understanding the upscale of large-scale consumer panels
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Understanding the Upscale of Large- Scale Consumer PanelsGillian Dagan, Ph.D., CFSNovember 12, 2015
Gillian Dagan, Ph.D., CFS
Joined Mérieux NutriSciences in May, 2015 to lead growth of the Research Services Div.
Spent 11 years at ABC Research Laboratories, with the last 3 serving as the Chief Scientific Officer and managing Sales and Marketing functions
Ph.D. on Beer Pasteurization using a Non-Thermal, Dense-phase CO2 System from the University of Florida focusing on processing, sensory, protein chemistry
Foodie, Yoga Teacher, and Mom
What are Large-Scale Consumer Panels?
A panel is a subset of the general population that represents a target market for a particular product or idea
Large Scale Panels use 60+ participants Panelists
Untrained consumers Can have open participation or you can screen for specific demographics
Type of Test Objective - differences and discrimination Subjective - opinions, feelings, acceptability
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Uses and Benefits
Get the opinion of the average Joe (your target consumer!)
Product Maintenance, Product or Process Improvement, New Product Development, and Market Potential
By targeting light or heavy users you may see new options in product placement
Large number of panelists means you are minimizing outliers and getting a true sense of the opinions of your entire target audience
Data is statistically robust Appropriate for business decisions and product
launch
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R&D Prototypes: Child Panel
Chicken Nugget Project (Child Panel) Objective: Likeability data on prototypes need in
from ages 5-12 Three new Cheese Stuffed Chicken Nugget
prototypes were developed and our client needed to quantify which prototype(s) to move forward with based on kid’s likability of the products
Children 5-12 years old were recruited and screened for the panel
Child-only and Parent/Child panels were both conducted to give the client insight into the performance of the products
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Savory Flavor Enhancer for Salt Reduction Client wanted to quantify salt reduction
percentage when using their new savory flavor enhancer
Large-scale panel was completed comparing a variety of attributes of savory dishes using a traditional recipe with salt only and formulations containing reduced salt and the savory flavor enhancer
Client was able to quantify the % salt reduction that could be achieve with no adverse flavor/sensory effects using the functional ingredient
Data was as an internal verification of the success of the product and as a white paper for marketing the flavor enhancer
Marketing Functional Ingredients
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R&D Reformulations
Private Label Snack Cracker Project Large-scale consumer panel to quantify
performance of a new formulation of a private label snack cracker
Items tested were: Current private label formulation New private label formulation National Brand
Retailer was able to quantify and ensure consumer acceptance increased with new formulation prior to full production.
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Recipe Reformulations: Food Service
Mushroom Ravioli Recipe Change A multinational restaurant chain wanted to change their
mushroom ravioli to more mirror the menu description of the item
Current and new recipes were received from the supplier and prepared as per client guidelines
Consumers were recruited and screened based on the frequency they visited that specific restaurant chain and their consumption level of mushrooms and mushroom containing foods.
The restaurant chain was able to quantify the improvements to the recipe and confidently launch the new recipe under the same menu listing
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Considerations in Conducting a Large-Scale Consumer Panel
Recruiting and Screening Participants Set Demographics Determine Usage Levels Develop Screener
Securing Facilities Food Prep Area Private Booths Timing
Study Design and Data Collection Statistics and Report
Outsource to a sensory service provider like Mérieux NutriSciences!
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Mérieux NutriSciences
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