Cracking the Flavor Code: Applying Emotional Insights to Elevate Consumer Preference and Loyalty.
Consumers crave an indulgent, stimulating, and fun experience from their products, but achieving this is easier said than done.
What exactly makes a flavor "better"?
How do you ramp up indulgence or make something more fun?
While research confirms these desires, translating them into tangible product changes can be perplexing.
You might nod along with the research, recognizing the truth in its findings, but that doesn't simplify the task of transforming your product to meet these emotional needs.
When you delve deeper, seeking clarification from consumers about what they want, their responses often leave you none the wiser.
Why? Because their preferences and likes stem from emotions, not rational analyses of product features. When they say they like your product, they're actually expressing how it makes them feel.
Asking consumers to define a "better flavor" or a "more fun" experience usually results in them trying to rationalize their emotions. This well-intentioned but misguided effort often leads to inconsistent and unclear feedback.
To truly enhance your product's flavor or amplify its fun factor, you must decode the sensory cues that trigger these emotional reactions. A "better flavor" or a "more fun" experience is essentially one that evokes more positive emotions and fewer negative ones.
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This is where emotional tracking comes into play. By mapping the emotional journey consumers undergo whilst interacting with your brand and linking it back to their sensory experiences, you can identify which sensory cues elicit specific emotional responses.
Understanding how various aspects of your product—appearance, aroma, flavor, texture, and their interactions—affect consumer emotions is key. This insight reveals what consumers mean by "better flavor," "more indulgent," "more stimulating," and "more fun," and guides you in delivering those experiences.
While recognizing consumers' emotional connections to a brand isn't new, systematically tracking their entire emotional journey with your product and tying it to sensory cues is a powerful method.
It clarifies what drives preferences and liking, offering clear directions for product and communication development.
This emotional tracking approach is your roadmap to crafting products that resonate deeply with consumers, transforming vague desires into concrete, delightful experiences, which in turn promote liking and loyalty.
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Chris Lukehurst is a Consumer Psychologist and a Director at The Marketing Clinic:
Providing Clarity on the Psychological relationships between consumers and brands
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