It’s a familiar challenge: consumers tell you they want a product to be “more indulgent,” “stimulating,” or “fun.” The research is clear—this is what they desire. But what does that actually mean for product development?
How do you define a “better flavour”? What makes something “more indulgent”? And when consumers call for something “more fun,” how do you translate that into tangible product improvements?
Often, even when we intuitively agree with the feedback, it’s difficult to pinpoint the specific changes needed to meet these expectations. To complicate matters further, going back to ask consumers for clarification rarely helps—they struggle to articulate what they mean because their reactions are driven by emotions, not logic.
The Emotional Core of Consumer Preferences
Consumer preferences, like liking or disliking a product, are fundamentally emotional reactions, not rationally thought-through evaluations. When consumers say they like your product, they’re really saying they like how it makes them feel.
However, when asked to explain terms like “better flavour” or “more fun,” consumers attempt to rationalize their emotional responses, often leading to vague or inconsistent answers. This disconnect can leave product developers and marketers stuck, trying to turn abstract feedback into actionable changes.
The Key to Unlocking Emotional Responses
To bridge this gap, you need to identify the sensorial cues within your product that drive these emotional reactions. For example:
• What elements of flavour, texture, aroma, or appearance evoke feelings of indulgence?
• What sensory experiences create a sense of fun or excitement?
• How do these sensory elements work together to create an overall emotional response?
Emotional Tracking in Action
Emotional tracking provides insight into how small details—like a hint of sweetness, a silky texture, or even the product’s packaging—contribute to how consumers feel about your product. By connecting these sensorial cues to emotional responses, you can answer critical questions:
• What does “better flavour” really mean to your target audience?
• How can you amplify indulgence or stimulate excitement?
• What changes will truly resonate with consumers on an emotional level?
This approach allows you to go beyond intuition and guesswork, giving you the tools to make precise adjustments that align with consumer desires.
This is where emotional tracking becomes invaluable. By using psychological research techniques to trace the consumer’s emotional journey as they interact with your product, you can map emotional reactions back to specific sensory elements.
From Insight to Innovation
While understanding consumers’ emotional responses to a brand is not new, tracking the full emotional journey—from their initial encounter to the final experience—offers a new level of clarity. By connecting these emotions to specific sensory elements, you unlock a roadmap for product and communication development.
This method doesn’t just help you create a product that’s “better” or “more fun”; it helps you build products and experiences that deeply resonate with consumers. It clarifies what drives preference and liking, and it reveals powerful opportunities to refine both your products and your messaging.
In the end, when you understand how consumers feel—and why—you stop guessing and start delivering. That’s how you turn vague feedback into impactful innovation.
Chris Lukehurst is a Consumer Psychologist and a Director at The Marketing Clinic:
Providing Clarity on the Psychological relationships between consumers and brands
