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Strategic business solutions through sensory insights |
G. V. CIVILLE, Sensory Spectrum Inc., 24 Washington Ave., Chatham, NJ 07928 In the past, Sensory Evaluation reacted to product development, marketing and operations. This is not enough in today’s market. Traditional methods remain solid tools for uncovering product and consumer understanding. Sensory scientists can add insight to their reports on testing results. Providing insights to the larger organization about products and consumers drives the business and assures that the products in the pipeline are delivering customer satisfaction. Courage in the application and interpretation of core sensory methods and statistics is essential for getting the most out of the allocated research time and money. In addition, techniques from anthropology and other behavioral sciences provide depth and insight into the unspoken motivation and emotions that trigger different acceptance and purchase responses from various segments of the population. Case studies demonstrate the profound influence of sensory data, information and insights on decisions. Sensory can and does drive projects forward and by offering better ways to make corporate decisions. The first case study demonstrates the core information available from detailed category benchmarking. Inexpensive information is readily available in the marketplace – the answer is in the samples. The second case study suggests that often, sensory data is more discriminating than instrumental data and is preferred for patents and advertising claims; – objective and sensory are not opposites. Creative ideas for new product development evolve from a cross functional team that derives its ‘data’ from a walk through New York City on a search for the great food experience. Finally, a simple twist in the data analysis permits uncovering sensory derived segments. Categories of products are driven by the sensory attributes. These attributes are the taste preferences of certain groups of consumers. Again, sensory evaluation influences business decisions and ensures product success through understanding and linking consumers and products.
Session 39, Using sensory science to make actionable business decisions
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