Evaluation of consumer perception dynamics
Over the last decade, so-called rapid methods for sensory evaluation have been developed to permit consumers to characterize products. The possibility to analyze both sensory perception data and hedonic and other data arising from the same consumers presents new opportunities, but also new challenges to investigate hedonic drivers and other interesting aspects. Conventionally, trained (and often small) panels have been used to measure the dynamic properties of products. But such a small group of trained assessors cannot be representative of the diverse experiences of a broad population of consumers. What benefits can be derived from having dynamic perception data from consumers, and being able to link this data to product liking and other data from the same consumers?
Recently, methods have been developed to allow consumers to characterize products dynamically. Measurement has focused on three aspects: (i) characterization of products according to sensory attributes, (ii) characterization of products according to emotional response, and (iii) characterization of products according to hedonic response. The benefit in obtaining information regarding dynamic perception from consumers is the ability to examine data to determine how the product is perceived by the actual users of the product. It also gives the opportunity to link consumer dynamic perception data to other data of interest, such as liking and purchase behaviour. This may require more advanced statistical methods than analyzing each dataset by itself. How should we design such studies, what kind of data should be recorded, and how should it be analyzed jointly?
The workshop will begin with a brief introduction to methods used to capture the dynamic product properties from consumers, and how data from these methods are combined to learn more about the products being evaluated. Challenges and solutions with temporal data collection and combining data from different methods will be discussed in facilitated discussion in smaller groups. Discussion facilitators will join a panel discussion, and significant amount of time will be allocated for discussion among panel discussants and the audience. The ultimate goal of the workshop is to jointly generate a better understanding of the methods, factors influencing their applicability for particular business objectives, and how the data from the methods can be combined to develop a deeper understanding of the products being evaluated.
Castura, J. C., Meyners, M., Aldredge, T., Delarue, J., Jager, G., Methven, L., Monteleone, E., Pineau, N., Tárrega, A., & Varela, P. (2016). Evaluation of consumer perception dynamics. 7th European Conference on Sensory and Consumer Research. 11-14 September. Dijon, France.