What are the differences between perceptual, preference, and joint-space maps?

Perceptual maps help visualize the beliefs or attitudes that customers in a target segment have for the set of competing alternatives available to them.

This type of visualization can help in identifying “gaps in the market” where the firm’s products could potentially be positioned.

Preference maps help visualize customers’ preferences for the competing alternatives –e.g., the proportion of customers who prefer A to B, or B to C, or A to B & C, etc.

Such maps can help identify “the market in a gap” (i.e., whether the firm’s product would garner enough sales if positioned in a gap).

Joint-space maps help jointly visualize both perceptions and preferences and enable marketers to identify the valuable gaps in the market where their products could potentially be positioned.