Standard Guide for Acceptance and Preference Testing with Consumers

Abstract

5.1 Unbranded acceptance and preference are key measurements taken in consumer product testing as either a new product idea is developed into testable prototypes or existing products are evaluated for potential improvements, cost reductions, or to garner fundamental learning about consumer hedonic and/or choice responses to a company’s products and their competitors. This information can also be used to guide future product development. The main goal of the product development process is to develop products that are preferred overall, or liked as well as, or better, on average, compared to an existing standard or a competitor, among a defined target consumer group. Thus, it is often necessary to test consumer acceptability or preference of a product or prototype compared to other products. The researcher, with input from stakeholders, has the responsibility to choose appropriate comparison products and scaling or test methods to evaluate them, and have a historical framework within which to interpret the results. In the case of a new-to-the-world product, there may or may not be a relevant product for comparison. In this case, a historical benchmark score or rating may be used as a comparison point. A product or prototype that is acceptable to the target consumer is one that meets a minimum criterion for liking, and a product that is preferred over another product has the potential to be chosen more often than the less-preferred product by the consumer in the marketplace, when all other factors are equal. There are four distinct phases for these tests: design, execution, analysis, and results interpretation. Before designing the test, the researcher should understand their stakeholders’ needs, resources available, and decisions to be made, as well as aligning with stakeholders on specific test objectives and resources. Design and execution should follow good sensory practices. Results analysis and interpretation should follow established statistical practices and consider the content of prior testing results and any additional historical information available. 5.2 While measures of acceptance and preference are both subjective responses to products, and can be somewhat related, they provide different information. A product may be acceptable but still not be preferred by the consumer over other alternatives, and conversely, a product may be preferred over another but still not be acceptable to the consumer. These two terms, therefore, should not be used interchangeably. A consumer might choose one product over another in a choice test, but like both or not like either. One product may be preferred to a second product, but may not be rated higher on the hedonic scale. When a bipolar hedonic scale with multipoint options is used, the researcher should specifically refer to “liking,” “acceptance,” or “hedonic ratings.” When preference measures are used, the researcher should refer to, “preference,” “product selection,” or “choice.” Research professionals themselves should be precise in their usage of the terms “acceptance” and “liking,” to refer only to scaling of liking. These researchers should use the terms “preference” and “choice” to refer to two (“Prefer A” or “Prefer B”) or three-choice (“Prefer A” or “Prefer B” or “No Preference”) response options given in a preference test. In addition to having different meanings, the two measures also do not always provide similar results, or relative ranking in a multi-sample product preference test. This guide will cover the similarities and differences in information each provides, some guidelines around implementation, and interpretation of findings. This guide will thus give users an understanding of the issues at hand when planning, designing, implementing, and interpreting results from acceptance and preference tests with consumers. 5.3 While both measures are commonly used to provide information for product development decisions and evaluating a product’s competitive status, it is important to remember that pricing, positioning, competitive options, product availability, and other marketplace factors also impact a product’s success in the marketplace. It is recommended that the findings from acceptance and preference blind product tests be used in conjunction with tests that include additional information about the product concept (7), features and benefits, and pricing. 5.4 In tests with large numbers of products, sensory overload and fatigue should be considered. The researcher should control for these effects using basic sensory principles (1). 5.5 In all testing decisions, consideration must also be made as to the degree of difference between products. Asking consumers to evaluate products with very subtle differences might be useful when trying to understand consumer reaction to small changes in sensory attributes, for example when attempting to reduce costs or implement a manufacturing change. When the objective, however, is to understand consumers’ affective responses to sensory differences across a wide sensory space, the products being evaluated must be easily distinguishable to the consumer. This would apply when conducting a category appraisal (see 6.2.1) or when developing products to be liked better than or preferred to current alternatives (see 6.3). Descriptive analysis may be conducted prior to consumer testing to ensure that the desired attribute(s) and level of product differences have been achieved.