Month: February 2023

Wirral Sensory Services are one of the UK’s leading providers of sensory evaluation services. Our expert panellists boast excellent acuity and sensory perception, and our in-house research team can provide a tailored service to suit your needs. But, just in case you’re wondering if sensory evaluation is something your brand might want to pursue, it’s worth first explaining what it is and why you might want to invest in these services.

What is Sensory Evaluation?

Sensory evaluation is a method of evaluating a product by relying on an individual’s sensory perception rather than using instruments or equipment. This type of evaluation can assess various aspects of a product, including appearance, aroma, flavour, and mouthfeel to name but a few. Rather than measuring with specific instruments, this evaluation method is as much about how a product “feels” when interacting with our sensory receptors as it is about its actual performance.

How and When is Sensory Evaluation Used in Product Testing?

Despite being around for decades, the sensory evaluation process has recently come to the fore thanks to the explosion of craft brewing. Today, beers, lagers, ales, and other closely-associated products are most closely associated with sensory evaluation. That’s because they have complex flavour profiles, aromas, and mouthfeels that objective or scientific instruments simply can’t quantify. However, the principles of sensory evaluation have been used in other product categories for years, and you can test most consumable products with a suitable sensory evaluation method. From soft drinks to crisps, hundreds of products can be assessed using sensory evaluation services.

What Are the Pros and Cons of Sensory Evaluation?

Sensory evaluation is a valuable tool for evaluating various consumable products, including food and beverages. However, like any product research method, there are both pros and cons to consider. Here are some of the main advantages and disadvantages of sensory evaluation.

Pros:

• Provides a comprehensive assessment: Sensory evaluation provides a comprehensive assessment of a product, considering multiple factors such as appearance, aroma, flavour, and texture.
• Can be consumer-oriented: Sensory evaluation projects can deliver insights into consumer perceptions, making them helpful in developing products that meet specific customer needs and preferences.
• Cost-effective: Compared to other evaluation methods that require expensive equipment or testing, sensory evaluation is comparatively inexpensive and can be conducted with a small team of trained evaluators.
• Flexible: Sensory evaluation can be tailored to specific products or research objectives, making it a flexible tool that can be used in various contexts.

Cons:

• Subjectivity: Sensory evaluation is subjective, and results may vary depending on the evaluators’ personal experiences and biases.
• Limited evaluators: The pool of trained evaluators may be limited by factors such as the availability of qualified individuals.

Overall, sensory evaluation is the best method for evaluating products solely on their sensory properties. However, it is essential to consider the potential limitations of the method and to use it in conjunction with other product evaluation methods where appropriate.

Enlist the Help of WSS to Conduct Your Sensory Evaluations

As one of the UK’s leading product research companies, we help startups and multinational brands uncover meaningful insights into their products’ performance. From sensory evaluation to taste testing and packaging research, our holistic services make it easy for businesses to identify and improve their products at any stage of their development cycle. If you would like to learn more about our entire spectrum of sensory services, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us on +44 (0)151 346 2999 or via email at info@wssintl.com. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Food products must taste good, look appealing, and have the right texture to succeed. That’s why so many brands turn to sensory testing. In short, it helps food manufacturers understand how consumers will perceive their products by evaluating the sensory properties of the food, such as appearance, taste, aroma, and texture. But how does it help food brands looking to develop industry-leading products?

How Sensory Testing Helps Create Competitive Products

Sensory testing plays a pivotal role in developing competitive products in numerous ways. Below are some of the most important benefits offered to companies searching to create gold-standard products:

Uncover the Perfect Sensory Profile for Your Target Demographic

Through sensory testing, food brands and manufacturers can understand how consumers perceive their products and identify the flavours, aromas, textures, and other sensory attributes most appealing to their target market. You can then use that information to determine your target market’s ideal combination of flavours, aromas, and textures. For example, suppose you’re a manufacturer developing a new ice cream flavour. In that case, sensory testing can help you identify the optimal balance of sweetness, creaminess, and other sensory attributes that will make the product most appealing to your target consumer – increasing your chances of success from launch.

Identifying Gaps in the Market

Another way sensory testing helps develop competitive products is by identifying gaps in the market. By evaluating the sensory properties of competing products in the same market segment, you can identify opportunities to differentiate your products through unique flavours or textures. You might also find specific gaps in the market where current consumer needs go unmet. From the desire for a specific product flavour to a niche texture preference, sensory testing can help manufacturers identify these gaps and develop products that meet these unmet needs – gaining a competitive advantage.

Avoid Costly Launch Mistakes

When developing and launching new products, testing them against both the competition and your existing products is crucial – especially when considering a reformulation. Although not a food product, the example of New Coke paints an excellent picture of what can go wrong with insufficient sensory testing. While Coca-Cola had invested in taste tests of their original Coke versus Pepsi, they neglected to perform sufficient sensory taste testing with consumers with their new, “sweeter” reformulated New Coke in the 1980s. The launch was a disaster costing hundreds of millions in lost sales. However, they managed to get away with it since the whole episode inadvertently boosted sales of original-recipe Coca-Cola. You likely won’t have that luxury. So it’s wise to submit your original and reformulated products to in-depth sensory profiling using trained panellists and taste testing sessions with members of the public to avoid potentially catastrophic consequences for your brand.

Develop Competitive Products in the Food Industry with Sensory Testing

There are several elements to a successful food product launch or reformulation. However, without sensory testing, you are potentially entering the market “blind” with sufficient knowledge of how your product performs against both your marketing promises and the expectations of your target consumers. At Wirral Sensory Services, we boast over 25 years of experience in helping leading food brands ensure their products are not just competitive in the market but industry leaders. We boast expert sensory profiling teams, a vast pool of taste testers on standby, and an in-house team that can expertly design sensory studies of your products and deliver meaningful insights in straightforward language. So if you’re looking to ensure your next food product launch hits the mark from the get-go, make sure to contact us today to discuss your specific requirements in more detail.

When developing and marketing food products, ensuring that they appeal to consumers is essential. Many factors will influence a purchasing decision, including the food’s packaging and taste. This is where sensory taste testing comes in. In short, it’s one of the most effective methods to evaluate the sensory characteristics of a food product. In this type of test, a group of panellists (explicitly trained for the job or members of the public, depending on the design of the research project) are given a series of tastings of a food product to evaluate based on various attributes, such as flavour, aroma, texture, and appearance. But that’s not all. Sensory taste tests can be tailored to measure specific food preferences, such as sweet and savoury, for example. So with that in mind, let’s look at some of the most common elements tested and measured by taste tasting or sensory panellists.

1. Flavour

The overall taste of food, including its combination of sweetness, sourness, saltiness, bitterness, and umami (anything that doesn’t fit into the previous categories), as well as its overall flavour, is the most commonly tested attribute. By measuring the taste of food, trained panellists can determine if it is in line with target flavour profiles, whereas members of the public may share more open-ended and unstructured feedback regarding the taste of food.

2. Aroma

The aroma or scent of a food product can significantly influence the flavour perception and customer acceptance of that food. Strong, pungent scents can be overwhelming and may not be enjoyed by some people. Whereas more subtle scents can be more appealing and be enjoyed by a broader demographic. Testing and measuring the aroma of food products can help brands determine if they are meeting the target customer’s needs.

3. Texture

Another popular sensory taste test category is texture. Texture influences taste through its mouthfeel, consistency, and firmness. For instance, if you were trialling a soft gooey brownie as part of a new product line, you would want to measure the texture to see if it meets the target consumer’s expectations of “soft” and “gooey” as marketed on the proposed packaging.

4. Appearance

Appearance is another aspect that influences taste perception, even if it is not directly related to the taste itself. From the shape and colour of the food product to its presentation, a product’s appearance can be vital in determining whether or not someone will enjoy it.

5. Aftertaste

Aftertaste refers to the secondary sensations and mouthfeel after consuming the product. For instance, if you are testing a new flavour of ice cream, you may want to test it with different aftertastes, such as sweet, sour, and bitter, to gauge the consumer’s preference.

6. Temperature

You might be surprised to read the temperature as a measured element in a sensory taste test. However, a food’s temperature can significantly influence its taste and flavour intensity, so it must be tightly controlled and measured. Temperature is crucial for food products designed to be eaten hot, such as pies and pizzas.

7. Mouthfeel

Another important aspect that brands measure during a sensory taste test of their food products is the mouthfeel. This term refers to the sensations experienced during eating, and panellists will note a food’s viscosity, smoothness, or creaminess, for example. These measurements are often helpful for marketing purposes and can help determine the appeal of food to consumers. For instance, the “smoothest ” ice cream will likely be more popular with consumers than the “thickest” ice cream.

8. Acidity

The food’s acidity or sourness is another attribute often measured during a sensory taste test. Food with high acidity levels will generally taste sourer and may also have a higher level of bitterness – making these products more of an acquired taste. Cover Your Bases with In-Depth Sensory Taste Testing from Wirral Sensory Services As you can see, plenty goes into a sensory taste test, and many factors not mentioned here can also be measured, even if they may not directly influence the taste of any given food product. At WSS, we have over 20 years of experience in the taste testing industry and have extensively trained panellists with high degrees of acuity and expertise. We can tailor your tested parameters to ensure that your measuring the taste of food products is as relevant and accurate as possible, and we would be happy to help with any questions you may have. To discuss your taste testing or sensory evaluation requirements in more detail, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us today.

Understanding customer needs is crucial for any brand because it helps them develop products that meet the preferences and expectations of their target audience. For instance, if you’re a food or drink brand, conducting consumer research allows you to better identify your customers’ taste preferences, dietary requirements, and lifestyle choices. You can then use this information to develop products that cater more closely to your customers’ needs and preferences, leading to increased brand loyalty and sales. So why is understanding your customers’ needs so important?

Why Is It Important to Understand Customer Needs?

Customer needs refer to customers’ desires and requirements for a product or service to fulfil a particular purpose or solve a problem. For consumables such as food, drink, or beauty products, understanding these needs is essential for understanding what products to produce and how to market them effectively to target customers. But that’s not all. Effectively understanding customer needs allows brands to spot opportunities and develop products to cater to those unmet needs, helping them achieve a first-mover advantage. Consumer research also allows brands to accurately assess vital aspects such as pricing and product positioning to ensure they maximise profitability and revenue. In short, if you’re a brand that doesn’t invest in consumer research, you’re already operating at a disadvantage.

How Consumer Research Helps Brands to Better Understand Customer Needs

Consumer research helps businesses understand customer needs by collecting and analysing data concerning customer preferences and behaviours. This information can provide insights into what customers want, need, and expect from a product, enabling businesses to develop offerings that better meet their customers’ needs.

Start-Up Beer Company Example

For example, let’s say you’re a craft brewing company looking to release a new lager that caters to younger, more health-conscious audiences. In this case, you might enlist the help of a consumer research company to conduct taste testing sessions to collect feedback from their target audience about the taste, aroma, and overall experience of their beer. During the taste testing sessions, the research company provides samples of different beer recipes to participants and asks them to rate the beer on different attributes such as bitterness, sweetness, aftertaste, and overall flavour. The company also collects demographic information such as age, gender, and beer-drinking habits to understand the preferences of its target audience. After analysing the taste testing data, the research company finds that the target audience prefers less bitter beers with a fruity aroma. Additionally, the taste-testing data shows that many participants are interested in low-calorie beer options that are still flavorful. Using the insights gained from the taste testing, you create a line of low-calorie beers that are less bitter and have a fruity aroma. You also decide to market these beers as a healthier alternative to traditional craft beers, which appeals to the health-conscious nature of its target audience. As you can see, by conducting consumer research, you, as a business, can better understand your customers and develop products that better cater to their needs – increasing your chances of success.

How Can Brands Conduct Meaningful Consumer Research?

There are all kinds of ways you can carry out valuable consumer research, including surveys, focus groups, online questionnaires, taste testing, and sensory evaluation, to name but a few. To ensure these methods (and others) pay dividends, it makes sense to partner with an experienced consumer research company, such as WSS, to conduct the research for you. Not only do we have an extensive pool of consumers across all demographics on hand to conduct meaningful research, but we also have a wealth of experience in understanding and analysing consumer data. With reports and insights delivered in layman’s terms, you’ll be able to better understand your target audience and develop products that speak to their needs. So no matter how you intend to put your products or concepts to the test, partner with WSS to benefit from our first-class ability in designing research projects, collecting data from various sources, analysing the results, and providing actionable recommendations. With our services, you can make informed decisions about product development, marketing strategies, and customer engagement, leading to increased customer satisfaction, loyalty, and sales. Call us today on +44 (0)151 346 2999 or email us at info@wssintl.com to discuss your specific needs.