Measuring sensory and marketing influences on consumers' choices among food and beverage product brands

Abstract

Advance in food science depends on measuring the factors in human perception that influence eaters' activities with branded products. Assessed samples must include at least two levels of a sensed material characteristic (e.g. sucrose) or conceptual marketing attribute (e.g. "low fat"), minimally confounded by other features. Each feature needs to be measured for its effect on the individual's objective achievement of choosing among the samples for a familiar context of use. These influences interact, consciously and unconsciously. This theory of how a mind works has generated a wide range of scientifically illuminating and commercially practical examples, illustrated in this review.

“I Like it!” Preference Actions Separated from Hedonic Reactions

“…The use of a verbal concept may improve sensitivity to a sensed factor if that concept provides a good description, but it could worsen sensitivity if another verbal concept works better for that panelist (Booth , Booth et al . , Booth and Freeman ).…”

“…, Booth et al . , Booth ). Hence, one of the most practical and precise response formats runs from zero (0), though 1, 2, 3 and so on, to a high single‐digit integer.…”

Scientific Measurement of Sensory Preferences Using Stimulus Tetrads

“… Tetrads of Salt in Bread, with Each Sample Rated for Distance from Personally Most Preferred Saltiness Notes: Raw data from Anne L. Thompson's BSc project report, summarized in Booth et al . () and Booth (). Each graph shows the four data points (x) from one assessor in each graph for one of four selected tetrads, three of which included two samples of 0.54 g NaCl/100 g bread (%) and two samples of 0.89, 1.5 or 2.5%.…”

“…Nevertheless, there was no reliable difference in panel means between the regression slopes below and above optimum (Conner and Booth ). Subsequent work used folded responses from just right to just wrong (see Booth ).…”

“…This is because each factor forms its own discrimination hyperbola. The ideal or the tolerance range can therefore be extracted for each factor for application to the whole product or brand (for examples, see Booth ).…”