This paper presents the background thinking, needs identification, technology, and user issues that have led to the creation of a self‐authoring system for conjoint measurement appropriate to the food service industry. Self‐authoring systems allow the user to create the study, deploy it on the Internet, and collect the data, without the help of a professional researcher or programming expert. The technology uses conjoint measurement, and is embodied in an Internet ASP system (application service provider) called IdeaMap®.Net. The technology empowers the user to do conjoint analysis studies rapidly and cost‐effectively, and to solicit new ideas from the same respondents who participate. This paper demonstrates IdeaMap®.Net for food service issues, but the applications transcend particular issues and problems, finding applicability in a broad range of topics.

This paper presents the background thinking, needs identification, technology, and user issues that have led to the creation of a self‐authoring system for conjoint measurement appropriate to the food service industry. Self‐authoring systems allow the user to create the study, deploy it on the Internet, and collect the data, without the help of a professional researcher or programming expert. The technology uses conjoint measurement, and is embodied in an Internet ASP system (application service provider) called IdeaMap®.Net. The technology empowers the user to do conjoint analysis studies rapidly and cost‐effectively, and to solicit new ideas from the same respondents who participate. This paper demonstrates IdeaMap®.Net for food service issues, but the applications transcend particular issues and problems, finding applicability in a broad range of topics.

This paper assesses the impact of current QSR (quick service restaurant) messages on the Internet by conjoint analysis. The stimuli comprised 89 short phrases taken from the web communications of different QSR’s, along with 14 different visuals depicting generic situations (e.g. people) or actual products (e.g. burgers). A total of 1 942 respondents participated, with each respondent generating an additive model showing the utility value of each of the 103 concept elements. The results suggest the existence of at least four and possibly five segments of respondents. Two segments comprise individuals who like the basic idea of QSR’s but are either indifferent to, or actually hostile to many of the communications. A third segment comprises individuals interested in ambiance and entertainment; a fourth segment comprises individuals interested in health; and a fifth segment comprises individuals interested in the food, and authentic good taste. No single QSR appeals to all of the segments. The study suggests the need for different communications in order to appeal to the segmented populations, and shows the specific communication elements appealing most strongly to each segment.

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