Evaluation of the affective coherence of the exterior and interior of chocolate snacks

The Scandinavian confectionery market is dominated by three major manufacturers, of whom two are affiliates of international conglomerates and one is a domestic producer. The aim of this study was to map the affective impression of chocolate bars’ exterior and interior and give suggestions for a coherent design. Kansei Engineering was used for this. Products were rated on AVI scales with relevant Kansei words, resulting in affective profile graphs. These data were processed treated using Factor Analysis. Four factors were retrieved: Attraction, Life-Style, Familiarity and Snack. Multiple Regression Analysis and Rough Set Analysis were applied to map relationships between physical attributes and affective values. Attributes with significant affective impact are size, shape, color: and brand (packaging) and Surface roughness, Separation and top- and side-angles (shape). The data were used for successful product development and a product series with coherent attributes was developed. One product is used to illustrate the process. Kansei Engineering proved to be suitable for this task although the results may be biased since the evaluation is based on visual impression only.

► Customers’ emotional expectations of chocolate snacks are measured.
► An affective spec list defines the emotional profiles of packaging and inside.
► Links between physical product parameters and affective values are established.
► A new product concept is developed and presented and introduced to the market.