A discussion of recent methodologies for combining sensory and extrinsic product properties in consumer studies

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2016.03.015Get rights and content

Highlights

  • Interaction of sensory and extrinsic food attributes affect consumers’ preferences.

  • Discussion of methods combining sensory and extrinsic food attributes.

  • Descriptions, objectives, advantages, drawbacks and applications for each method are examined.

  • Industrial challenges and future research needs are discussed.

Abstract

Understanding the interaction of sensory and extrinsic product attributes in consumer preferences has been identified as one of the key pillars for raising the likelihood of food products’ success in the market. Over the course of the last decade there has been increased attention on research emphasizing a combination of these food-choice driving parameters. This paper discusses progress made in the field focusing on three groups of methods: (i) conjoint hedonic methods (ii) “classic” hedonic testing and (iii) alternative descriptive approaches. For each method a description of the methodology in question, its objectives, advantages, drawbacks and applications are examined. Industrial challenges and future research needs are discussed.

Introduction

New food product development (NFPD) plays a crucial role for modern food industry (Kemp, 2013, Lesschaeve and Bruwer, 2010). Despite this, new food products entering the supermarket shelves every year have a high failure rate (Costa and Jongen, 2006, Grunert, 2007) resulting in substantial costs and missed opportunities for food industries (Kemp, 2013). There are various drivers underlying this high failure rate such as the low rate of investment in research and development (R&D) activities (Winger & Wall, 2006) and the lack of proper incorporation of consumer voices in the new food product development (NFPD) process (Dijksterhuis, 2016, Grunert et al., 2010, Kemp, 2013, Van Kleef and van Trijp, 2007). An important aspect of the latter is that food innovators in general have relied more on experts than on consumers (Olsen, 2015). For example, in the past consumer food scientists have had a tendency to focus more on trained sensory panelists’ evaluation than consumer tests. Notwithstanding the above, during the past decades the incorporation of consumer voices in NFPD process through consumer tests and opinions has gained in significance in the food consumer science (Meulenberg, 1997, Moskowitz, 2000, Olsen, 2015, Steenkamp and Van Trijp, 1996). However, even though incorporating the voice of the consumer into the NFPD process is important, previous studies investigating the food quality perception and food choice process conclude that the process is very complicated (Bernués et al., 2003, Grunert, 2005, Köster, 2009). A large number of different scientific disciplines (like biology, physiology, psychology, sociology, sensory, consumer and food science, marketing and economics) are involved. Many different factors interact to form consumers’ perception and preferences. In this paper, we focus specifically on product related characteristics and how to measure the interaction between them.

Food product characteristics can be separated in two main groups: intrinsic and extrinsic attributes. Intrinsic attributes are product attributes which cannot be changed or experimentally manipulated without also changing the physical characteristics of the product itself (Olson & Jacoby, 1972). Examples of intrinsic attributes are sensory properties (e.g. taste, appearance, texture, etc.), chemical and physical properties of food, such as the product composition (e.g. ingredients) (Grunert, 2002, Olson and Jacoby, 1972). Sensory attributes are also considered experience attributes (Marreiros & Ness, 2009) because consumers have to experience them directly to assess their products’ evaluation (i.e. taste a product). Intrinsic attributes play a crucial role in consumers’ product appraisal (De Pelsmaeker et al., 2013, Piqueras-Fiszman, 2012, Tuorila and Pangborn, 1988), which again affects consumers’ preferences and choices. In this paper we focus on methodology related to sensory attributes.

Extrinsic attributes are product-related attributes which are not a part of the physical product, thus they can be changed without altering the physical product characteristics (Olson & Jacoby, 1972). Examples of extrinsic attributes that can significantly influence consumers in their choices are brand, price, package-layout and health claims (Jaeger, 2006, Lähteenmäki, 2013). Some of these extrinsic attributes (like price, layout, brand) can easily be evaluated during shopping, while others are unobservable (like health/sustainability claims) and must be believed (Fernqvist and Ekelund, 2014, Northen, 2000).

Many studies (De Pelsmaeker et al., 2013, Endrizzi et al., 2015, Grunert, 2015, Hoppert et al., 2012, Loebnitz et al., 2015) show the key role of interactions of intrinsic and extrinsic attributes in affecting consumers’ preference. Varela, Ares, Giménez, and Gámbaro (2010) found that the provision of brand and package information has a substantial impact on consumers’ hedonic liking for orange-flavoured powdered drinks.

Thus, research that combines both intrinsic (sensory) and extrinsic factors makes it possible to obtain more complete and realistic information about consumer behaviour in real life buying and eating situations (Köster, 2009, Simeone and Marotta, 2010).

Both product developers and marketers can benefit from interactive consumer methodologies, but in different ways. First, it is possible to acquire more reliable information about which specific levels of the product attributes are preferred (De Pelsmaeker et al., 2013, Menichelli et al., 2012). Second, the identification of the main drivers of consumer choice (Næs, Brockhoff, & Tomic, 2010) can be done in a more realistic way. Third, it is possible to speed up the NFPD process by for example including sensory and marketing tests jointly instead of conducting separate consumer tests. Fourth, more accurate information about individual differences can be achieved.

One of the most problematic points that emerges when combining sensory and extrinsic food attributes is the fact that these attributes usually involve different functional areas or departments within the food industry, such as product development, packaging and marketing (De Pelsmaeker et al., 2013, Jacobsen et al., 2014, Piqueras-Fiszman, 2012). One of the key criticisms of sensory tests is that translation into concrete marketing strategies is difficult (De Pelsmaeker et al., 2013, Jacobsen et al., 2014). This is partly due to the general absence of a common language and culture. Thus, it is of crucial importance to improve internal communication among the different functional areas involved in the NFPD process (Jacobsen et al., 2014) as well as to develop a methodological framework that includes the concerns about R&D, packaging, marketing and sensory departments that can be of use to collaborate more efficiently and in turn save time and money.

This paper is a discussion of the latest methodological developments combining sensory and extrinsic food product characteristics in consumer research, and their potential industrial applications, as well as future research needs. The previous discussions and reviews of methodologies on this type of consumer research were published more than five years ago (Simeone and Marotta, 2010, Van Kleef, 2006, Van Kleef and van Trijp, 2007, Van Kleef et al., 2005). No discussion and review of methodologies that specifically combine intrinsic and extrinsic food attributes were found at the time of writing this paper, the closest being the paper by Varela and Ares (2012) which reviewed some alternative descriptive techniques which can also be used to include the combination of intrinsic and extrinsic attributes. After the introduction section, we will discuss the latest methodological developments combining both sensory and extrinsic attributes, listing each method’s objectives, advantages, drawbacks and applications. We will then conclude with a discussion of industrial challenges and future research needs in this area.

Section snippets

Latest developments of methodologies combining intrinsic and extrinsic food attributes

We identified three categories of methods which combine intrinsic and extrinsic attributes: conjoint hedonic methods; “classic” hedonic testing; and alternative descriptive approaches (Table 1). However, in some cases overlaps among the different categories were found.

Industry challenges

The development and the adoption of the methodologies discussed here within the food industry should be facilitated by taking into account several elements (Dijksterhuis, 2016). First, the conduction of consumer tests can be very expensive, so it is important to keep the costs as low as possible. Second, the employed methodology should be rapid so as to provide results within a short timeframe. This is important for speeding up the introduction of new products in the market, and also for

Future research needs and limitations

In this paper a number of different methods for combining sensory and extrinsic attributes have been discussed. It is evident that several of these can be improved and modified to be more finely tuned to meet the needs of the industry, listed above. Jaeger (2006) has observed that due to the different nature of the intrinsic and extrinsic attributes, such developments should be interdisciplinary.

As mentioned above, conjoint hedonic methods have a great potential both in terms of academic

Acknowledgements

Financial support from the European Commission through the Marie Curie Actions Intra European Fellowship (IEF), call FP/-PEOPLE-I2012-IEF – project title “Innovative Methodologies for New Food Product Development: combining Sensory Science and Experimental Economics – NEFOMET”. We would like to thank FFL and Research Council of Norway for financial support through the project RapidCheck.

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