1. Human Senses & Emotions: Understanding The Psychology Of Taste Greg Tucker The Marketing Clinic Greg@MClinic.co.uk +44 (0)1223 871884 Mob 07774 281591

2. Titanic – The Movie Stroking The Cat - Sculpture Skunk Eating Ice Cream Abide With Me – The Soundtrack Can You Spot The Link?

3. Taste & The Emotions Senses trigger an emotional response —Movies, Music, Stroking, Aroma – So Too With Taste Taste has evolved as a defence mechanism —Bitter Reflex (Think Skunk!) Taste is less ‘powerful’ than Aroma – Yet we must understand its emotional dimension Taste can trigger the whole range of emotions - pleasure, indulgence, health, sophistication, comfort, fun – how?

4. Taste & The Emotions Stimuli become linked – a paired conditioned response Pairing starts as an innate response —Breast milk Then additional connections are made: —Parental influences —Example 1: Formal family meal —Example 2: Fun on the beach

5. Taste & The Emotions Teenage acceleration —New tastes & connections —Peer group approval & shared experiences Setting up home —Rebuilding the ‘Nest’ as they knew it Arrival of children —Circle of life

6. Taste & The Emotions Parental Propaganda —Essential at first encounters —Mood music that contextualises the experience ‘It’s good for you – you’ll like it’ Diets, holidays & connections Cultural differences —Chilli —Le Goûter or le quattre heure —Strawberry & liquorice (yes, really) —Chips & wet or chips & scraps!

7. Taste & The Emotions Pleasure principle pertains – we seek to satisfy emotions Link between emotions & tastes frequently missed – but actually drives preference By understanding how a product delivers its benefits - pleasure, sophistication, image support - or even healthy - we can then tune the product to emphasise benefits sought

8. Taste & The Emotions Let’s pick an emotional benefit to consider By looking (closely!) at a ‘Healthy’ product –Orange Juice can we identify the taste characteristics – the stimuli – and how they trigger ‘Healthy’ emotional benefits? The Taste Signature® shows how the emotional benefits are provided by the stimuli – taste, texture, aroma in this example It unites the consumer experience – which Marketing owns - & the delivery mechanism – which Technical owns – on the same document

9. Taste Profile Orangy, hint of sweet and the vitality of freshness of cute fruit in aroma Other citrus notes add complexity and stir memories and recall of summertime Rounded, polished, rich but fresh Mid mouth - slow delicious distinct drink Rear mouth, heart of the drink - pure mellow tropical orange deliciousness Strange orange complexity within a single taste chord - no mixture - its just the fruit Clean, pure, no chemical or mixture aftertaste. Light in stomach - refreshing Orange Juice ‘D’ The drinking Process: Start to finish Taste Profile established by working with target consumers and breaking the consumption down into sectors – e.g. aroma, first taste, – e.g. aroma, first taste, mid mouth flavours, mouthfeel, aftertaste etc. Completeness is essential to establish key moments in taste journey key moments in taste journey

10. Cleanses and freshens – stylish Premium Quality Purity - real - healthy Stirs emotions, relaxes & calms - chill out Savouring flavour - comforts - indulgent - moreishness – starts Hedonistic & slow - real pleasure - happy - evening Strong natural message - moreish & quality closest to the fruit. Emotional Profile then established by Using Psychometric diagnostic tools to map the experience Orange Juice ‘D’ Emotional Profile

11. OJ - PSYCHOMETRICS * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * stylish fashionable unique integrity credible sophisticated worth a premium premium authentic fun sunny spirited happy confident self assured merry radiant happiness summery playful pleasurable chatting drink engaging a drink to chill out a drink to savour a drink to change my mood social indulgent evening afternoon morning quenching pure refreshment to relax with fast drink leisurely drink with breakfast pre breakfast delicious satisfaction fulfilling moment of pleasure in harmony with my mouth light in stomach healthier choice orange nothing added orange nothing lost effortlessly healthy added health benefits added healthy ingredients cells totally natural closest to the orange just squeezed oranges modern Style Need States Character Social Natural fashionable unique integrity

12. Finally, by reinterrogating the consumers & understanding the benefits sought we can prioritise the experience and show how the stimuli trigger the response The TASTE SIGNATURE TASTE profile EMOTIONAL profile Orangy, hint of sweet and the vitality of freshness of cute fruit in aroma Gentle easy front of mouth - not sour or bitter nor acidic, an extraordinary balance - the elegance of nature Rounded, polished, rich but fresh Mid mouth - slow delicious distinct drink Rear mouth, heart of the drink - pure mellow tropical orange deiciousness Gentle orange complexity within a single taste chord - no mixture - its just the fruit Clean, pure, no chemical or mixture aftertaste. Light in stomach - refreshing Cleanses and freshens - stylish Premium Quality Purity - real - healthy Stirs emotions, relaxes & calms - chill out Savouring flavour - comforts - indulgent - moreishness - starts Hedonistic & slow - real pleasure - happy - evening Strong natural message - moreish & quality closest to the fruit.

13. Cleanses and freshens - stylish Premium Quality Purity - real - healthy Stirs emotions, relaxes & calms - chill out Savouring flavour - comforts - indulgent - moreishness - starts Hedonistic & slow - real pleasure - happy - evening Strong natural message - moreish & quality closest to the fruit. The TASTE SIGNATURE TASTE profile EMOTIONAL profile Orangy, hint of sweet and the vitality of freshness of cute fruit in aroma Gentle easy front of mouth - not sour or bitter nor acidic, an extraordinary balance - the elegance of nature Rounded, polished, rich but fresh Mid mouth - slow delicious distinct drink Rear mouth, heart of the drink - pure mellow tropical orange deiciousness Gentle orange complexity within a single taste chord - no mixture - its just the fruit Clean, pure, no chemical or mixture aftertaste. Light in stomach - refreshing

14. Relating Consumption To Need States Need States: Marketing Speak – let’s define the concept Need States: The Emotional benefits sought from any given act of consumption Not necessarily rational nor understood Same product can be eaten differently to emphasis/shape emotional delivery Let’s think again about the importance of ‘Healthy’ benefits in our product – is ‘Healthy’ always important. Consider Orange Juice again …

15. NEEDS STATES – ORANGE JUICE Breakfast – cleansing, refreshing, sharp and intrusive, rehydrating, awakening, fresh mouth. Mid-Morning and Afternoon – break in mood, pleasurable, private, soft, rich, pleasure but not indulgence. With Meals – cleans the mouth, light in taste, alternate flavour to food, healthy. Social/Evening/Indulgence – drunk slowly, savoured, liquid pleasure, extended moment, concentration upon the taste, rich texture but light in mouth, savoured in mouth, indulgence.

16. Taste & Emotions Now we can ask: Can we enhance/optimise healthy? Identify the emotional benefits sought - & deliver them. Here’s some healthy emotions: —Vitality, energy, lightness in stomach, natural, guilt free satiation, permissible indulgence, fun, stimulating, refreshing, protection Which emotions, in which order & priority are required to deliver Healthy for a given Need State? It is not taste preference per se that matters – it is fit of emotional benefits from the consumption experience in the target Need State that delivers a ‘Healthy’ product

17. Taste & Emotions Finally: we know how to define the emotions sought - & to deliver them Let us consider what we can do once we know what we’ve got Case Study 2: Let’s stick with ‘Healthy’ & pick something that is almost an icon of ‘Healthy’ i.e. Yoghurt ‘D’ is a successful yoghurt in France – would its cultural messages transfer successfully to UK & where would sales come from?

18. Final assessment of moreish vs satiating defines quality & nature of experience Relative lengths & height of initial phase vs secondary phase is important to establish to understand sophistication/snacky/reward criteria in this context Yoghurt: The Shape Of The Taste From Front To Rear Of Mouth Taste HitDissolveSwallowAftertaste Satiation Moreish Taste/ Intensity ©Copyright Early intrusion - visual cues deliver texture messages - thick, rich - yet taste delivers vibrancy. Pieces suggest a texture contrast & approachable fun The sweet full taste combines early in the mouth with the yoghurt sourness to manage the harshness and deliver natural authentic interest Full complexity of the rear of mouth experience critical for evaluating either healthy treat/reward or indulgent guilt

19. Yoghurt: Relevant Need States

20. 0246810 Full, creamy yet moves visibly in tub- single cream thickness Early tangy intrusion after brief initial sweetness Consistent through mouth - thick and creamy yet not heavy Brief natural yoghurt in rear - aftertaste lingers moderately Mouth waters briefly and final taste is healthy, natural, hint of sweetness. No cloying film in mouth Healthy, natural, frisson of elusive guilt - ultimately a guilt free pleasure Modern, contemporary easy, stress free Belonging, home, family/ group identity, secure Reliable, trustworthy Calm, inner directed Moment extended - mild reverie, memories ‘D’ Taste Signature® Emotional Benefits Taste Characteristics

21. Yoghurt ‘D’: What We Learn So, we can identify the Taste Journey Crucially, we can identify the emotional benefits for the target consumer, in the Need State to be invaded This means that we can absolutely optimise the taste to deliver the experience sought So, what emotions are you trying to deliver?

22. Taste & Emotions Taste is important – but emotions are what defines the experience We must deliver the right feelings for that particular moment Once you know how this is done then you can match the experience offered to that sought – be it healthy, unhealthy – or … a bit of both Have you optimised the emotions you’re delivering to your consumers?