Sensory Profiling: how it works and why it’s useful

When leading companies in the F&B sector develop new products, they rely on market analysis to identify trends in consumption and in consumer needs and behavior. These analyses are usually thorough and detailed, yet they often lack one critical component: data regarding the sensory preferences (for example, taste) of consumers in a specific market or target area. 

In fact, 76% of product launches fail within a year without ever reaching the projected sales volumes, precisely because companies lack an understanding of their customers' tastes.

Our approach

With Vinhood's Country Taste Profile methodology, you can bridge this gap thanks to a plethora of data regarding consumer taste preferences, gathered in over 40 countries. 

This new and innovative market analysis tool, focused on taste, is useful for both implementing communication strategies and optimizing the product development process. 

Our unique approach sets us apart because, for 9 out of 10 consumers, taste is a key factor in the decision-making process, and we've been studying taste for years.

What’s the benefit for companies?

With our method, you’ll have a better understanding of whether or not your products will appeal to consumers in a specific market, even before you develop them. We can identify market segments that aren’t satisfied with what’s currently available, allowing you to focus your research on the most suitable products.

How does the country taste profile method work?

The Country Taste Profile method is based on the results of Vinhood’s proprietary Taste Test, which profiles consumers’ tastes and defines their Taste Identity. 

Knowing your customers’ Taste Identity will help you understand not only their taste preferences, but their preferences also when it comes to texture and aroma.

Consumers are divided into groups based on similar sensory preferences. Each of these groups corresponds with a unique distribution of the studied sensory parameters. Vinhood has collected over 80 million pieces of data over the years, thus ensuring statistical relevance for each group, with a confidence interval of 95% or higher.

The benefits for companies are unparalleled: our solution allows you to match these groups with your range of products, identifying areas of growth or improvement.

The benefits of the country taste profile method

The Country Taste Profile method is beneficial in various ways:

• Agile innovation: we can support the development of a new product by providing insights into the taste preferences of a specific target market;
• Local flavors, global relationships: we can provide a simultaneous analysis of taste preferences in various markets to identify similarities and differences in consumer preferences, thus facilitating your company's entry into new countries;
• Cultural sensitivity and localization: we can provide you with all the cultural and social variables involved in consumers’ choices in over 40 countries.

The importance of a tailored strategy

This tailored development strategy allows your company to stand out from its competitors in the market, thanks to our understanding of consumer taste preferences. 

Furthermore, by developing products that are tailor-made for different countries, you can improve the connection with your customers and foster their loyalty towards your brand.