Descriptors & Triggers......

Descriptors ..... Triggers?


In our world, words are not just words.

Blue – is not just ‘blue’ …..

Words that describe what we feel or observe are ‘descriptors’. Descriptors are words that describe a product. When they lead us to action, they act as ‘triggers’.
Why ‘triggers’?
The word ‘trigger’ is not part of the terminology used in Market research or sensory science!
We use the word ‘triggers’ in our business because it infers action.
When it comes to the debit and credit side of the business world, descriptors without action are not worth much.
Descriptors without action are the words of experts and business. Descriptors describe products -- they do not necessarily infer consumer action.
Words that ‘trigger’ action are the elusive key to effective consumer communication, consumer satisfaction, the unlocking of new markets and more. Determining and acting on the consumer ‘triggers’ for each product / product range / -category, is similar to finding the key to lost treasure….

Let’s put it in simpler terms.
The words used by us as consumers are very important – especially if they can be linked to an action such as a purchase – especially a repeat purchase of any product.
These are the words linked to buy-intention.
Liking or preferring a product does not automatically infer that a person will buy it. It is important to understand which words or terms are best correlated with consumer intention to buy – and eventual purchase. It is therefore important to differentiate between the terms or words that ‘describe’ a product and those that lead to action. In many businesses, much emphasis is placed on ‘descriptors’.

This may lead to misuse – and disaster.

How?

By accepting that descriptors are the same as ‘triggers’ – words that lead to action, when they do not and never will. It is the difference between using words to identify and describe a product on the one hand, and the words that consumers use on the other.

Descriptors are well known in sensory science as well as market research. According to sensory science principles, these terms are determined and verified through rigorous research protocols. In the case of market research, they are pre-determined by marketers or market researchers, which may give rise to the measuring of product characteristics that are not understood by the respondents in the study or the scoring of products by consumers (respondents) using ‘descriptors’ which they find too generalized or even unimportant with regard to that specific product. This gives rise to misleading research results and may lead to misinformation and product failure.

Does this mean that descriptors are not important?

No – indeed not!

They are very important – when determined and put to use in a suitable situation such as in some sensory methods, quality control evaluations and more.
It is a question of using ‘the right tool for the job’.
Descriptors and triggers both have their own place in the business world.

Are descriptors ‘different’ from ‘triggers’?
Only with regard to the differences described – they are still all just ‘words’.

What about words leading to consumer action – the ‘triggers’ we mentioned?
They differ from product to product and are determined through specific methods.
These are the terms that companies are most interested in – it is the words that lead to new products that capture the minds and hearts of consumers and lead to ….profit…..

CMB
http://www.ewklibrary.com