This paper is intended primarily as a discussion-opener and as such takes a fresh look at the fragrance industry's use of sniff testing as a means of evaluating fragrances among consumers, examines the place of this methodology within product testing in general, and, with reference to some examples, raises a number of basic questions and points for discussion. The paper also looks at the general environment in which consumer product testing takes place. The authors suggest that there is a continuing role for sniff testing as a tool for evaluating fragrances, but that it should be used in certain circumstances only, since, used alone, it can be misleading. Market researchers in the fragrance industry in general are well aware of the pros and cons of sniff testing, and should be free to use this methodology as and when they consider it appropriate.
Quality in marketing and opinion research is difficult to define, as it means different things to different people. To some, it means carrying out research studies in accordance with current best practice, using methodologies which are state of the art. To others, it means running studies according to certain pre-defined technical standards that have been accepted by the (local) market research community.
This paper describes a procedure adapted from conventional consumer product testing methodology which substantially improves the quality of test data relative to previous testing approaches, notably for fragrances for functional and toiletry products, and effectively takes into account the constraints endemic in the fragrance industry. Examples are provided from tests carried out on functional fragrances in different product categories, and in different regions of the world.
In the Middle East, consumer testing of fragrances for personal products poses all of the same methodological problems as in other parts of the world, plus some particular problems having to do with the place of perfume in Moslem culture. The Firmenich Company, as a supplier of fragrances, has attempted to come to terms with these difficulties by adapting its market research methods and at the same time adjusting to the social and cultural climate of the region. The approach is illustrated by a case study, covering a consumer product test of a range of fragrances for a brand of toilet soap, carried out in one of the Gulf countries (Kuwait). The research involved a sequential monadic testing methodology, using a "Round Robin" design, and was carried out as a central location test. Some comparisons are made with similar consumer research carried out in one of the countries of West Africa (Nigeria). The paper will seek to illustrate how it is possible, in this product category, to obtain robust and reliable results from a central location test, providing that careful attention is paid both to the adaptation of the basic testing method, and to the particular connotations of perfume in this part of the world.
In the fine fragrance industry, unlike many other fmcg industries, systematic consumer product-testing has usually been conspicuous by its absence. The reasons are varied, including perfume's own traditions rooted in fashion rather than in marketing, the reluctance of perfumers to see their creations tested, the frequently (and perhaps, surprisingly) short lead times accorded for new product development, and, of course, costs. When consumer product-testing is carried out, it is often limited, for these same reasons, to "sniff-testing", which, in the perfume industry, is equivalent to "first impression" testing. This paper suggests that such sniff-testing may not only be unreliable, but perhaps more unreliable for the perfume category than has been realised hitherto. Reference is made to two consumer research studies on perfume, a qualitative project in France, followed by a quantitative exercise in the U.K.. A comparison is made between in-home test and sniff-test results for the same set of perfumes, which illustrates the limitations of sniff-testing in general, and the misleading results that it may produce, in particular. A major implication is that perfume is one product category which should be tested in extended usage, and not just for "first impressions".
This paper describes the importance of taste and flavour preference to the basic acceptability of a wide range of consumer products, and outlines why reasons for preference are not often well communicated from the consumer to the producer. It illustrates some of the shortcomings of traditional methods of product test research, in particular the drawbacks of open-ended responses and the limited use traditionally made of attribute rating scales. A comparison is made with data sets and methodologies used for brand image analysis, and a similar approach is advocated for product attribute data, illustrated by a typical mapping exercise from a multi-country product test of toilet soap fragrances carried out within the author's company. The example shows how a map, by positioning products in consumers' perceptual space, can lend considerable explanatory power to the analysis. The result is much more effective and actionable feedback from the consumer to the producer - and the perfumer.
This paper is concerned with sponsorship as a marketing activity, and particularly with the sponsorship of sporting events. In this paper we look at some of the reasons for this situation, discuss its implications for sports sponsorship in general, and outline an approach to the measurement of sponsorship effectiveness which is to be piloted on behalf of a number of major sponsors.
Opening speech to the Conference from the Committee.
In June 1976 Philip Morris Europe mounted an extensive programme of product testing in an important European cigarette market for a new filter brand called "Merit". The Company intended to make use of the test results in Its launch advertising, this approach having worked extremely well in the brand's home market, the U.S.A. Thus the product preference results against competitive brands had to be impressive, but also the test itself had to be technically and legally irreproachable in case a competitor attacked the advertising in court. For this reason, the process by which cigarettes are usually "blinded" for testing was abandoned, and both Merit and leading competitive cigarettes were tested "open". Merit's performance was disappointing, due primarily, it was suspected, to existing competitive brand images biasing the results. The product was re-checked in a "blind" test and performed significantly better against the same competitors. A decision was taken to launch Merit early in 1977 and at the time of writing the cigarette appears to be a success. The contrasting test results offer convincing proof of the strength of brand image conditioning in this product category.