Exploring consumer product profiling techniques and their linkage to a quantitative descriptive analysis

Abstract

Consumer’s voice is crucial for new product development. One way to capture it is to ask consumers to describe products and to quantify their perception of this description. In this context four profiling methods; sorting, projective mapping, flash profile and repertory grid method (RGM) were explored among target consumers of hot beverages in two European countries (UK and France) with the assumption that meaningful sensory descriptors can be generated and quantified, and that product maps can ultimately be drawn. A quantitative descriptive analysis was also performed with a trained panel and its outcomes were used as a basis for comparison. Results showed that consumers were able to describe and quantify product differences, that their perception was similar on a cross-country level, that trained panel maps translated well consumers’ description, and that flash profiling and RGM were more suitable for such a task as they generate a rich vocabulary and more accurate maps. However, when describing complex attributes as mouthfeel or afterfeel, the consumers’ description was not enough detailed or not consensual.