The highly competitive market requires quick reactions from producers regarding changes taking place within it.
Despite the fact that the market is often saturated companies are constantly forced to introduce various innovations, higher and higher quality products because of more and more demanding customers.
Competition also forces companies to professionalize designing processes of new products as well as their promotional actions. All this has to take into consideration cost optimization and the risk connected with introducing a product to the market.
Inclusion of sensory consumer testing during implementation and modification of a product as well as the analysis of products currently on the market will provide necessary information regarding the technological process and the product and its perception by consumers.
Aims of consumers’ tests:
- comparison of products to determine their positions in relation to the competition.
- to choose the best version of a product
- to evaluate acceptance / product's desirability
- to determine product features influencing general product assessment which means its perception in the eyes of consumers
- to establish a group of consumers who prefer certain products.
Consumers’ tests take place with help of carefully chosen group of consumers who fulfil certain criteria, depending on the aim of each test. It is done in a way for these tests to provide the expected information.
Methods used:
• Product preference test
They enable one to determine whether consumers prefer a certain products in comparison to another product offered by competition.
• Comparative tests
They are used in a situation when knowledge regarding a product's appearance in the eyes of consumers matters in comparison to a competitive one matters.
These tests show general product characteristics and may provide information as to which product features influence differences in the overall assessment of a product.
• Single product test
They enable the choice of one product among numerous prototypes using the Balanced Incomplete Block method.
