consumer engagement - the focus of success - presentation from the 10th australian mango conference

Consumer Engagement -the focus for success

Mark Loeffen

© Mark Loeffen & Associates Ltd, 2015

Why?

So we can sell more fruit at a better price

Because we want customers to have a consistently good

mango eating experience


Overview• Predicting Consumer Liking

• How consumers purchase fruit• Using examples from Citrus (California) and NZ stonefruit

• Predicting consumer liking before harvest• Using data from Citrus (California, Australia), Kiwifruit (New

Zealand), and Mangoes (Australia)

• Linking consumer liking to harvest criteria• A quick note on ripening• Summary


Setting the Scene• We know the consumer loves our product when its

good• we don’t need research to tell us that

• When it’s good:• our product walks out the door faster than retailers can

put it on the shelves

• When its bad, it costs us millions• Summerfruit NZ Conference (May 2013)


How consumers buy fruit

Is it safe? Yes

Buy


After a positive eating experience

Participants could tick multiple boxes

Consumer data collected by California Citrus


After a negative eating experience

Participants could tick multiple boxes

Consumer data collected by California Citrus


Two Moments of Truth

Visual appeal• Gets the first purchase

Taste appealLike• Gets repeat purchases

Dislike• Delays purchase (by 2 to 8 weeks)

or stops altogether


Consequences of immature fruit

• 40% - 55% of all NZ Summerfruit customers potentially unsatisfied due to immature fruit purchases

• 12% of customers (households) did not re-purchase that season

• 23% delayed purchase for at least one month following immature fruit purchases

2013 Nielsen NZ Homescan Survey + for Summerfruit NZ

Can you predict consumer liking before

harvest?


We measure consumer likingusing a Hedonic Scale

Score Description

9 like extremely

8 like very much

7 like moderately

6 like slightly

5 neither like nor dislike

4 dislike slightly

3 dislike moderately

2 dislike very much

1 dislike extremely

Peryam, D. R., & Girardot, N. F. (1952). Advanced taste-test method. Food Engineering,24(7), 58–61, 194.


Taste Sensation• Taste can be categorised as:

• Sweetness• Pleasant (Brix, SSC, TSS)

• Sourness• Unpleasant (TA, Acid)

• Bitterness• Most sensitive of tastes (%)

• Saltiness• Pleasant?

• Umami• Pleasant savoury taste (e.g. ketchup, broth)


Example: California Citrus

• Fruit samples regularly collected from selected orchards over entire growing season for 3 seasons

• Each fruit was measured for Brix and Acid and tasted by up to six people

• Tasters scored overall liking using the 9-point hedonic scale

• Project partially funded by the California Citrus Research Board & California Citrus Mutual

• Key researchers David Obenland & Mary Lu Arpaia


Liking increases with Brix

Individual fruit data

but with high variability


Liking decreases with Acidalso with high variability


Liking vs. Brix Acid Ratio is messy


BrimA• Principle:

• Sweet and sour are opposites• The tongue is more sensitive to acid• From Jordan RB, Seelye RJ, McGlone VA. A sensory based

alternative to Brix/acid ratio. Food Technology 55(6): 36-44, June 2001

• Uses a weighted sum of Brix and acid :• BrimA = Brix – k * Acid

• Where k is typically between 3 and 5

• Has been applied to• Citrus, table grapes, grapefruit, plums, mangoes


Liking increases with BrimAwith moderate variability


Average Liking vs. BrimAThe California Standard was set to an average liking of 5 (Neither Like nor Dislike)


% Liking vs. BrimAThe California Standard was set to an average of 50% liking


Higher BrimA = Higher Purchase

http://www232.pair.com/cacitrus/files/California Standard Presentation Showcase 3 March 2011.pdf


• The California Standard equation is:

(Brix – (TA*4))*16.5 = 90 • Joel Nelsen, president of California Citrus Mutual

• With The California Standard we can deliver good fruit at the first delivery, to shorten the repurchase cycle and improve sales.

• The California Standard exhibits a 90%+ accuracy in determining purchase intent.

• http://thecaliforniastandard.com/pdf/TheCaliforniaStandardPR.pdf


Setting harvest criteria• We have recently applied for a patent for a

technique that creates a 3D surface from which harvest criteria can be created so that the harvested fruit meet specific consumer liking criteria.


Predicting consumer liking

The Australian Experience

Acknowledge:

Citrus Australia


7 point Hedonic scale

Score Description

7 like very much

6 like moderately

5 like slightly

4 neither like nor dislike

3 dislike slightly

2 dislike moderately

1 dislike very much


Liking & Purchase increase with BrimA


BrimA predicts %Liking & %Purchase


Zespri

Taste Program


Taste Zespri• ZESPRI research found that consumers are driven

more by taste than by fruit price or size.• Their taste management programme, Taste

ZESPRI®, is committed to producing great tasting kiwifruit (higher Dry Matter)

• A significant portion of the Zespri payment to its suppliers is based on fruit Dry Matter

• http://www.zespri.com/zespri-kiwifruit/top-taste/building-the-taste.html


Mango consumer liking

Acknowledge:

HAL

Peter Hofman & team @ QDAF

Harvest Fresh Fruits


Calypso Liking• Fruit selected for a range of taste• Each fruit was measured for Brix and Acid and

tasted by up to twelve people• Tasters scored overall liking using the 9-point

hedonic scale• Project co-funded by Horticulture Australia Limited

and OneHarvest• Research undertaken by Peter Hofman and his team at

QDAF


Liking increases with Brix



Liking decreases with Acid



Liking increases with BrimA



Summary• With good science and clever analyses we are able

to predict consumer response before harvest• from measureable fruit properties

• Harvest specifications are typically set:• So consumers will not dislike the fruit on average• By market or demographic• To deliver a consistently good eating experience

• Other fruit industries have successfully implemented this


Link to Harvest CriteriaDry Matter


What is Dry Matter?• Fundamentally

Dry Matter(%) = 100% – Water(%)


Why Dry Matter?• Mangoes store their carbohydrates as starch

• Brix is at its maximum only when the fruit is fully ripe


Dry Matter link to Consumer Liking

• Consumer liking increases as Brix increases • And liking generally decreases as Acid increases

• Ripe Brix is related to harvest Dry Matter

Ripe Brix = Harvest DM – (1 or 2)

• Higher Brix = improved liking• Higher harvest DM = Higher ripe Brix = better liking


Taste potential is locked in at Harvest

Dry matter is the key measure


RipeningBrix


Ripening trial resultsThis mango data shows the need to monitor Brix through the ripening process


Summary – Ripening• Ripe Brix potential is set at Harvest

Ripe Brix = Harvest DM – (1 or 2)• The ripening process increases Brix …

• But does not guarantee that the potential will be realised

• Check Dry Matter before ripening to determine Brix potential

• Then monitor Brix during ripening to ensure that the fruit ripen to their full potential

• Correct ripening is critical for the consumer to experience the full taste potential within the fruit!


Take home messages• Fruit visual appeal facilitates the first purchase• Taste experience determines repeat purchases

• Positive taste experience – buy more• Negative taste experience – wait 2-8 weeks or stop

• We can predict consumer response and buying behaviour before harvest

• From Brix, Acid or Dry Matter

• Dry matter at harvest determines taste potential• Ripening can realise this taste potential


Practical application - HFF• We have worked with Harvest Fresh Fruits since

2011 and applied this to their business in conjunction with our Decision Support Tools

• Kieren Brown, Chief Operating Officer at HFF:• The reputation of the Calypso mango has definitely

improved• The supermarkets are very happy with the quality,

consistency and shelf life of or mangoes now• Using the decision support tools allows me to ensure we

harvest as efficiently as possible while still delivering a good consumer eating experience


Acknowledgements• Andrew Harty & Citrus Australia• Mary Lu Arpaia, California Citrus Research Board,

California Citrus Mutual• Zespri• Summerfruit NZ• Peter Hofman, Queensland Government Department of

Agriculture and Fisheries• Kieren Brown, Harvest Fresh Fruits• Horticulture Australia Ltd (now Horticulture Innovation

Australia)

Thank youwww.delytics.com

www.mla.co.nz

http://www.delytics.com/

http://www.mla.co.nz/

consumer engagement - the focus of success - presentation from the 10th australian mango conference

Science

mark loeffen associates

consumer liking

citrus california

liking increases

liking decreases

overall liking

immature fruit purchases

brix individual fruit