Optimized Consumer Intensity (OCI) Analysis

Introduction

In the area of food and beverage marketing, a blind taste test^[1] is often used as a tool for companies to compare their brand to another brand. For example, the Pepsi Challenge is a famous taste test that has been run by Pepsi since 1975 as a method to show their superiority to Coca-Cola. Taste tests are also a tool sometimes used by companies to develop their brand or new product.

Optimized Consumer Intensity (OCI) Analysis

Data resulting from sensory perception experiment results in (at least) the following variables:

- Product [in one experiment, multiple products are rated]
- Overall liking of the product
- Sensory intensity attributes [perceived saltiness, perceived sweetness, etc]

An OCI Analysis takes in data from a sensory perception experiment^[2] and outputs a graph showing the distribution of the products per attribute taking into account the overall liking score.

In detail, for each attribute, the graph shows the average sensory attribute per product. Key to the interpretation of the graph is a provided interval ‘the optimal range’. This interval is understood and interpreted in several ways:

- Products within this interval are optimal with respect to the attribute at hand.
- Products within that interval are not different from each other with respect to the attribute at hand.
- Products within that interval cannot be improved by changing the attribute at hand.
- Products outside that interval can be improved by changing the attribute at hand.

More information

Food Quality and Preference^[3] publishes original research, critical reviews, topical and practical features and comment. All of these inputs are aimed at bridging the gap between research and application, bringing together authors and readers in consumer and market research, sensory science, sensometrics and sensory evaluation, nutrition and food choice, as well as food research, product development and sensory quality assurance.

Notes

1. ^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blind_taste_test
2. ^ http://researchfrontiers.uark.edu/6148.php
3. ^ http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/09503293

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blind_taste_test
http://researchfrontiers.uark.edu/6148.php
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/09503293