RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 The Impact of Supertasters On Taste Test and Marketing Outcomes
JF Journal of Advertising Research
JO J Advert Res
FD WARC
SP JAR-2017-030
DO 10.2501/JAR-2017-030
A1 Kathryn A. LaTour
A1 Michael S. LaTour
A1 Brian Wansink
YR 2017
UL http://www.journalofadvertisingresearch.com/content/early/2017/08/08/JAR-2017-030.abstract
AB This article introduces advertisers to a new segmentation technique based on an individual's inherited taste sensitivity—that is, the “supertaster.” Three studies demonstrate that this inherited supertaster difference can explain blind taste-test anomalies, such as the Pepsi Challenge; heightened brand loyalty; and a reduced sensitivity to peripheral product cues, such as visual variations. These findings underscore a new vein of segmentation that has great promise for explaining variance in lab, expert, and crowd-sourced evaluations involving matters of taste.