Sensory testing with KIDS!

Sensory testing with Sensory testing with KIDS!KIDS!

Sensory Symposium Cape TownSensory Symposium Cape Town13 August 200813 August 2008

Consumers In Focus Consumers In Focus -- Lorraine GeelLorraine Geel

KIDS market is big business!!!!!

• 52% of SA younger than 24 years (STATSA)

• Average age of the population 15 years

• The tween market (8-12 years) spending worth is about R6 billion per annum

• Tweens influence their parents’ spending to the tune of R20 billion per annum

KIDS market is big business!!!!!

• The urban sector– Employed urban market & their children– Represents 41% of the total South African market– 68% of the spending power

• The urban tween market represents a huge consumer base for the future (makes up 5.7% of the total population)

• Testing kids are essential

What we know about KIDS and their senses?

• Sensory development of children begins in the 7th

week of pregnancy

• Sweet liking is already developed in the womb and continues from there

• Picky eaters could just mean that they are super tasters (more research needed)

What do we know about KIDS and their senses?

• Olfactory senses linked to food do not develop fully until a child is 4-5 years

– Colour, shape and texture of food play a major role during a childs’early years

• Texture: Younger children (<10 years) prefer foods that are smooth

What do we know about KIDS and their senses?

• Colour: – Kids favorite colours are red, blue and purple– Not too fond of brown (except chocolate)– Do not like green (physiological development)

• Shape: Mini-anything seems to have value added appeal

• Packaging: Kids must have control (give them the feeling of achievement)

What do we know about KIDS and their senses?

• The preference for specific foods

– Largely learned

– Dependant on children's’ culture and environment

– Exposure effect

Exposure effect

• New products may require repeated testing

• Introduce a new & unfamiliar element + something familiar = BETTER

• Influence of peers important

• Role models

WE LIKE WHAT IS

FAMILIAR!

Testing young KIDS!!!!• Kids know what they like and dislike

– Babies can indicate what they like and dislike

• Preschoolers and infant research– Done in the home and include the mother

• Children older than 5 years– Differentiate degrees of liking and/or disliking.

• Keep It Dearly Simple!!!!

Keep It Dearly Simple!!!!

• Young children have difficulty with concept formation (e.g. sweetness) and classification– Attention span limit their abilities

• Ability to rank things in order of magnitude is not fully mastered until age 7

DO NOT MAKE ANY ASSUMPTIONS!

Keep It Dearly Simple!!!!

• Young children have limited– Memory skills

– Linguistic skills

• School-age children more mature– Reasoning ability

– Memory skills

– Language

DO NOT MAKE ANY ASSUMPTIONS!

Testing Older children!!!

• Language is an issue

• Keep scales simple

• One-on-one interviews (age 5-8).

– Familiar flavour (children under 8)

Testing Older children!!!

• Self-completion questionnaires for children older than 10 years

– Sweet and sour known

– Don’t like bitter

– Struggle to identify herbs and spices

– Less consistent responses to salt

Kids Scales• Picture scale and P&K scales appears to work the

best– Super good– Really good– Good– Just a little good– Maybe good or maybe bad– Just a little bad– Bad– Really bad– Super bad

• Length of the scale appear to not be a issue (USA/UK research).

• South Africa: 5 point and 7 point scales recommended

KIDS must be heard!!!!

• Right method = useful information

• Children require special handling

• Pay attention to:– Gaining confidence

– Providing motivation

– Expressing tasks in a language children understand

Group dynamics

• Boys & Girls = challenge and debate

• Separate groups = more sharing of information

• Avoid authoritarian style

• Keep kids involved by having interesting activities

MAKE IT FUN!!!!

Group dynamics

• Keep kids excited about working on a “real” project.

• Time of day – Availability– Product (e.g. breakfast cereal)

• Kids experience products holistically

MAKE IT FUN!!!!

Safety number 1!

• Important

– Sufficient information

– Agreement from parents/guardian

– Food

– Environment

Kids count!

• Fastest growing segment of the population

• 65% of household purchases have input from children

• Children know what they like and dislike

• Keep methods simple

• Keep children safe

Kids count!

CORRECT METHOD

USEFUL INFORMATION

EFFECTIVE DEVELOPMENT & MARKETING

PRODUCT SUCCESS

Sensory testing with KIDS!

Sensory testing with Sensory testing with KIDS!KIDS!

THANK YOU!THANK YOU!