Comprehensive database of consumer food consumption patterns

www.neu.eduApr 3 2007

In a new paper, Northeastern University Professor of Marketing Samuel Rabino, Dr. Howard Moskowitz, President of Moskowitz and Jacobs Inc. and colleagues analyze the consumption patterns of 6,700 respondents' evaluation of 22 food and beverage products in three countries, creating a comprehensive database of their findings.

The paper, titled "Creating Databases from Cross-National Comparisons of Food Mindsets," will be published in an upcoming issue of the Journal of Sensory Studies . The paper introduces a "Mind Genomics" approach to gathering information, creating a body of knowledge on how consumers respond to the components of a complex stimulus, and providing a guide to product developers and policymakers concerned with public health on how to develop successful marketing strategies.

The countries surveyed were France, the United Kingdom and Germany.

"The dream of every company is to take their product and package, market and sell it in exactly the same way in every country," says Rabino. "This methodology enables companies to discern between products that lend themselves to a standardized marketing approach and those that don't."

The researchers used direct self-profiling questionnaire in a Web-based survey to collect data about food consumption habits along with a conjoint analysis stimulus-response model to understand how consumers respond to food concepts. By combining self-profiling and stimulus-response methods into a single interview, they were able to study a single food in great detail, meanwhile conducting a parallel study with a set of many foods to build a clearer, more holistic view of food habits in an individual country. The researchers then conducted studies across countries to identify the many different dimensions of consumption habits and preferences including product features and responses to emotional statements.

"As companies look to extend their brands into different countries, they must understand how members of specific cultures respond to products – what are their likes and dislikes, how should a product look, taste, feel, and smell," says Rabino. "These are important factors in determining whether a product should be introduced into a particular market or not."

Rabino and his colleagues plan to add more countries and products to their database in the future.