From sensory marketing to sensory design: How to drive formulation using consumers’ input? (original) (raw)
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Consumer Behaviour w.r.t. Innovative Sensory Marketing Strategies
ABSTRACT: Researchers have suggested that marketers should incorporate as many senses as possible in order for sensory marketing to be effective. To investigate the influence of selected senses – sight, sound and smell – on consumers‟ experience, specifically in terms of the tastiness of brandy. Even though the use of the senses such as sight, sound and smell is a popular sensory marketing tool in the field of experiential marketing, applying such marketing techniques is a challenging and costly exercise for marketers, and researchers have called for more studies on senses and consumer experience. A full factorial laboratory experiment (2 x 2 x 2) conducted where 240 spirits consumers indicated the tastiness of a brandy sample under certain conditions. Results revealed that, within a laboratory setting, consumers recorded lower levels of tastiness under conditions where more senses manipulated than in conditions where less senses manipulated. The results of the study coincided with previous results, which indicated that, within certain product categories, sensory marketing could actually decrease the consumer‟s experience as sensory overload could occur. In the endeavour to reduce possible sensory overload in the alcohol industry, the findings suggest that marketers should not apply sensory marketing indiscriminately to all product categories. For example, on a retail level, where experimental marketing might be too costly or even too complex to apply to some product categories, marketers should rather rethink the use of sensory marketing strategies within certain industries and focus on other marketing strategies, such a brand building.
The Role of Sensory Marketing in Product Innovation
Innovation Management, Entrepreneurship and Sustainability (IMES 2017), 2017
The recently established field of sensory marketing attributes its existence to customer demand for sensational experiences, among other things. Consequently, scent is acknowledged as an effective form of communication of the brand. This study focuses on olfaction, comparing consumer behaviour between scented and odourless products, aiming to address the question of how scent impacts the consumers’ experience, offering recommendations to companies with regards to scented products. The study is relevant to all the enterprises that manufacture or develop their own product. The SME´s can benefit through understanding the importance of scent and empirical insights about how scent impacts consumer´s experience.Design/methodology/approach: A Qualitative study has been conducted through the collection of primary data using two types of questionnaires, a-priori and posteriori of a tested product distributed to 100 participants with 89 % response rate which provides a sufficient basis for a good overview of many possible effects of scent. A subsequent stage of the investigation involved ten in-depth interviews which expanded on the subject. The study has been conducted over two months (March to May) at the University of South Wales in 2015. The participants were randomly selected students and staff of the university. All age categories and ethnicities were represented.Findings: The results indicate enhanced (a) quality perception when the product is scented, (b) semantic associations with the scented product, (c) multi-modality of senses e.g. scent increases the desire to touch, (d) impact of scent on preference where the decision is not impaired by other factors such as availability or price and e) perceived favourability towards a hypothetical brand behind the scented product in some cases. However, where price was a parameter, the scent did not have an effect; presumably as aspects such as price and brand loyalty overshadow sensory aspects.Research/practical implications: It is preferable to increase the range of products that stimulate consumers’ senses. On the contrary, the cost is a determinant factor to consider before launching the product on the market as the price sensitivity can be quite high. The recommendation for companies is to diversify the portfolio and position scented products as more luxurious. Moreover, other sensory characteristics such as colour could be used in order to differentiate the purpose of the same product and facilitate multiple purchases. Other themes emerged such as the role of environmental aspects might be in some cases more important than the functional aspects.Originality/value: This paper offers comprehensive overview of possible effects of scent on consumer experience. The study further indicates how scented products should be positioned and incorporated in brand portfolio.
Innovation development is a fundamental condition for companies to hold their positions in intensified market competition, to stabilise sales, to contribute to a company’s growth, and to reduce risks through diversification. There are many examples in prior literature of the importance of sensory analysis in terms of designing, testing, launching, and rethinking food products. When these tools are conceived of not only as a unique and isolated science but also jointly with other fields in marketing research, the interdisciplinary approach increases the potential and efficiency of research and development. Product innovation can be instrumental for firms that want to respond to changes in the business environment and be market oriented. Thus, after having demonstrated the importance of the “House of Quality” and “Buyer Utility Map,” as well as their application to the innovation process, this chapter underlines the usefulness of adopting multiple methods and interdisciplinary approaches, with the support of background information and the use of the latest research in the field of consumer science.
Product’s sensory characterization and study of preference using paired comparison approach
2016
Usually, the products’ sensory characterization is performed by a trained panel of judges. However, we suggest to establish the sensory profile of products using a panel of consumers and also to study their preferences, using paired comparison experiments. The application concerns 6 apple juices evaluated by 90 consumers in paired comparison for sensory profile and preferences. All the results are obtained in the framework of Bradley-Terry-Luce model. Using a latent class approach for preference data, it’s possible to segment the consumers’ panel in two homogeneous classes. The relations between preferences and sensory profiles are also presented.