Sensations, Senses and Insight

When we describe any object, we use words to try to describe what we perceive, experience, associate or remember. Often many words are linked together to describe complex perceptions.

In the case of food products, these descriptions become even more complicated, necessitating the differentiation of sensations into groups such as (for example) appearance, odor, texture (visual, when handling as opposed to in the mouth), taste, aftertaste and the feeling in the mouth after swallowing. In isolation, the words have limited meaning, but grouped together they project an holistic impression of a product. When the impressions of a group of people are combined and the data mined effectively, it becomes possible to describe the “aura” of a product or the feelings that it may evoke, from a consumer perspective.

Many of the descriptors or words used by consumers to describe a product, are language bound. It is sometimes very difficult or even impossible to translate descriptive terms directly from English, French, Spanish and so on, with a single word in Afrikaans, Zulu, Hindi, Xhosa – and vice versa. The language aspect can cause some difficulty in the work conducted for multi national corporations, and have also been a headache for many controlling bodies that address validity in Sensory Science and Market Research.
Is it impossible to overcome?
No.
It does however require much insight into research methodology, internal and external validity of questionnaires and insight into consumer interpretation and their use of words and ‘slang’. Standard translations that have been validated by international bodies do however exist to address mainstream translations. When it comes to research in FMCG products – especially food products, a word is clearly not just ‘a word’.

Why this is important? After all – blue is blue – or is it?
Only if my light blue is the same as your light blue -- not to mention midnight blue, dark blue, navy......
Ever heard of the Tower of Babel?
Insight into consumer experience start with understanding each word in its exact connotation as used at a specific point in time. It is the way to change Sensations into Insight.


CMB
http://www.ewklibrary.com