust."

In the latest WebProNews posting In Marketing, Perception Is Everything, author Jason Lee Miller breaks down that relationship by focusing on the influence of marketing and branding. The trust factor, that is who we trust and listen to, seeps into our daily decisions, everything from the products we buy to the restaurants we visit. As Miller points out, association and perception both play an important role in those decisions. A consumer may lean more toward a better known brand because of the association with that product's quality or reliability.

For example, my wife drives a Toyota Matrix and I stick with the Subaru Legacy. While there may be better cars out there (though we like to think not), we associate with those brands positively, based mostly on experience, and therefore seek out those models when it's time to shop around.

But, how much are those decisions manipulated by our perceptions (e.g. Subaru's "Always ready." campaign)? Just check out consumer reports and there are plenty other vehicles that rate higher in safety and performance. It all ties back to Miller's basic point about how consumers associate with brands. After all, as the adage goes, perception is reality.