Taste testing is a market research activity undertaken by food manufacturing companies and market research organisations to compare the difference between two or more products. At Farron Research, our clients conduct taste testing activities to gather critical information about the consumer preferences of their target market. The results help them to improve existing products and develop new ones.
For example, you may have heard of the Pepsi challenge, an infamous taste test launched in 1975. Pepsi launched a taste test against one of the world’s most recognizable brands Coca-Cola in an attempt to increase their share of the carbonated soft drink market. They discovered that people actually did prefer the taste of Pepsi to Coke, which gave the a competitive edge.. for a short while anyway.
At Farron Research, we conduct market research recruitment for companies undertaking taste testing activities. We choose the most suitable registered participants on our database, and connect them with the client conducting the taste testing research.
When you participate in taste testing, these are the type of questions you may be asked:
- What do you like about the product you tasted?
- What do you dislike about the product you tasted?
- Evaluate the product according to appearance, colour, texture and smell.
- Use the scale to indicate how much you liked/disliked the product you tasted:
7. Like very muchLike moderately
6. Like moderately
5. Like a little
4. Neither like nor dislike
3. Dislike a little
2. Dislike moderately
1. Dislike a lot
Use the following tips the most successful taste testing experience:
1. Use a good palate cleanser between testing samples. This will help distinguish flavours between the products you are testing and won’t affect the results. Popular palate cleansers include sorbet, apple slices, celery sticks, sparkling water and water with a squeeze of lemon.
2. Label the samples with numbers rather than the product name to avoid influencing the results with a preconceived notion about the products you are testing.
3. Focus only on taste by avoiding bias from:
a) Appearance – Use a blindfold to ensure the visual appearance of a sample does not affect your opinion of the taste.
b) Texture – Avoid touching the product, and do not move it around too much in your mouth.
c) Smell – Taste and smell are closely connected. Avoid smelling the sample, but don’t go so far as blocking your noise as this will affect the flavour. If you block your nose and then release it when the sample is in your mouth, you will be able to experience the full sense of the flavour with having your opinion affected by the smell.
4. Do not converse with other participants about the sample products as their perception may affect your opinion and vice versa.
So now you know what to expect when you participate in taste testing, register with Farron Research to take part in our taste testing activities, and other market research initiatives such as surveys, product testing, and focus groups. We’ll be in touch when you match the market research recruitment criteria for one of our clients.
