Sensory evaluation and marketing: measurement of a consumer concept

An abstract concept for a group of consumers was measured in terms of membership of various stimuli within that concept, using a simple ranking task. Consumers (N=72) ranked 20 commercial toothpastes according to their concepts of appearance of refreshingness. From these data, two R-index analyses were performed. Firstly, R-indices were calculated with reference to a concept exemplar (noise stimulus). Secondly, R-indices were computed pairwise, producing a rank order of refreshingness, with the R-indices indicating the spacing between the ranks. Two different ranking protocols were applied: standard ranking and first choice ranking. Rank orders were compared (Spearman's rho) for consumers both within and between methods and both were highly correlated; the two protocols were therefore equivalent. Also, consumer hedonic data correlated highly with refreshingness. Transparent blue was ranked as most refreshing, followed by a paste with 3 shades of blue stripes. Off-whites (ivory, off white, grayish white) were least refreshing in appearance.