Blog Archives - Page 9 of 13 - Wirral Sensory Services

What Are Some of the Most Common Sensory Testing Methodologies?

Sensory testing plays a vital role in the development of food products. It helps ensure that products are appealing to consumers and that they contain many of the traits of current market leaders.

How Sensory Testing Helps in the Development of Plant-Based Food Products

With a 30-fold increase in the number of vegans over the last 15 years, food brands are now in a race to tap into this ever-growing market. And while there’s been an explosion of plant-based products, from vegan cheese to plant-based meat, the development of plant-based foods replicating the full range of textures and flavours that we associate with animal-based foods is still lacking.

5 Tips for Conducting Consumer Research with Children and Young People

Plenty of home, food, and beverage products focus almost exclusively on the under-18 market. Items, including yoghurts, cereals, and toys, are all heavily advertised to children, so it’s no surprise that companies want to know what young consumers think about their products and how to make them even better.

What Are The Advantages Of Home Use Testing?

Home use testing (HUT), or in-home use testing (iHUT) as it’s often referred to, describes the process of using a product in a target consumer’s home and gathering feedback concerning a product’s performance in its intended setting.

What is a Blind Taste Test?

When conducting consumer testing, blind taste tests are a valuable tool in gathering consumer feedback without being influenced by other factors such as branding, price, packaging etc. In a blind taste test, participants are given products to sample without knowing which brand they are trying. This allows testers to focus purely on the taste, smell, and texture of the product in order to make an unbiased judgement.

Who Carries Out Sensory Testing?

Sensory testing is an integral part of product development in the food and beverage industries. The process helps establish the sensory profile of a product and can identify potential off-flavours or other sensory defects.

5 Elements To Look Out For When Choosing A Consumer Product Testing Company

When carrying out consumer research, the chances are that you’ll need to enlist the services of an experienced consumer testing company to ensure that the process is conducted smoothly and to the highest possible standards. However, with so many different consumer testing companies to choose from, it can be tricky to decipher which one will be the best fit for your brand.

What is Product Optimisation?

No food manufacturer or beverage brand should ever stand still. Even if you currently hold the position of market leader, without continuous and ongoing product optimisation, you will lose the top spot to another brand carrying out this vital exercise.

5 Reasons Why Your Brand Should Commit to Ongoing Product Testing

While sales might be indicative of your product’s performance, how can you really tell if your product is meeting customer expectations and delivering on its promises? Product testing is one of the best ways to dig much deeper into your performance and gain valuable feedback to help you assess and improve your product.

How Home Use Testing Saved One of the World’s Most Successful Products

Back in the early 1990s, the world’s largest consumer goods company, Procter & Gamble, was busy working on a new product. It was a spray that would completely eliminate bad odours. From wet dog stenches to the lingering smell of cigarette smoke, Febreze was meant to become a revolutionary golden-goose product that would bring in billions of dollars of revenue to the company every year. In the end, it did. But only thanks to the intervention of home use testing. So, with that in mind, let’s look at how one of the world’s most successful products nearly didn’t make it.