Rapid, inexpensive, actionable concept generation and optimization: the use and promise of self‐authoring conjoint analysis for the food service industry

Abstract

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.

Testing consumer perception of nutrient content claims using conjoint analysis

“…The thirty-six elements were sampled in such a way that a test message never contained two elements of the same type that might be contradictory. For example, a test message could not simultaneously include such statements as: 'This product is a good source of protein' (A1) and 'This product is an excellent source of protein' (A2) (10) . Composite test messages (n 48) were then created using two, three or four elements each (11) .…”

“…All thirty-six elements were randomly permuted, independently of each other (12) . Each element appeared exactly three times in each set of forty-eight test messages (10) , allowing us to observe how different elements influenced the response to the test message by each respondent. Different permutations of message elements were tested across multiple respondents, with each respondent providing forty-eight different ratings.…”

“…Panellists were not permitted to parse the message into its components, and had to assign a rapid overall rating to each particular combination of concept elements. Although such panels may begin the task by reading and responding to each element in a message, they soon adopt a holistic attitude, inspecting the concept and quickly integrating the information to provide their rating (10) . One advantage of within-subject design and conjoint analysis is that the rules underlying the response need not be articulated by the respondent and indeed often cannot be.…”

The applications of conjoint analysis and their possible uses in Sensometrics

“…One of a number of methods is known as IdeaMapR.Net TM (Moskowitz et al, 2001). This method exemplifies a group of Internet-based procedures known as ASPÕs (application service providers).…”

From psychophysics to the world… data acquired, lessons learned

“…The computer and the Internet would do the rest. One could run 1000 observers in one six hour period, and have the data fully tabulated by total, key subgroups and even concept response segments ((Moskowitz et al, 2001).). The results would be available the next morning at 5 AM.…”