Sensory analysis provides an accurate measure of how consumers perceive a product, highlighting subtle nuances and detecting variations caused by seasonal shifts, recipe tweaks, or changes in production methods. Meanwhile, behavioural science explores the consumer’s interaction with the product category, revealing why they choose specific products and how they emotionally and rationally respond to them.
Despite their shared focus on the consumer, these two disciplines often operate in silos, leaving significant gaps in understanding.
- How do consumers’ past experiences with both the product category and brand shape their expectations?
- Which elements of the sensory journey meet—or fail to meet—those expectations?
- What aspects of the sensory experience evoke specific emotional responses, and why?
When these disciplines are interlinked, the results are transformative. The brand gains a clearer picture of the sensory elements that drive key behaviours, enabling sharper communication strategies and more consumer-focused product development.
A Case Study: The “Smoother Taste” Journey
We partnered with a leading UK dairy company known for its successful Cheddar cheese brand. Although the brand enjoyed robust growth and increasing market share, the team recognised that long-term growth would require expanding beyond Cheddar.
A key aspect of their success was the perception of their cheese’s “smoother taste” compared to competitors. But what exactly did “smoother” mean to consumers, and how could this attribute be extended to new products?
By conducting an in-depth sensory analysis of the brand’s Cheddar and its competitors, we revealed how these sensory elements contributed to consumers’ emotional journeys. This mapping process pinpointed the features that triggered specific reactions, explaining the sequence and intensity of emotional responses that defined how consumers perceived the brand.
By aligning the sensory experience with emotional triggers, we clarified what “smoother taste” represented emotionally and why it resonated. These insights laid the foundation for brand extensions into milder Cheddar and children’s cheese products, which fit perfectly with the brand’s emotional profile.
Tackling the Extra Mature Challenge
However, there was a potential stumbling block: the client already offered an extra mature brand extension. Once we understood the emotional journey associated with the brand, it became clear that this extension was at odds with its established sensory and emotional positioning.
When we shared these findings with the client, the Marketing Director immediately connected the dots, saying, “That’s why the Extra Mature product isn’t doing well. We should focus on milder products instead.”
This moment of clarity was pivotal. While the team had a deep understanding of their product’s sensory attributes, it was the alignment of sensory experiences with emotional responses that unlocked actionable insights.
From Insight to Innovation
Equipped with this deeper understanding, the client refined their product portfolio, pivoting toward mild and children-focused cheese products that built on the brand’s established strengths. This alignment of sensory and emotional cues gave the brand a roadmap for sustainable growth, supported by products that resonated more strongly with their consumers.
By connecting sensory analysis with behavioural science, the brand gained a more holistic understanding of their consumers, enabling them to craft products and experiences that deliver not just on taste, but on trust, loyalty, and emotional connect
Chris Lukehurst is a Consumer Psychologist and a Director at The Marketing Clinic:
Providing Clarity on the Psychological relationships between consumers and brands
