The Right Sensory Mix: Targeting Consumer Product Development Scientifically

131 Pages·2010·2.17 MB·English

by  Diana Derval (auth.)

The Right Sensory Mix
IsItTheRightSensoryMix?
‘‘DianaDervalhaswrittenthebestbookthatIhaveseenonthecriticalroleofthefivesensesindeterminingour
brand preferences. Her writing is lively, full of relevant case studies, and rich in insights. No marketing
departmentornewproductdepartmentmustproceedwithoutfirstreadingthisbook.’’
PhilipKotler,S.C.Johnson&SonProfessorofInternationalMarketing,
KelloggSchoolofManagement
‘‘A very innovative and promising approach, which takes into account the physiological diversity of
consumers,andproposestolinkitwithbehavioralcharacteristics;productdevelopersandmarketingteams
shouldreadthisbookinordertotakeadvantageofthevariabilityofsensoryperceptions.’’
NathalieJacquet,HeadofSensoryAnalysis&NewProductsDevelopment,
ResearchCenterPernodRicard
‘‘Fivegoldenstars!‘‘TheRightSensoryMix’’takestheconceptsofgeneticsandneuroendocrinologyand
appliesthemtopredictconsumerbehavior.Thetextisintellectuallybrilliantanddelightful.Readthebookand
youwillwanttoadaptProf.Derval’smodelbecausethebookdisclosesindetailhowsensorynetworksandthe
HormonalQuotientTM(HQ)helppredictconsumer’sattitudesandbehavior,thedataobtainedfromherown
scientificapproach,tohowactuallythetechniqueworksasexemplifiedbywellknowncommercialbrands.
Therefore,Ihighlyrecommendthe‘‘TheRightSensoryMix’’forall,students,professionalsandscientists
whodon’twanttobeleftbehind.’’
MagdaCarvalho,PhDGenetics,FacultyMemberasInstructorinMedicineatCornellMedicalSchool
(NewYork),J.D.,USPatentAttorney
‘‘DianaDervalinvitesustoexploreoursenses,withthehelpoffascinatingscientificdiscoveries–andagreat
senseofhumor.Readingherbookwaslikeaneye-opener:itchangedmyvisionofmarketingandmademe
consideranewconsumerapproach.’’
AlexisMühlhoff,HeadofMarketing,Komatsu
‘‘Professor Diana Derval is inspiring you, with mental agility, always seizing any opportunity to break
‘conventional’consumerresearch/insightswithanew,creative,scientificapproach,resultinginunexpected
waystopredict consumer behaviors andnewwaysofidentifyingunexplored, profitablemarketsegments.
Afascinatingbook!’’
MarkusKohler,DirectorPackagingatPhilipMorrisInternational
‘‘Thankstoherdiscoveryconcerningtherelationshipbetweenhormonesandsensorysensitivity,DianaDerval
proposes an amazing scientific approach to accurately profile consumers, according to their Hormonal
QuotientTM(HQ).Shesucceedsinexplainingherfindingsonsmell,color,andtexturepreferencesinavery
simpleandlivelywaymakingherbooksopleasanttoread.Thisoriginaltoolcanberecommendedformarketing
profilingorinadditiontoapsychologystudytocomprehendone’spersonality.’’
WaiWong,accessorygroupdevelopmentmanager,Sephora/LVMHGroup.
‘‘Greatbookforunderstandingconsumersensorybehavior.’’
L’OréalBenelux
‘‘ProfessorDianaDervalexcelsinbuildingabridgebetweenscientificresearchandbusinessapplications.She
sharesthelatestscientificinsightsonsensoryperceptionandhumanbehaviorinaclearandaccessibleway.
Illustratedbymanybusinesscasesanalyzedwithhumor,thebookconveysabrillianttrainofthoughtthat
stickstothebrain.’’
MarkvanHagen,SeniorProjectLeaderStrategicResearch,NS(DutchRailways)
Diana Derval
The Right Sensory Mix
Targeting Consumer Product Development
Scientifically
123
Diana Derval
DervalResearch
Keizersgracht 44F
1015CR Amsterdam
The Netherlands
e-mail: [email protected]
website:http://www.derval-research.com
ISBN 978-3-642-12092-3 e-ISBN 978-3-642-12093-0
DOI 10.1007/978-3-642-12093-0
SpringerHeidelbergDordrechtLondonNewYork
LibraryofCongressControlNumber:2010933483
(cid:2)Springer-VerlagBerlinHeidelberg2010
Thisworkissubjecttocopyright.Allrightsarereserved,whetherthewholeorpartofthematerialis
concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation,
broadcasting,reproductiononmicrofilmorinanyotherway,andstorageindatabanks.Duplication
ofthispublicationorpartsthereofispermittedonlyundertheprovisionsoftheGermanCopyrightLaw
of September 9, 1965, in its current version, and permission for use must always be obtained from
Springer.ViolationsareliabletoprosecutionundertheGermanCopyrightLaw.
Theuseofgeneraldescriptivenames,registerednames,trademarks,etc.inthispublicationdoesnot
imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant
protectivelawsandregulationsandthereforefreeforgeneraluse.
Coverdesign: WMXDesignGmbH
Printedonacid-freepaper
SpringerispartofSpringerScience+BusinessMedia(www.springer.com)
To Johan, my carousel of love

Foreword
Since Aristotle we are familiar with the traditional five senses: sight, hearing,
touch, smell and taste. But to what extent do we actually understand them? As
Diana Derval shows in her remarkable guide through the secrets of human per-
ception,weareonlygettingstartedinunderstandinghowoursensesfunction.And
whatawonderfuljourneyitistoexploreperceptionbeyondthefrontierswegrew
upwith.Willweevergetthere?Willweeverunderstandthenatureofoursenses,
orevengettoanagreementon,let’ssay,taste?Ofcoursenot.Never!AsFriedrich
Nietzsche wrote in Thus Spoke Zarathustra ‘‘All life is a dispute about taste and
tasting!Taste:thatisweightatthesametime,andscalesandweigher;andalasfor
every living thing that would live without dispute about weight and scales and
weigher!’’
To some, this notion of an eternal quest might feel uncomfortable. For us at
Sofitel Amsterdam The Grand, the seemingly endless variety of senses offers a
fantasticworldofexcitementandopportunitywetravelthroughdayandnight.In
the atmosphere of pleasure, magic, and comfort we create at our place, under-
standingsensoryperceptionisthefundamentalkeytooursuccessinexceedingthe
expectationofourguests. Deliveringthe RightSensoryMix iswhat we strive for
continuously—a passion we share with Prof. Derval.
Bon Appetit! Robert-Jan Woltering
General Manager
Sofitel Amsterdam The Grand
vii
Acknowledgments
I would like to thank the business, marketing, product development, and R&D
professionals who contributed to this book.
Special thanks to Samy Liechti, CEO of Backsocks.com, Rocky Af Ekenstam
Brennicke, Marketing Director at Björn Borg, Brigit Mettra,CEO ofLa Favorite,
for sharing their success stories.
Un grand merci to Robert-Jan Woltering, General Manager of the Sofitel
AmsterdamTheGrand,forsharinghispassionforhumansensoryperception,and
writing the foreword to this book. Thanks to Nynke M. van der Berg, Marketing
Manager, for her contribution
Vielen dank to Frank Fleck, VP Corporate Marketing at Carl Zeiss Vision, to
Boris Dejonckheere, Marketing Director Europe, for the fascinating research on
hormones and vision conducted together with Herbert Krug R&D teams and lead
optician Frits Blij, from De Kijkkamer.
I am very grateful to Michael and Charles McGinley, Managers of St. Croix
Sensory Inc., for their great support and expertise on smell perception, and for
lending us a Nasal Ranger.
Hartelijk dank to Mark van Hagen, Researcher at the Dutch Railways (NS),
Jessica Sauren, Ad Pruyn, and Mirjam Galetzka, from the University of Twente,
for the fantastic observations and measurements done together on thousands of
train travelers.
A big thank you to Rie Søbye, Marketing Manager at Interacoustics, for pro-
viding us with a clinical OtoAcoustic Emissions Reader. Thanks to Daniel Flück,
Colblindor,forgrantingpermissiontousethecolorvisiontestandtoProf.Kitaoka
for the amazing turtle illusion.
AhugforEmmanuelleSangouard,whoagreedtoshareherincredibleexpertise
in beauty care products.
A warm thank you to all the subjects who participated in our research and
experiments, and in particular the ARC rugby team, my students in innovation,
entrepreneurship,andsensoryscienceatESSECParis-SingaporeBusinessSchool,
myMBAstudentsinhealthcommunicationsatUniversityPoleLeonarddeVinci,
ix
x Acknowledgments
and my executive MBA students from the Robert Kennedy College/University of
Wales.
A big thank you to my colleagues, professors and researchers from ESSEC
Paris-Singapore Business School, Robert Kennedy College, University of Wales,
University Pole Leonard de Vinci, International School of Management, Fudan
University in Shanghai, the Society for Behavioral Neuroendocrinology, the
Society for Sensory Professionals, the Market Research Society, MOA, and
ESOMAR, for their support.
Many thanks to all the scientists, sensory professionals, and researchers whose
work inspired my research, with a special mention for John T. Manning, on
hormonesandbehavior,LindaBartoshukontasteperception,MartinRobinetteon
otoacoustic emissions, Martin Bronwen on metabolism and taste and smell
perception, Kimberly Jameson on color perception.
I am grateful to DervalResearch clients, teams, partners, and shareholders for
their support. Special thanks to Patricia Schneiders, Director of the French
ChamberofCommerceintheNetherlands,PierreWinkel,DirectoratNatexis,and
SandrineGoldie,fortheirencouragements,toNatalieArdetforhercontributionon
innovationand sustainability, toMarja Salaspurofor her availability andresearch
work, and Vlad Kolarov for the awesome illustrations.
Great thanks to David Gardner, Pacific Consultants Group, Inge Kaaijk-
Wijdogen, L’Oréal, Nathalie Jacquet, Pernod Ricard, Herbert Krug, Carl Zeiss
Vision, Markus Kohler, Philip Morris, Francois-Xavier Albouy, LEGO, and
Iolanda Meehan Niculescu, Philips, for their review, and constructive feedback.
Dankjeweltomydear friendsEsperance,Cecilia,Nicolas, Lizet, Anna,Susan,
Jean-Christophe,andtomyfriendsatEPWN,VMC,CFCI,ClubAffaires,Marcus
Evans, Luxe Pack, and WTG Events.
IthankfromthebottomofmyheartBarbaraFess,myeditoratSpringerforher
trust and guidelines.
Trillions of thank yous go to Johan, who supported me during my research,
provided me with lots of love and coffee, and helped me design and patent an
awesome Hormonal QuotientTM (HQ) Calculator.
I would also like to thank you, dear reader.