 |
|
Touch Can Trump Taste, According to New Retail Research from Rutgers School of Business
July 16, 2008CAMDEN -- For some consumers, the way a cup of mineral water tastes has more to do with the container than the contents. Especially for consumers who are less likely to enjoy touching items or products before deciding to buy them.
According to new research conducted by Maureen Morrin, an associate professor of marketing at the Rutgers School of Business-Camden, manufacturers and marketers need to consider how their product packaging feels if they want consumers to make the purchase.
Morrin and Aradhna Krishna, a professor of marketing at the University of Michigan, examined how the varying firmness of otherwise identical cups affected the evaluations of taste by more than 1,000 men and women who were served samples of the same mineral water.
The research suggests that companies "should not skimp on the touch-related aspects of their products," says Morrin. "Touch is an important part of the consumer experience - a benefit that should not be discounted simply because we don't ordinarily consciously process that information."
In their research, Morrin and Krishna focused on how "nondiagnostic haptic cues" - those unrelated to product quality, such as the feel of the container - affect the process of consumer decision-making. The researchers were especially interested in the effects of cues with negative connotations, such as the flimsy feel of a cup.
Consumers generally fall into one of two categories: Those with a high need for touch (NFT), and those with a lower NFT. Given that high-touchers are more apt to squeeze the grapefruit (or the roll of toilet paper) before making a selection, they would seem more likely to take the quality of the container into account when assessing the taste of the water. "We had that hypothesis at the outset of our project," Morrin says.
But the Rutgers-Camden researcher found that participants in the experiment who had a higher NFT made taste judgments that were significantly less affected by the feel of the cup than did lower-NFT people. Members of the latter group were consistently more likely to have less favorable judgments about the taste of the water when it was served in a flimsy cup, and more favorable assessments when the same water was served in a firm cup.
"That's why research is so interesting," Morrin says. 'If you only always confirmed your hypotheses, it would be considerably less exciting a field."
The difference in taste evaluations between high- and low-touchers held even when the research subjects did not touch the cups but were told about the firmness of the bottles in which the water is sold. In this case, the low-NFT people were willing to pay higher prices for the water, simply by being told that bottles were firmer.
While other research has found high-touch consumers to be overly influenced by tactile cues when making decisions in the marketplace, Morrin and Krishna's findings suggest that is not always the case. It appears that consumers who like to touch products while shopping may be more skillful (even unconsciously) at evaluating information gained through touch than low-touch consumers.
"High-NFT shoppers appear to know when the information gained through touch should influence their decisions, such as when trying to buy a soft sweater or a lightweight computer, and when it should not, such as when tasting water served in a firm or flimsy plastic cup," Morrin says.
Morrin's previously published research includes how and why consumers make decisions, as well as the factors involved - including the ability to remember brand names, and how that ability is affected by ambient odors.
She teaches such undergraduate and MBA courses as Consumer Behavior, Customer Analytics, and Database Marketing at the Rutgers School of Business-Camden.
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
The research suggests that companies "should not skimp on the touch-related aspects of their products," says Morrin. "Touch is an important part of the consumer experience - a benefit that should not be discounted simply because we don't ordinarily consciously process that information."
In their research, Morrin and Krishna focused on how "nondiagnostic haptic cues" - those unrelated to product quality, such as the feel of the container - affect the process of consumer decision-making. The researchers were especially interested in the effects of cues with negative connotations, such as the flimsy feel of a cup.
Consumers generally fall into one of two categories: Those with a high need for touch (NFT), and those with a lower NFT. Given that high-touchers are more apt to squeeze the grapefruit (or the roll of toilet paper) before making a selection, they would seem more likely to take the quality of the container into account when assessing the taste of the water. "We had that hypothesis at the outset of our project," Morrin says.
But the Rutgers-Camden researcher found that participants in the experiment who had a higher NFT made taste judgments that were significantly less affected by the feel of the cup than did lower-NFT people. Members of the latter group were consistently more likely to have less favorable judgments about the taste of the water when it was served in a flimsy cup, and more favorable assessments when the same water was served in a firm cup.
"That's why research is so interesting," Morrin says. 'If you only always confirmed your hypotheses, it would be considerably less exciting a field."
The difference in taste evaluations between high- and low-touchers held even when the research subjects did not touch the cups but were told about the firmness of the bottles in which the water is sold. In this case, the low-NFT people were willing to pay higher prices for the water, simply by being told that bottles were firmer.
While other research has found high-touch consumers to be overly influenced by tactile cues when making decisions in the marketplace, Morrin and Krishna's findings suggest that is not always the case. It appears that consumers who like to touch products while shopping may be more skillful (even unconsciously) at evaluating information gained through touch than low-touch consumers.
"High-NFT shoppers appear to know when the information gained through touch should influence their decisions, such as when trying to buy a soft sweater or a lightweight computer, and when it should not, such as when tasting water served in a firm or flimsy plastic cup," Morrin says.
Morrin's previously published research includes how and why consumers make decisions, as well as the factors involved - including the ability to remember brand names, and how that ability is affected by ambient odors.
She teaches such undergraduate and MBA courses as Consumer Behavior, Customer Analytics, and Database Marketing at the Rutgers School of Business-Camden.
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Taste News and Current Taste Events RSSK-State professor's research suggests that cigarettes' power may not be in nicotine itself
There may be a very good reason why coffee and cigarettes often seem to go hand in hand.
Wolves would rather eat salmon
Although most people imagine wolves chasing deer and other hoofed animals, new research suggests that, when they can, wolves actually prefer fishing to hunting.
Iowa State University experts can discuss new FDA produce irradiation rule
The Food and Drug Administration's new (Aug. 22) regulation that will allow irradiation pasteurization to be used on fresh spinach and iceberg lettuce to kill illness-causing bacteria is a step that two Iowa State University professors have long advocated.
Childhood ear infections may predispose to obesity later in life
Researchers are reporting new evidence of a possible link between a history of moderate to severe middle ear infections in childhood and a tendency to be overweight later in life. Their study suggests that prompt diagnosis and treatment of middle ear infections - one of the most common childhood conditions requiring medical attention - may help fight obesity in some people.
New 52-city report examines use of wastewater in urban agriculture
As developing countries confront the first global food crisis since the 1970s as well as unprecedented water scarcity, a new 53-city survey conducted by the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) indicates that most of those studied (80 percent) are using untreated or partially treated wastewater for agriculture. In over 70 percent of the cities studied, more than half of urban agricultural land is irrigated with wastewater that is either raw or diluted in streams.
Chronic ear infections linked to increased obesity risk
Ear infections are a painful rite of passage for many children. New research suggests the damage caused by chronic ear infections could be linked to people's preference for fatty foods, which increases their risk of being overweight as they age.
Invest in your family's health by budgeting for nutrient-rich foods
Times are tough for many families and schools - so those food dollars need to work hard by providing plenty of nutrition. Many nutrient-rich foods such as milk, are a good economic and nutritional value because they pack in many essential nutrients at a low cost per serving.
Caltech neurobiologists discover individuals who 'hear' movement
Individuals with synesthesia perceive the world in a different way from the rest of us. Because their senses are cross-activated, some synesthetes perceive numbers or letters as having colors or days of the week as possessing personalities, even as they function normally in the world.
Electronic tongue tastes wine variety, vintage
You don't need a wine expert to identify a '74 Pinot Noir from Burgundy - a handheld "electronic tongue" devised by European scientists will tell you the grape variety and vintage at the press of a button.
1 missing gene leads to fruitless mating rituals
Male fruit flies missing a gene for one particular odor receptor become clueless in matters of love, scientists at Duke University Medical Center have discovered.
More Taste News Articles
 | Stuff White People Like: A Definitive Guide to the Unique Taste of Millions by Christian Lander They love nothing better than sipping free-trade gourmet coffee, leafing through the Sunday New York Times, and listening to David Sedaris on NPR (ideally all at the same time). Apple products, indie music, food co-ops, and vintage T-shirts make them weak in the knees. They believe they’re unique, yet somehow they’re all exactly the same, talking about how they “get” Sarah... |
 | The South Beach Diet Taste of Summer Cookbook (The South Beach Diet) by Arthur Agatston What better way to enjoy the relaxed, healthy South Beach Diet lifestyle than with a cookbook that celebrates the best foods of summer from garden and market? The 150 all-new quick and healthy recipes in The South Beach Diet Taste of Summer Cookbook capture the casual, sunny essence of Florida’s popular South Beach--and other warm climates around the world. Whatever phase of the diet... |
 | Tim Gunn: A Guide to Quality, Taste and Style (Tim Gunn's Guide to Style) by Tim Gunn, Kate Moloney There seems to be no one more qualified or equipped to ponder or even, dare I say, dictate 'quality, taste, and style' than Tim." -Sarah Jessica Parker, actor/producerTelevision has introduced the world to a new fashion authority: Tim Gunn. As Bravo's style mentor and Chair of the Fashion Design Department at Parsons The New School for Design, Tim delivers advice in a frank, witty, and... |
 | Pressure Perfect: Two Hour Taste in Twenty Minutes Using Your Pressure Cooker by Lorna J. Sass Under pressure to get a tasty, nutritious dinner on the table in a flash? Like the idea of preparing fork-tender beef stew in thirty minutes and pot roast in under an hour? All this and more is made possible by the pressure cooker, a magical appliance that produces soul-satisfying, homemade food in one-third (or less) the standard cooking time. In Pressure Perfect, Lorna Sass, the country's... |
 | Healthy Cooking for Two (or Just You): Low-Fat Recipes with Half the Fuss and Double the Taste by Frances Price * More than 200 creative, low-fat recipes for today's smaller households* Unique two-column recipe format for hassle-free preparation* Tips on shopping for one or two, and streamlining your kitchen* Full nutrient analysis with every recipe* Special chapter of delicious, no-fuss menus* Plenty of 30-minute recipes-- plus meatless meals, divine desserts, tip-packed boxes and... |
 | Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills by Russell L. Blaylock |
 | Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgement of Taste by Pierre Bourdieu No judgement of taste is innocent. In a word, we are all snobs. Pierre Bourdieu brilliantly illuminates this situation of the middle class in the modern world. France's leading sociologist focusses here on the French bourgeoisie, its tastes and preferences. Distinction is at once a vast ethnography of contemporary France and a dissection of the bourgeois mind. In the course of everyday life... |
| Taste of Home 2008 Annual Recipes | |
 | Eat-Taste-Heal: An Ayurvedic Cookbook for Modern Living by Thomas Yarema, Daniel Rhoda, Johnny Brannigan "Eat Taste Heal makes the ancient healing wisdom of Ayurveda accessible - and deliciously so - to modern cooks everywhere. Read this book." - Deepak Chopra Eat Taste Heal: An Ayurvedic Cookbook for Modern Living provides modern applications of Ayurveda, humankind's most ancient system of healthy living. A complete guidebook and cookbook in one, this book offers every reader an... |
 | Celine Dion's Let's Talk About Love: A Journey to the End of Taste (33 1/3) by Carl Wilson Non-fans regard Céline Dion as ersatz and plastic, yet to those who love her, no one could be more real, with her impoverished childhood, her (creepy) manager-husband's struggle with cancer, her knack for howling out raw emotion. There's nothing cool about Céline Dion, and nothing clever. That's part of her appeal as an object of love or hatred -- with most critics and committed music fans taking... |
| © 2008 BrightSurf.com |