The Three Elements

THERE are three elements to the SensoMetrics philosophy of sensory research:

The product experience

Consumer satisfaction begins with the product experience.  No amount of advertising or image-building can compensate for an unsatisfactory experience with a product (see SensoMetrics purchase cycle). This is especially true of fast moving consumer goods (FMCG).

Measurement

The product experience must be measured, and measured precisely.  All material and scientific progress is predicated upon meticulous measurement.  Without measurement - as in a purely qualitative exploration - the level of consumer satisfaction with the product experience remains a matter of conjecture.

Cause and effect

Much consumer research is purely descriptive; it does not offer explanation and hence cannot advance our understanding.  The SensoMetrics position is that, wherever possible, the effect (product experience) should be linked to the cause (product formulation).  Understanding rests upon this linkage.  How else can a product be modified to enhance its consumer appeal? 

These three elements are accommodated under the scientific discipline of psychophysics.  It is psychophysics that provides the theoretical structure for scientific sensory research.