Sensory research measures consumer perceptions and can support claims about sensory issues, such as “perfectly seasoned,” “eliminates tough odors,” “now with better taste,” or “gives you touchable soft hair.” Advertisers and marketers use sensory research to promote products or inform product line expansions.
Generating reliable evidence of how consumers feel about a product or how they believe it compares to a competitor requires brands to conduct sensory research. This type of research can be accomplished using either consumer surveys or trained sensory panels. Research is also valuable if a competitor challenges advertising claims or a regulator requests substantiation of those perception claims. For these reasons, supporting sensory claims with evidence is an important contributor to the success of an advertising campaign or product launch.
Types of Sensory Claims
Sensory advertising claims generally fall into two categories: comparative and non-comparative. Comparative claims explicitly compare a product with competing brands and include both superiority and parity claims. A parity claim regarding a cleaning product might read, “Our product cleans as well as Brand X,” while a superiority claim would assert, “Our product cleans better than Brand X.”
A non-comparative sensory claim makes a statement describing the product that does not include a comparison, such as a sunscreen labeled "dry touch. Both comparative and non-comparative claims can be classified as hedonic or perception claims. Hedonic claims are subjective and emotional, referring to preference or overall liking. Statements such as “great taste” or “tasty” are hedonic non-comparative claims, while “preferred over Brand X” is a hedonic comparative claim.
Perception claims relate to the perceived intensity or quality of a sensory attribute. Terms like “meaty” or “crispy” are non-comparative perception claims, while “more chocolatey” is a comparative perception claim.
A regulator or competitor may challenge any of these claim types. To avoid appearing before a court or regulatory body, or to be well prepared if such a challenge arises, advertisers should substantiate sensory claims with reliable, valid, and relevant scientific research.
Sensory Data That Supports Certain Claims
Most sensory claims are substantiated using data from consumer surveys, trained sensory panels, or laboratory instruments. Consumer data can support both hedonic and perception claims, and analytical data from trained panelists or laboratory instruments are typically used to support perception claims.
Consumer data can be used to:
- Identify sensory attributes to highlight in consumer perception claims.
- Substantiate comparative superiority claims, such as “seven out of ten kids prefer Brand Y to Brand Z."
- Support claims that a product has been improved, such as “new and improved formula."
- Substantiate perception claims, such as “now crispier.”
Trained panel data differs in that panelists have extensive training specific to sensory perception within particular product categories. These panelists are not used to provide liking or preference measures. Instead, they identify and quantify sensory attributes.
Data from trained sensory panels can be used to:
- Compare a current version of a product to a previous version or to competitors (“sweeter than Brand X”).
- Identify sensory attributes, such as sweet, salty, or floral.
- Identify and quantify overall differences in products, including attributes such as appearance, aroma, flavor, texture, and mouthfeel, and changes in intensity over time.
Reliable Sensory Claim Substantiation Research
A challenge advertisers may face, before or after conducting sensory research, is determining how to properly substantiate claims using research. Collecting data correctly is essential for producing reliable sensory claims research that can withstand scrutiny. IMS Legal Strategies conducts sensory research that follows the Standard Guide for Sensory Claim Substantiation from ASTM International (formerly the American Society for Testing and Materials).
If you require sensory claim substantiation, please contact IMS Legal Strategies.
