Key Takeaways:
In consumer sensory research, there’s a common saying: context matters. Whether it’s tasting snacks at home or sampling products in a controlled central location test (CLT), the setting can significantly shape consumer perceptions. Ratings tend to rise, product differences may become clearer, and consumers are more engaged and satisfied when the environment feels right.
But here’s the catch—while context can polish the presentation, it doesn’t change how consumers rank one product against its competitors. At P&K, our research has consistently shown that no matter the testing environment, the overall ranking of products almost always stays the same. In other words, you can’t put lipstick on a pig. A product that falls short will still rank at the bottom, no matter how perfect the setting.
Go Deeper:
To better understand this phenomenon, let’s look at a few case studies. First, however, it’s worth noting that individual consumers don’t necessarily provide the same rank order of liking by condition or context. Yet, when analyzed in aggregate, the overall rank order of performance remains stable across all contexts.
Branded vs Unbranded CLT: In this central location test, sharing the brand name had a positive impact on the absolute rating of all products. While the brand name helped some products become slightly more competitive, the rank order of consumer liking remained nearly identical.
Traditional vs. In-Context CLT: In this study, each time more context was provided, the overall liking scores increased for both food products tested. Subjects rated the food highest when served with toppings and sides during an in-context CLT. The lowest scores were for food with no toppings in a traditional CLT. Still, in each of the four contexts tested, the competitor’s product performed significantly higher every time.
Testing in Three Environments: We tested four wines in a traditional CLT, an immersive virtual reality environment, and an actual restaurant. Again, the overall liking rating increased in the immersive and actual environments, but the product performance rank order did not change.
Final Insights:
As these examples show, context simply can’t disguise a poor performer. A stronger product will always win out—which is why it’s essential to invest in optimizing products and sensory experiences to delight your customers and fulfill their needs.
Interested in learning more about context? Read more about what we’ve learned from providing context in central location tests.