What is usually tasted 100 to 1. Tasting as a method of promoting food products. What should be exhibited at the tasting
Ph.D., Strategic Management
marketing of JSC PARNAS-M
Without risking making a big mistake, we can say that there are not very many people in the world who believe their own feelings less than the impressions and stories of others. This article will discuss the method sales promotion, which is based on an objective factor of human psychology - trust in one’s own feelings. Manufacturers and marketers food products call this promotion method products tastings, specialists in marketing non-food products it is called pattern propagation.
Product categories best suited for tastings, are produced for market segments with relatively high capacity. Besides this products must have the following properties:
the targeting of these products to the general consumer;
be a product of frequent repeated sales to the same persons;
be a low-cost product.
Obviously, almost everything that is consumed as food falls into the group of such goods. Therefore, further we will consider in detail the features of carrying out exactly tastings. At the same time, answers will be given to the traditional list of questions: what is their purpose? Where and when are such events held? What should customers taste? How and who should conduct them?
What is the purpose of the tasting?
Tastings and sample distribution fit harmoniously into a marketing channel communication strategy called pull. The main efforts of manufacturers in this case are focused on final demand. Goal: to create a favorable attitude towards the product at the level of final demand, inducing intermediaries to forced cooperation with the manufacturer. The value of a pull strategy for firms is that its success neutralizes the possibility of pressure from intermediaries in the distribution channel and ensures their large-scale cooperation and loyalty.
In the classic literature on sales marketing, the authors draw attention to the fact that systematically organized tastings, when covering a significant number of buyers in the target segment, provide, in addition to short-term results, also a long-term effect. Therefore, tastings can be considered, in addition, as a mechanism for investing in the image of the manufacturing enterprise and its trademark, with the goal of creating a favorable brand image and acquiring capital of fame, which over time will provide better guarantees of interaction with intermediaries. Eloquent proof of the validity of what has been said can serve as the still continuing demand in St. Petersburg for products with the brand
“Samson”, despite the fact that it successfully operates, exists as a single enterprise and regularly organizes tastings of its products, the Samson meat processing plant in St. Petersburg stopped more than two years ago.
Where and when is it appropriate to conduct tastings?
Tastings various types food products are most often carried out online retail: large department stores and convenience stores, grocery stores, specialty stores. As a rule, these are regular weekly promotions three or two days a week. Most often, they are organized on the days and hours of the greatest customer activity. For most retail outlets, according to long-term observations, this is Thursday and/or Friday from 16.00 to 20.00 and Saturday from 13.00 to 17.00.
Tastings organized in this way are intended to: familiarize as many consumers as possible with the types of products being tasted and increase the volume of their sales.
What should be exhibited at the tasting?
The range of products presented at the tasting usually includes 4-6 items for each outlet. When compiling the assortment, the following factors are taken into account:
the presence of new products being introduced to the market (attack of a new target segment);
availability of products not previously sold at a retail outlet (protection of the target segment);
decline in sales for certain types of products at a given outlet (“warming up” of the target segment);
mandatory presence products from different price ranges (segmentation by benefits);
availability of products that are analogues of competitors’ products (winning market share from a competitor).
In accordance with the listed conditions (factors), the assortment for a specific outlet can be formed as follows:
2-3 items are offered by the manufacturer itself and are most often mandatory for all retail outlets;
2-3 items are offered by sales managers in agreement with store administration.
This approach allows you to take into account the interests of both the manufacturer and retail organizations, respond flexibly to market conditions and take timely measures based on the assigned tasks and the current situation. (Requirements for cutting products are given in Appendix 2.)
Who can conduct a tasting and how should it be organized?
Tasting groups can include from 6-7 to 10-11 demonstrators, including the group leader. All demonstrators must undergo the necessary training conducted by the chief technologist of the enterprise and a psychologist. (The requirements for a demonstrator are given in the appendix.) The training of demonstrators at large enterprises is increasingly carried out by specialized companies according to targeted (ordered by the enterprise) programs. So in St. Petersburg, an 18-20 hour training course costs approximately $100 per student.
In large companies, employees conducting tastings are usually kept on permanent staff. The number of demonstrators depends on the intensity and duration of the various promotional campaigns planned by the firm. Their monthly salary is usually quite low: from 2,000 to 4,000 rubles. This is due to the fact that, except for the leader of the demonstration team, everyone else works 2-3 days a week. (Appendix 3 provides samples of the taster's introductory speech.)
Based on the results of the promotions, the head of the tasting group submits a report to the head of the marketing department every month. It includes primary information collected by tasters for marketers using formats previously developed for this purpose; in addition, information about the dynamics of sales volumes, usually 4-5 weeks: a week before the tasting, about the dynamics of volumes during the tasting and their changes two weeks after the promotion. With properly planned promotions and uninterrupted delivery of the full range of tasting products, sales volumes increase on average from 2 to 4 times. Despite the significant effect of free samples of the product, after the campaigns are stopped, the demand for the product begins to gradually fall over the course of several months or even weeks - just like after any other promotions.
The tasting schedule is drawn up by the enterprise's sales marketing department together with the sales managers of the enterprise itself and/or the trading house that is the official distributor of these products. The most preferred points when choosing the place and time of promotions are, as noted earlier, points with the highest flow of customers through the outlet. The practice of conducting tastings shows that 3-5 teams of 2 people each should work simultaneously. From the experience of conducting tastings in St. Petersburg, it follows that each district of the city is covered on average in 1-2 weeks. Thus, in three months the campaign allows you to cover all the most attractive areas of the city.
Expenses
The costs of organizing and conducting tastings consist of two main items: one-time investment investments and variable costs directly for holding events. The first are related to providing demonstration teams with everything necessary, including theoretical preparation and training. The second arises when the product is delivered to promotion points and consumed during tastings.
An approximate estimate of investment and variable costs for tastings is presented in Table 1.
Based on the above figures, it can be stated with good reason that tasting is a relatively inexpensive way to promote products, especially compared to advertising in central media mass media. This last statement is disputed by some marketers, but any reader can compare the costs of a one-time media campaign with the data shown in Table 1.
We should not forget that tastings also have a direct impact on the target group of buyers (no one who needs candy comes into the sausage store). For this reason, we can talk about tasting as one of the most effective ways product promotion.
Table 1
Estimated cost estimate for tasting
Expense item Quantity Investment costs Special equipment Branded tasting stands Workwear: aprons, scarves or caps in a branded design Cutting boards Pots Electric stoves Extensions (7-10 m) Fundamentals of sales psychology, consumer behavior and working with their objections (15-20 hour course). 11 people Variable expenses Product A Product B Product B Product D Product D Disposable plates, Napkins, Toothpicks Working day of a Gazelle car for 5 retail outlets TOTAL(for 3 times a week, 4 weeks, 5 outlets) before 70000
Specialist. cloth
Work equipment
Means of communication
Training
Consumables per point
Transport
Literature
1. Golubkov E.P. Fundamentals of Marketing: Textbook. - M.: Finpress, 1999. - 656 p.
2. Doyle P. Management: strategy and tactics / Transl. from English - St. Petersburg: Peter, 1999. - 560 p.
3. Kotler F., Armstrong G., Saunders J., Wong W. Fundamentals of Marketing / Trans. from English - 2nd ed. - M.; St. Petersburg: “Williams”, 1999. - 1152 p.
4. Khrutsky V.E., Korneeva I.V. Modern Marketing: A Handbook on Market Research: Tutorial. - 2nd ed., revised. and additional - M.: Finance and Statistics, 1999. - 528 p.
table 2
Tasting scenario
Annex 1
Requirements for a demonstrator
Responsibilities of the taster
The demonstrator is obliged:
1. Have a health book with you.
2. Start and finish work at exactly the specified time.
3. Be aware of the composition, coating of the product, in particular about the product being tasted.
4. Provide the buyer with reliable, comprehensive information about the product presented at the tasting.
5. Make efforts to convince customers that the products being tasted have exceptional merits.
6. When discussing your product together with a competitor’s product, pay attention to the common advantages and emphasize the exceptional advantages of your own and the exceptional disadvantages of your competitors’ products.
7. Be correct when communicating with customers.
8. Contact sellers and managers of retail outlets.
10. Fill out questionnaires for marketing research.
11. Draw up a work report (weekly) and submit it to the head of the tasting group.
12. Monitor the constant availability and correct display of products in the store windows.
13. Ensure the safety of working equipment during tasting.
15. Be able to cut products and use them in accordance with established standards.
Requirements for the appearance of the taster
The taster should look neat:
clothes are ironed (light top, dark bottom);
hands are in order (bright nail polish is not allowed);
hair is tucked under a headdress. During the tasting, wear a uniform (apron and cap or headscarf).
The taster is not allowed
chewing at the workplace, eating and drinking at the counter;
bring distracting items with you (player, toys, books, etc.);
talk to your partner about issues not related to work.
Appendix 2
Requirements for cutting products
1. Products are cut into slices no more than 3-4 mm thick.
2. Each slice is cut into 6-8 approximately equal segments (boiled sausage), into 4 equal segments (semi-smoked and boiled smoked sausage), into 2 equal parts (raw smoked sausage).
3. Products are cut as needed (at least once every 30 minutes).
4. Products must be neatly laid out on a disposable plate and have an attractive appearance. It is strictly forbidden to have dried products on the plate.
Appendix 3
Taster's opening speech
The taster must make the introductory speech loudly and clearly at least once every 10 minutes.
Option 1.
Dear customers!
Today we are offering you a (free) tasting of the products of the “N” plant.
Please come and try it! Our products are of high quality and are on sale.
Option 2.
Dear customers!
You have the opportunity to try the products of the N plant. You can try the sausages, evaluate their taste, and also express your opinion about the product and the meat processing plant that produces it. You can purchase the products you like in our store.
Contact via radio.
(If there is a radio node in a retail outlet, the demonstrator should regularly (once every 20-30 minutes) contact customers himself, or ask the administrator of the retail outlet about this.)
Dear customers!
Today we are offering you a tasting of the products of the N plant. You are given the opportunity to taste and evaluate the taste (the following is a list of the range of products being tasted). The products of the N plant are made from high-quality raw materials. The entire range is presented on the shelves of our store.
Also on this topic.
When I see promoters in a supermarket, I’m always curious what’s there this time...
I, of course, have several professional goals: I evaluate the training of the staff, their appearance, I look at how the promotion is designed from the point of view of me, as a buyer, and me, as a marketer.
I appreciate how the promotional table and tasting area are decorated. What utensils are used, what knives are used to cut the product, and whether gloves are used. And also, does the promoter have a manicure and does his hair fall into the plate?
In general, I often have many complaints. And mistakes can cost you, as a client, a lot. What mistakes should you pay attention to and how to avoid them so that your campaign goes smoothly and efficiently?
Let's look at the main mistakes that companies make when conducting such promotional activities.
Promotional event - product tasting. The main mistakes when conducting a tasting promotion.
Mistake No. 1. Lack of the product being tasted for sale.
Let's start with the most important thing, something that does not apply to promoters in principle - this is the presence of the product being tasted on the shelves at the tasting site. Even though it seems obvious, in 40-50% of cases the product runs out within the first hour of tasting. Naturally, it is impossible to take him to TT during the day. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure that there is sufficient quantity of the tasting product for the promotion. Usually, at the time of tasting in different product categories, sales increase by 4-10 times. Take this into account when creating your inventory.
Solution: control over inventory, increasing inventory in accordance with the mechanics of the promotion.
Mistake No. 2. Inappropriate type of promoter
Now we will not talk about appearance, but about the type of promoter.
We had one client who insisted exclusively on girls of model appearance when tasting sausages in the middle price segment. He was very frightened that the biggest sales were from a girl whose appearance could be described as “a delicious Ukrainian.” By the end of the “sausage” promotion, all the promoters had approximately the same, attractive, “edible-homey” appearance: busty and pleasant to the touch))). The client replaced the entire team of promoters.
Needless to say, the trust of customers who buy sausages for daily consumption also depends on the appearance of the promoters. Skinny models that would be appropriate next to elite alcohol or water cannot offer sausages. Or rather, they can offer them, but you are unlikely to see tangible results in sales.
Solution: Research customer preferences and propose promoters of a type that is significant to them.
Mistake #3: Inappropriate promoter's appearance
For a promoter who conducts a promotion, they definitely need well-groomed hands. Inconspicuous manicure - pale pink, beige or transparent. No long nails or red and black polish. This causes negative associations among buyers.
Makeup– minimal, but mandatory. Light pink - beige lipstick! Hair tied up in a bun, let alone loose hair. Firstly, it is unhygienic - it is unthinkable to allow hair to get into the product, and secondly, it greatly interferes with work.
It is better to avoid wearing a headdress in your uniform when conducting tastings.. The main reason is the need to wear special hats when working in such large networks as Auchan or Metro. Your ingenious and creative headdress will simply not be used.
No jewelry. Maximum cross on the neck. Nothing else.
Low heel shoes. Shoes should be comfortable. Most often these are black ballet shoes. Unless otherwise provided by your uniform. But based on experience, 4-5 working hours on your feet is a test for your legs, so preferably no heels.
Solution: The appearance of the promoter must comply with generally accepted standards. Discreet makeup, well-groomed hands, tidy hair, minimal jewelry, comfortable shoes.
Mistake No. 4. Errors in promoter communication.
This is something that can be a huge happiness and also a huge failure. Remember the rule: the promoter must be prepared. The text should be as short as possible, 1-2 sentences maximum. Unfortunately, people don't listen anymore.
The text should bounce off your teeth like the multiplication table for an excellent student.
The promoter must know the product thoroughly. And if suddenly a meticulous client comes across, he must explain everything that interests the consumer, or know who to contact and who to get the answer from.
Speech should be beautiful, coherent - This is the law of a successful promotion. Nobody wants to listen to interjections and babbling.
Solution: Competent training before the start of the event, a properly prepared promoter text, careful casting of personnel, with mandatory testing of communication skills.
Mistake No. 5. Incorrectly selected promotional form for the tasting.
Often, in pursuit of apparent beauty or, on the contrary, cheapness, clients forget that the promotional uniform should not only be comfortable or bright, but also be easy to wash, retain its shape and appearance after 10-20 washes. It is undesirable to allow complex decorations, fading fabrics and uncomfortable styles. Complex designs on the head, or a long dress on the street are unlikely to retain their appearance for long. And a faded T-shirt will not add to the appetite of customers.
Solution: Choose quality fabrics and comfortable models promotional clothing. Select style and appearance not only in accordance with the marketing concept, but according to weather and temperature conditions.
Mistake #6: Unattractive, sloppy tasting area
Absolute order must be observed when tasting . The tasting should only create an appetite when looking at the promotional table. Food products should be tasted on a perfectly clean table. No scraps, crumbs, oil, dirt. It's better to stock up on a pack of wet wipes. A bag for garbage and discarded spoons, skewers, and cups is required and must be constantly changed as it is filled. Please point out this Special attention, because dirt near the promotional table is the most important thing that can scare away the consumer from even approaching the promoters.
Solution: Control of order at the tasting table.
Mistake #7: Incorrect tasting portion, incorrect serving
I am sometimes shocked by the extremes our clients go to. Despite the fact that we have been running promotions for more than 10 years, the number of customer errors has not decreased over the years.
- The product must be cut (served) into adequate, appetizing-sized pieces! By no means sausage crumbs, which cannot be pricked with a skewer - this is annoying and surprising with a minus sign. Not cookie crumbs, but cookies, etc.
- There should be enough product (not too much and not too little) for TASTING. That is, the consumer must taste it, but not get full! Unfortunately, sometimes, having eaten enough at the promotional counter, the client does not buy the product, and why - the desire has already been satisfied.
- The product must be convenient and acceptable for tasting. For example, skewers are not needed for tasting cookies, you can take them with your hands, but for tasting cheese they are necessary. Olive oil can be tasted either on bread or in a glass. You need to make sure you are using a good quality complementary product: bread, crackers, milk, etc.
Solution: Respect your customers. Let them taste your product with pleasure. Take care of them and they will love your product back.
Mistake No. 8. Promoters and tastings are located far from the product that is being promoted.
Usually, the supermarket allocates a place for promotional tastings near the shelf with products. However, sometimes this is impossible, for example, there are narrow passages, or another promotion is in the same category. There is only one way out - place a cart with products next to the promotional table and hand out the product right there. That is, an additional, mobile place of sale. If a customer puts a product in his cart, the probability that he will bring it to the checkout is 99%.
Solution: Conducting a tasting in the relevant product category, next to the product being promoted, or creating a mobile display on a promotional table or nearby in a cart.
Mistake No. 9. Lack of a reporting form for promotional staff
Promoter reporting. Usually 1 promoter is not able to count the number of goods sold, so if you want to know how much was purchased during the promotion, 2 promoters are needed. The report is filled out in a special form: Promoter Report Sheet.
The reporting form is also used to monitor the work of promotional personnel. The form includes the time and date of the inspection visit and the evaluation of the work. The check can be carried out either by your employees or by a supervisor from the agency.
Solution: Monitoring the work of personnel using reporting forms
Mistake No. 10. Lack of inventory control AFTER the end of the tasting.
It must be remembered that tasting increases sales by 4-10 times, depending on the category. Naturally, after the promotion, depending on the life cycle of the product, there is some dip in purchases. However, after a certain period of time, thanks to repeated purchases, there is an increase of 1.5-2 times compared to the period before tasting.
Solution: Replenish inventory in accordance with expected sales volumes.
I hope you find Blackberry Creative Communications' professional experience helpful!
Good and productive sales to you! Good luck!
It is quite difficult to surprise today’s buyer by tasting products at “points of sale”: supermarkets, department stores and shops. Manufacturers and distributors try to use this type of promotion as a method of sales promotion, increasing customer loyalty to the brand, to introduce consumers to new products, and also as a reaction to the activity of competitors.
The main task of a promotional tasting is to present the most advantageous aspects of a product, forcing the buyer to remember the product and subsequently (or immediately) purchase it. The pursued goals are different - “draining” of warehouse stocks, sales promotion, initial acquaintance of the buyer with a new brand, increasing brand recognition or loyalty to the company.
The product chosen for tasting must have several, in our opinion, very important characteristics:
- have excellent taste characteristics;
- be a consumer product;
- have a low cost.
Tasting is a mechanism for “pulling” the client into the process of assessing the taste merits of the product, an incentive and motivation to purchase.
A well-planned and technically correctly conducted tasting at a retail outlet can increase sales several times (usually 1.5 - 2.2 times). Unfortunately, quite often this “surge in sales” effect is short-lived and usually “dies down” after a few months or even weeks. Despite this, tasting is a fairly effective, popular method of promotion, which is rightfully considered a long-term investment in development trademark, creating a positive image of the manufacturer.
In order for a promotional tasting to be as effective as possible, it is necessary to correctly select the object of tasting, develop regulations, and plan the precise work of the entire team from the head of the marketing department to the promotion supervisor and promoter. It is necessary to clearly imagine the goal being pursued, clearly set the task, determine in advance the control points and the methodology for calculating the effectiveness of tasting.
The purpose of the tasting is not only to familiarize the buyer with the taste advantages of the product, but, above all, to create a positive impression of the product, to “push” the buyer to the idea of making a purchase and becoming a “follower” of the product in the future. It is, of course, worth remembering that a promotional tasting is a kind of small show that buyers should remember when they see this product on a store shelf.
When developing regulations for promotional tastings, it is not enough to have knowledge of only marketing communications; it is necessary to imagine the sensory sensations of the buyer. Professional tasters can provide invaluable assistance with this.
The word “tasting” comes from the Latin word degusto, which means “to taste.” Tasting is based on sampling, that is, the buyer evaluates the taste characteristics of products using his senses. This assessment may vary depending on: the mood of the buyer and the degree of fatigue, weather conditions (winter/summer), ambient temperature in the room where the tasting is taking place, the shape of the glassware used, the temperature of the product offered, lighting.
The beginnings of sensory
It is well known that a person is able to distinguish between four main tastes and three minor ones. The basic tastes include sweet, bitter, salty, and sour.
The minor ones are tart (the feeling left in the mouth when drinking strong tea), alkaline (the taste left in the mouth from a solution of baking soda) and the taste called “umami” in Western literature - this is a pleasant feeling in the mouth caused by nucleotides (monosodium glutamate , For example).
Taste sensations arise at different rates, with salty taste occurring most quickly, followed by sweet, sour, and lastly bitter taste. Taste receptors are located unevenly on the tongue: the tip of the tongue is responsible for the sweet taste, the lateral edges of the front of the tongue for the salty taste, the lateral edges of the back of the tongue for the sour taste, and the root of the tongue for the bitter taste. Therefore, if a person tries, for example, the classic bitter drink “Tonic” with the tip of his tongue, he simply may not feel the bitter taste.
The human tongue is his organ of taste; the mechanism of its functioning is that a substance dissolved in water or saliva enters the taste buds through the pores, in which chemical irritations are converted into nerve impulses transmitted to the central nervous system. The sensation of taste can vary depending on the mass fraction of the substance, so a solution of table salt below a threshold concentration is perceived as sweet.
An important factor in forming a consumer opinion about a product when assessing its taste is the aftertaste, which can be long or short, pleasant or unpleasant, sharp or round. Aftertaste is the strongest factor in shaping the overall perception of a product. An example is a promotional tasting of sweetener tablets, which took place in a number of stores in Yekaterinburg. The tasting was accompanied by beautiful promotional stands and smart, active promoters, but the tasting literally “failed.” As a result of the tasting, the manufacturer not only did not achieve the sales promotion goal, but, on the contrary, lost part of the target audience and suffered financially.
The reason for the negative reaction from customers was as follows: the tablets contained active sweeteners - sodium saccharin, sodium cyclamate, baking soda and tartaric acid. This is a standard, fairly popular composition for this product. The peculiarity of these sweeteners is that they give a persistent bitter-metallic aftertaste, which causes a feeling of dryness in the mouth.
Consequently, during tasting it was necessary to take all measures to hide this feature. The manufacturer suggested tasting this product by dissolving it in hot tea. The taste of tea, despite its astringency, cannot hide this kind of aftertaste. If the manager developing the regulations for this tasting knew the peculiarities of sensory perception, he would not have made such an obvious mistake. It would be optimal to offer the buyer not tea, but coffee with milk. The sharp bitterness of coffee and the round aftertaste of milk would perfectly disguise this feature of the product. In general, tasting products of this kind is questionable and you should carefully consider all the pros and cons.
The main source of pleasure when eating food is, oddly enough, not taste, but smell. The reason for this is the limited sense of taste of a person (as we said - sweet, bitter, sour and salty). All other taste sensations are given to us by smell. The sense of smell allows us to appreciate the nuances of taste and piquancy of foods. If a buyer has a runny or stuffy nose, it is useless to tell him about the nuances of taste and aroma - he physically cannot feel them.
Unfortunately, many BTL agencies, completely devoting themselves to organizational issues, often forget about the most important thing - the classical rules of tasting.
We have repeatedly encountered serious mistakes during promotional tastings, the results of which were disastrous precisely because managers of BTL agencies did not know the basics of sensory perception.
For example: tasting savory sauces for meat and fish, ketchups next to a popcorn machine, tasting 10 (!) types of cakes, tasting grain cottage cheese on sweet shortbread, tasting liver pates on bread and butter, tasting blue cheese before soft cheese "Brie Blanchett", etc.
Basic rules for preparing a promotional tasting
The manager developing the promotional tasting regulations must be free to navigate the factors influencing the perception of the product - the influence of color on the perception of the taste of the product, the influence of the buyer’s age on the perception of taste, the selection of promoters in accordance with the target audience, the influence of stereotypes and authorities on the buyer’s perception of the product.
When preparing promotional tastings there are a few things to keep in mind: the most important rules given below.
Temperature rule. The heated product has a more intense smell and taste. Therefore, if you want to hide an unusually strong aroma (for example, an excess of flavoring), you need to present the product cold, unless this contradicts the traditional rules of its use (for example, it makes no sense to serve cold dumplings). By varying the temperature of the product, you can get more benefit from tasting, since the correctly selected temperature of the product will have a positive effect on its taste. Example: tasting warm carbonated drinks on a summer day in July or tasting cold coffee in the cold of winter is ineffective.
Rule of relevance. You need to taste a product that is appropriate at a given time of year, day, and consumed in a given area. For example, there is no point in tasting pork stew in Muslim countries, kvass in winter, lard in summer, etc.
Rules for choosing dishes. At home, when eating food or wine, we strive to choose the most suitable dishes in shape. A large glass is for red wine, a flute glass is for champagne. Why is it that when conducting a tasting, dishes very often do not meet the requirements? Of course, only disposable tableware should be used during the tasting, in the assortment of which it is almost impossible to find large plastic wine glasses, but you can try to choose the most suitable tableware that emphasizes the shades of taste and aroma.
Flavor enhancement rule. You need to know that after eating a sour taste, a sweet taste will be brighter, and vice versa, after a sweet taste, a sour taste will seem more sour (an apple after a candy); after a bitter taste, it takes quite a long time to restore the receptors. Therefore, if several products are being tasted in one sales area, it is better to arrange them from the least to the most intense taste.
Rule of turn. The order in which samples are presented must be well thought out. Tasting should begin with the product with the weakest taste properties (if the buyer has not indicated specific sample) to the most delicious. The latest product gives the buyer an aftertaste with which he will leave the promoter's counter. The buyer will remember the taste of this particular product better than all previous ones.
The "carrier" rule. IN Lately very often one can observe how BTL agencies, working in conditions of fierce competition, meet halfway clients who insist on conducting a “complex” tasting. Thus, when tasting jam, it is suggested to present it on freshly fried toast, sauces are suggested to be tried with dumplings, processed cheeses with cheese biscuits, etc. When using such a bright and taste-winning “carrier” as dumplings, cheese sticks or fresh toast, the taster the product often fails. If the buyer asks the question “where can I buy such delicious cheese sticks?”, instead of being interested in buying the tasting processed cheese, we can assume that the purpose of the tasting has not been achieved. The “carrier” should highlight the taste of the product, but not overshadow it. So, for tasting the cheese it was better to use unleavened crackers or biscuits, and for tasting the sauce - unleavened regitons. The “carrier” must have a neutral taste.
Product “visualization” rule. A person selects a piece he likes with his eyes, and then points to it with his hand. The product should look appetizing.
Rule of participation. If the buyer himself participates in the tasting (selects a piece of sausage on a fork, chooses a drink), then he remembers this tasting better. He feels like he is in charge of the situation.
Fixation rule. The promoter can talk quite a lot about the product (of course, if he is well prepared), but he must convey to the buyer the only idea that the buyer must remember. This is the “stamp” that will pop up in his head when he sees a product that he has tasted on a shelf or in an advertisement. This “stamp” allows the buyer to feel involved in the product. Understanding that the product is familiar to him gives rise to an attitude towards the product as a “friend”.
Increasing the efficiency of promotional tastings by optimizing the process
Using classical methods of tasting analysis, you can significantly increase the efficiency of promotional tasting. Below we describe the optimization method developed by specialists of the educational consulting center “Taster” (Ekaterinburg).
Methodology for selecting a promotional tasting object
If trade company has an extensive portfolio of products, it is necessary to identify from the assortment list those items whose tasting will be most effective. To do this, rely primarily on an analysis of the taste characteristics and cost of the product, and not on the level of its sales. The latter is taken into account during the detailed development of a promotion, when its budget is determined and its effectiveness is predicted. At the first stage, it is necessary to determine which assortment units are most optimal for tasting. The assessment is carried out according to several criteria, given in order of importance:
- appearance, taste, aroma, aftertaste;
- packaging (individual, family, mass);
- special conditions for tasting (heating, cooling);
- related materials (glasses or shot glasses, disposable tableware or glass, the need for teapots, cutting boards, etc.).
Table 1. Comparative characteristics of possible tasting objects
Items that are not included in the table should be promoted using other methods (promotions with prizes, lotteries, sampling, gifts for purchases, etc.).
Products provided for tasting must have impeccable taste.
So, the main items for promotional tasting were selected using a detailed analysis of the organoleptic properties of each product.
Assessing the competitive advantages of selected positions
Once the object of tasting has been determined, it is necessary to evaluate its actual advantages and disadvantages.
Explicit are those disadvantages and advantages that can be determined during the first try of the product (aroma, taste, appearance, aftertaste), while hidden are those disadvantages and advantages that the consumer notices over time when making several purchases (for example, color change during storage, the appearance of fragility, cloudiness, the appearance of foreign odors, etc.). To do this, you need to fill out Table 2.
Table 2. Advantages and disadvantages of the product chosen for tasting
The next step will be to compare the obvious advantages and disadvantages of your own and competitive products. It is optimal to take into account the opinions of consumers, and not personal ones. In the columns “advantages” and “disadvantages” it is necessary to enter only obvious advantages and obvious disadvantages of competitive products, since hidden ones are quite difficult to evaluate without knowing well the products of competitors. You can take Table 3 as an example.
Table 3. Advantages and disadvantages of competitive products, using beer as an example
Now you have a clear comparative analysis of the organoleptic advantages and disadvantages of your and competitive products. This visual method greatly simplifies the task of optimizing promotional tastings.
Next, you should work out in detail the regulations for the tasting in order to increase the emphasis on the advantages food product and reducing the emphasis on shortcomings. It should be noted that it is better not to present products with obvious deficiencies for tasting. BTL agencies are often contacted by clients who insist on conducting a promotional tasting of an obviously losing product. In this case, the agency is able to conduct a promotional tasting of this product with minimal losses, optimizing the tasting process itself.
A technique for enhancing advantages and reducing disadvantages
Example: Analysis of the organoleptic characteristics of boiled sausage “Molochnaya” revealed the disadvantages and advantages shown in Table 4.
Table 4. Analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of “Molochnaya” sausage
One solution could be to present sausage for tasting in two versions: regular and boiled. Boiled sausage should be offered last, since when boiling the sausage, some of the salt will go into the broth and the aftertaste will not be too salty.
The sausage must be cut with a very sharp thin knife or first stripped of its casing so that the buyer does not see the ugly cut packaging. In the promoters' brief, it is necessary to emphasize the noted advantages of the sausage.
Today, in an age of ever-increasing competition and aggressive marketing, when there is a struggle for literally every customer, when product brand managers are forced to come up with more and more sophisticated methods of fighting for consumer demand, we should not forget about a very simple and effective method promotions - about tasting at points of sale. By professionally using the basic rules of tasting analysis and the laws of sensory perception, the effect of such a promotional tasting can be extremely high, and the tasting itself will become an excellent tool in the competition.
Tea is the most popular drink in the world. And not everyone knows that its taste is determined by just a few tasters.
The fertile foothills of the Malaysian mountains. Tea comes from these places. No matter where you go, someone will be brewing tea for you to have a cup of. Half a billion cups of tea are drunk around the world every day. On average, there are 50 liters of tea per person per year. Whether you drink black tea or Darjeeling, each cup is the result of the painstaking work of a skilled craftsman. This person is a professional tea taster who makes sure that the tea tastes the way it should. But how does he do it?
Yorkshire company Taylors of Harrogate has been producing tea for over 100 years. They sell 1.2 billion tea bags every year. Their regular customers want every bag to taste the same. This is where the difficulty lies. After all, the taste of each tea leaf is influenced by factors such as weather, soil, drying mode, processing technology, and so on. Therefore, to ensure the taste remains unchanged, Taylors of Harrogate mixes tea from different countries, from 25 different plantations.
When it comes to mixing they have their secret weapon in Ian Brabin. This man has an amazing ability to recognize the slightest differences in the taste of tea. On average, he tastes up to 400 cups of tea a day. To become a taster you need to train for 5-7 years, and Ian is one of the best in the business. It only takes one sip to tell him exactly where the tea came from, where it was picked, and even what the weather was like when it was picked.
The average person has 9,000 taste buds. Most of them are on the tongue, so we mix as many types of tea as possible to get the full flavor. If there is any flaw in the tea, we will immediately notice it.
Tea grows in tropical climates around the world. This plantation in Malaysia covers an area of 234 hectares, enough to make 800,000 cups of tea every day. A tea bush can grow for up to 5 years before tea is harvested from it. The youngest shoots, the top two leaves and the unopened bud are collected. Experienced pickers collect 18 kilograms of leaves per day, which will yield only 4.5 kilograms of tea. When the leaves arrive at the plant, they are sifted to remove stems and branches.
After grinding, they are heated in an oven where they are dried and pressed. Then they are crushed to a granular state. The resulting product is shipped abroad. Each tasting requires careful preparation. The cups are carefully placed. Each sliver of tea is carefully weighed. First, Jan tastes the leaves by touch to check their grind, quality and properties. The tea is then steeped for exactly five minutes. Once the leaves are removed from the cups, tasting can begin.
We need tea with a good aroma and good color. We don't need dirty tea. It often turns out that there is too much moisture in the tea. We call this tea wet. During the tasting, for each number, Ian names the price in English pence that he is willing to pay for them. Thus, he expresses his opinion about the quality of this tea. Ian's taste is so subtle that he reacts almost automatically.
Ian's opinion on the taste of tea determines the success of the entire harvest. But Ian must not only choose best variety, but also to understand which combination of varieties will be best. It's just a tea bag to you, but inside it could be tea from seven different countries. The amount of each tea in the mixture is determined by the taster.
There may be 100 grams of tea, which represents 10 tons produced in the factory. And the taster compares the taste of these 10 tons with others. This is done to ensure that the tea meets the Yorkshire Tea standard. So that it is completely identical to the previous batch. After tasting, the mixture will be sent to the factory for packaging.
After Yang has chosen the composition of the mixture, the tea is poured into large tanks and mixed. Then they place it in a drum, which turns exactly twelve times. This carefully chosen number of revolutions is necessary to make the perfect mixture. 96% of the tea produced in Britain is sold in tea bags. Each bag contains 3 grams of tea, carefully selected to suit Jan's taste. The bags are then sealed at around 200 degrees Celsius and placed into packaging.
The entire process from picking at the plantation to tea bag takes just 12 weeks. So, next time you want to drink a cup of tea, think about Ian Brabin, who tastes it every day. Or you may not remember. Some secrets are better left undisclosed.