Strategic Research?

Abstract

Sensory professionals often assist their companies with strategic research. One common example is the category appraisal, in which competitive products are evaluated relative to one’s own. Often the information is summarized by perceptual mapping, using multivariate statistical analyses. An important part of product development is optimization of specific attributes. A third area involves iden- tifying patterns of consumer preferences and groups to whom different versions of a product may be appealing.