Taste tests happen every day. You buy a new consumable product and try it. You order something new from a restaurant. Your taste buds (and other senses as well) are always on high alert- creating a line up of preferred flavors, aromas, and textures aimed to bring you back for more. But before these products (or even recipes) hit the market, smart brands take their products through a more formal taste testing process- usually with a market research firm-to get the products exactly right.
For any product researcher- especially those working with CPG, Food and Beverage brands- taste tests are critical to the product and brand development process by ensuring products align with customer expectations and preferences. Whether bringing a new product to market or looking to improve/change an existing product, incorporating valuable consumer feedback is critical to the ultimate success of your product.
So how can taste testing work for you? Here are a few ways…
1) Refine Product Specs
Consumers have a lot to say. By tapping into their opinions, brands can refine products during development- especially when it comes to flavor profiles, textures, aromas, and tastes. This valuable feedback helps narrow down specific characteristics that appeal to consumers most and helps drive decisions on product formulations, packaging, pricing, and marketing. It can also uncover issues that can be alleviated/mitigated prior to products hitting the market, as well as determine whether alternative or less expensive ingredients can be substituted without sacrificing appeal- creating cost saving opportunities. Smart brands that focus on consumer feedback during the product development process create products that match consumers needs and expectations- which can lead to long-term loyalty, repeat purchases, and increased market share.
2) Create Differentiation
Are your competitors too sweet? Too crunchy? Not salty enough? With taste tests, you can compare your product to the competition. This useful and straightforward test allows you to rank alternatives and uncover what attributes most appeal to consumers. Identifying aspects that stand out is key to creating product differentiation. Brands can harness this insight during development to create advantages and use it to inform marketing strategies- communicating the unique aspects of the product and highlighting the distinct differences between them and their competition. Differentiation also goes hand-in-hand with developing strong value propositions that align with their target audiences, and if successful can create a competitive advantage.
3) Improve Product Quality
Whether conducting an in-home use test (IHUT) or using a central testing facility (CLT), taste tests are a valuable way to gain insight into how consumers interact with your products and how you can identify opportunities to make them even better. Brands gain deeper insights into product strengths and weaknesses and identify ways to optimize product testing.
Taste testing helps brands make more informed decisions about improvements that can elevate product quality, features, or performance.
Taste Testing Made Easy
Brands are always looking for new ways to evolve, differentiate, and innovate products to stay ahead of the competition. MarketView has been the go-to taste testing and product testing firm for many of the most well-known and beloved brands. From testing flavors of products- with major CPG, and Food and Beverage brands- to informing new packaging or ingredients, our insight enables smarter product decision making which gives our clients a competitive advantage.
Named a 2023 Top 20 Taste Test firm, MarketView’s experienced in-house team provides survey development and design, recruiting, product management, data collection/fieldwork and analysis to ensure clients get the best possible feedback to drive products forward with confidence.
Interested in our Taste Testing Research Services? Learn more here or contact us today.