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In realizing that consumers regularly straddle the work–life interface, some companies position their products according to their ability to address work and life needs together, then communicate this offering to consumers. Whether using a work–life positioning strategy is effective remains unclear , however. If this strategy signals work–life enrichment, it should increase consumers' interest, but only if the product demands few resources from consumers. If the product instead demands substantial resources, a work–life positioning might inadvertently trigger perceptions of work–life conflict and lower consumers' interest. To test these predictions, the authors partnered with three businesses to advertise their products, which impose varying resource demands, on social media using content that highlights the work–life interface or not. Analyses of ad click data support the predictions: Work–life ads are less effective than single-domain (work or life) ads if the advertising involves resource-demanding products, but they are more effective if it pertains to resource-undemanding products. Furthermore, the effects are stronger among consumer segments that experience more work–life conflict in general. With this initial application of work–life theory to a marketing context, this article offers relevant insights for both research and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Art has been successfully positioned as a promotional tool inside marketing settings. This research examines various relationships between vintage products and art. Three studies investigated whether (a) consumers perceived vintage products as more art‐like than modern versions of the same products; (b) vintage products positively affected consumers' evaluations of nearby products by inducing art‐infusion‐like spillover effects; and (c) the observed effects emerged from the ability of vintage products to engage consumers' social‐self perceptions. This research extended the theoretical and practical utility of art‐infusion effects to a new product type (vintage) and marketing function (promotions). Consumers were more likely to view vintage products, as opposed to contemporary goods, as works of art. This research was the first to position vintage products as art, to elicit art‐like infusion effects from vintage products, and to reveal positional consequences ensuing from art‐infusion effects without utilizing art as a promotional tool. Positioning value instead emerged from placing contemporary offerings physically near vintage products in promotional contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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In the dynamic landscape of modern marketing, innovative strategies are essential for businesses to thrive. This article delves into the intricate interplay between brand positioning, market segmentation, and consumer engagement within the realm of marketing management. Brand positioning forms the cornerstone of effective marketing, defining how a brand is perceived in the minds of consumers relative to competitors. Market segmentation further refines this process by dividing heterogeneous markets into distinct groups with similar needs and preferences. By understanding these segments, marketers can tailor their strategies to resonate with specific consumer demographics. However, in the digital age, consumer engagement has emerged as a critical factor driving marketing success. Engaging consumers goes beyond traditional advertising; it involves creating meaningful interactions and fostering relationships through various channels, including social media, content marketing, and experiential events. The synergy among brand positioning, market segmentation, and consumer engagement is paramount for achieving sustainable competitive advantage and fostering brand loyalty in today's hypercompetitive markets. This article explores how innovative approaches in marketing management leverage the intricate connections between brand positioning, market segmentation, and consumer engagement to drive business growth and cultivate enduring relationships with consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the product positioning decisions of two firms that enter a market sequentially under a duopoly competition. Two important assumptions are made: differential marginal production costs between the two firms, and endogenous entry timing of a follower in a continuous-time setting. We analyze a standard location-pricing Hotelling game with quadratic transportation costs with the points of departure being that the two firms (i) are allowed to have different (constant) marginal costs; (ii) enter sequentially in a pre-determined order in a market in which the consumers are growing over time; and (iii) are not restricted to choosing positions inside the interval in which consumer preferences are located. For the first mover, the dynamic market growth can give rise to a trade-off between exploiting short-run monopoly and long-run duopoly profits. This trade-off affects the equilibrium positions when the first mover has a larger marginal cost as well as a larger discount rate, in which case the first mover chooses its position at the center of the interval along which consumers are located. We also introduce uncertainty regarding entry and marginal costs to examine their effects on positioning and entry timing. If the entry cost of the follower firm is uncertain for the leader firm, then the leader firm is likely to choose its position farther away from the most attractive point. Moreover, we show that the follower firm enters the market earlier if the leader firm faces such uncertainty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Foco (Interdisciplinary Studies Journal) is the property of Revista Foco and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Frequent price promotions force consumers to continuously reassess their preferences over product offerings. When this leads consumers to exhibit a bias of "relative thinking", such as may be triggered by a focus only on the most salient product attribute, we show in a model of sales (Varian, H. R., 1980, American Economic Review, 70(4), pp. 651–659) that this profoundly alters firms' pricing and product‐positioning strategies. Vertical differentiation becomes more likely, with firms preferring to occupy the low‐quality space in particular when they have few loyal consumers. More generally, product positioning now depends on the composition of consumers' consideration sets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Dilemas Contemporáneos: Educación, Política y Valores is the property of Dilemas Contemporaneos: Educacion, Politica y Valores and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objective: : This research examined the effects of color lightness on evaluating advertisements featuring nonheteronormativity‐themed images. Methods: : An increasing number of brands feature nonheteronormative couples in advertisement campaigns to target nonheteronormative consumers and position brands as socially progressive. Four studies were conducted to test the hypothesis that nonheteronormativity‐themed advertising that uses lighter images would receive more favorable evaluations than darker images. Results: : The color lightness effect influenced attitudes toward the ad, product evaluations, and purchase intentions. Individuals with political conservatism exhibited a preference for lighter colored ads than darker colored ads. Furthermore, the effects of color lightness type on attitude toward ads were moderated by political conservatism, and this effect was mediated by disgust. Conclusion: : The current study suggests that a carefully designed advertising campaign featuring nonheteronormativity(gay) couples, which considers design elements can be used to target consumers and signal progressive values supported by sponsoring brands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically disrupted everyday life, leading to a cascade of negative emotional responses such as death anxiety. Against this backdrop, the purpose of this paper is to focus on the buffering effect of brand attachment on death anxiety by exploring the roles of brand concepts and brand positioning on psychological compensation for security. Design/methodology/approach: This multi-method paper features four studies and shows how brands can offer emotional support under high-risk circumstances. Findings: Study 1 includes two surveys which offer preliminary evidence that death anxiety can enhance consumers' brand attachment. Study 2 reveals a causal effect wherein consumers experiencing death anxiety are more likely to attach to brands with a self-transcendence (vs self-enhancement) concept. Study 3 examines the mediating role of need for security in the relationship between death anxiety and attachment to brands with a self-transcendence concept. Further, Study 4 indicates the moderating role of brand positioning: self-transcendence brands adopting local (vs global) positioning strategies are more likely to satisfy consumers' need for security, thereby leading to strong brand attachment. Originality/value: The findings of this paper contribute to the brand attachment literature and to the global branding literature regarding consumers' emotional responses in the context of COVID-19. This paper innovatively frames brand concepts and brand positioning and provides actionable guidelines to help brands satisfy consumers' needs amid a worldwide crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today, acknowledging the significance of consumer behavior across diverse domains is unavoidable. The imperative to satisfy customers lies in meeting their needs and expectations comprehensively when making purchasing decisions. This research adopts a blended quantitative and qualitative approach within the realm of applied research, employing the analytical descriptive method. The initial phase involves identifying and categorizing existing gas stove brands in the Hamadan market through field research and interviews. Subsequently, the pivotal criteria for determining product positioning, guided by the Marketing mix 4Ps, were identified. To fulfill the research objectives, a questionnaire was developed using a 5-point Likert scale, separately assessing domestic and foreign brands. The study encompassed 224 women aged 30-50 from Hamadan city, selected through a non-probability sampling method. SPSS software facilitated the analysis of research results in two segments: descriptive statistics (frequency and data description) and inferential statistics (hypothesis validation through Friedman's test and dependent two-sample t-test). The test outcomes and perceptual maps revealed that domestic gas stoves outperformed foreign products in the price and distribution factors, lagged in the product factor, and stood equal in the promotional activity factor. Moreover, it was evident that women in Hamadan, aged 30-50, prioritize brand reputation when purchasing gas stoves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Business Consultant / Poslovni Konsultant is the property of FINconsult Ltd. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Transfer: Zeitschrift für Kommunikation & Markenmanagement is the property of Deutsche Werbewissenschaftliche Gesellschaft and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article extends current models of how consumers judge or perceive organizations as greedy using the theoretical framework of motivated moral reasoning. We show that inherent features of an organization (size and 'black sheep' status) and its behaviour (relative frequency) bias consumer perceptions of organizational greed. We use an experimental methodology, present subjects with vignettes describing different scenarios, validate our questionnaire using confirmatory factor analysis, and test our hypotheses using a general linear model with covariates. Our findings suggest that consumer perceptions of organizational greed are subject to three effects: the underdog effect (Study 1, n = 496), the black sheep effect (Study 2, n = 229) and the 'common is moral' heuristic (Study 3, n = 249). This is the first study to investigate greed under a motivated reasoning paradigm and to show that perceptions of organizational greed are subject to socio‐psychological biases. This study also provides advice on branding and positioning strategies that appeal to the underdog status of an organization or its local origins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The intensification of consumers' concerns for personal health protection has conducted, among other things, to a change in purchasing behavior toward organic food. However, emerging markets are still characterized by low levels of organic food consumption. Therefore, companies present on this market are trying to find new ways to boost the consumption of organic food, along with placing their brands in the most favorable positions in the minds of consumers. This study aims to identify the positioning bases that companies want to highlight in order to outline the desired position of their brand. To achieve this goal, a qualitative research was conducted among producers/processors, distributors/importers, and retailers having organic food brands in their portfolio. The results of the research showed the focus of the companies on highlighting the attributes related to the product characteristics and the personal green benefits, at the expense of environmental, emotional, and symbolic benefits. Positioning bases related to consumption occasions, brand values, and association with fictional characters or celebrities play a secondary role in supporting the brand position. The research contributes to the classification and conceptualization of specific positioning bases for organic food brands, providing an overview of this topic at the supply chain level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Index.Comunicación is the property of Index.comunicacion and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Purpose: This paper is about customer relationships from the perspective of small suppliers. More precisely, this paper aims to examine the relational implications through a product portfolio model with the main participants of the buying center (buyer/business manager). Design/methodology/approach: The study first uses an in-depth qualitative data analysis to explore how elements of small suppliers' relationship with such large customer's main actors are affected by the nature of the product (categorized between strategic, bottleneck and non-critical items). From the results, an empirical model is drawn of small suppliers' relational strategies in a product-centered and buyer/business manager relationship typology. To analyze the results of the empirical model, a quantitative analysis is performed, using the fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis approach. Findings: This study contributes to deepen the supplier–customer relationship analysis, from a product-centered and customer dyadic perspective (buyer and customer business manager). The findings highlight three different small suppliers' relationship strategy with a different level of involvement of the different participants of the buying center. Originality/value: Few studies so far analyze vertical asymmetric relationships from a triadic perspective composed of the small supplier, the buyer and the business manager – hence, this study contributes to unveiling some of the relationship complexity within a triad of actors and how small suppliers can navigate through this complexity according to their product or service positioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

State agricultural certification programs allow consumers to knowingly purchase products grown or produced in their state. However, consumers may not be aware of or understand the concept behind these certification programs. This study examined Texas residents' awareness and perceptions of one state agricultural certification program, GO TEXAN. To position a brand and develop key messages, communicators must be aware of how the audience views the brand, its key qualities and characteristics, and the information channels to distribute the messages. To do so, we distributed a survey instrument embedded in Qualtrics to a panel of Texas residents. We found respondents were generally unaware of the GO TEXAN certification program; however, the results of this study provide evidence of the consumers preferred products and qualities of GO TEXAN's certified products. We suggest communicators use elements of brand positioning to develop strategic key messages that are relevant to target audiences. Specifically, messages should be developed with key frames highlighting product freshness, flavor, taste, and purchase convenience. Communication efforts should be developed to provide emphasis to these attributes on the product label, at farmers markets, and at places of purchase. Further, we recommend future research should explore how types of key messages impact brand awareness, loyalty, and willingness to purchase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the pricing behavior of sellers in a market undergoing a significant restructuring, using data from the ongoing introduction of self-service technology in the Korean gasoline market in the 2000s. I provide evidence that full-service premium increased during the market transition. I further show that a monopolistic competition model is not enough to explain the increasing premium. The pricing behavior of sellers differs by product position: self-service sellers compete for price-sensitive consumers, whereas full-service sellers differentiate their product by offering a variety of bundled products and services, such as coffee, carwash or even nail salons, to compete for less-price-sensitive consumers. Taken together, the strategic choices of sellers evolve in different ways when the market structure changes, with each type of seller using its unique position, resulting in an increase in full-service premium during the market transition from full-service to self-service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changes in consumer behavior in recent years have led to a steady increase in the number of online shoppers. The viewing angle of a product and its position on a webpage can affect consumers' Kansei images and purchase intentions. This study aimed to determine the influences of product viewing angle and position on a webpage on consumers' Kansei images; the influences of consumers' physical characteristics (i.e., sex, dominant hand, and dominant eye) on their Kansei images were also explored. An experiment was designed to evaluate the influences of viewing angle and position on consumers' Kansei images. A product's viewing angle and position on the webpage in question served as independent variables, and the participants' Kansei images served as the dependent variable. Seven representative viewing angles were selected. A predetermined product was placed in nine positions in a 3×3 grid on a webpage. A total of 63 combinations were obtained, and an experiment and interview were designed to investigate the participants' Kansei images for all 63. The following conclusions were drawn: 1. Viewing angle affected the participants' Kansei images; 2. the position of the product on the webpage affected the participants' Kansei images; and 3. some physical characteristics affected the participants' Kansei images. In summary, online marketing platforms could document shoppers' physical characteristics to provide them with personalized product displays in order to cater to their Kansei images preferences. These research findings could be applied to online shopping platforms, which could attract more diverse groups of clients by adjusting product display angles and product positions on webpages based on consumers' physical characteristics and preferences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research focused on a novel property of product videos, namely the zoom effect, and examined how it affects consumers' product perceptions and purchase intentions. The results of the studies conducted con- firmed our hypothesis that a product video shot with the zoom-out (vs. zoom-in) effect, that is, changing the focus from the product's details to an overview of the product, enhances consumer perception of the product's luxuriousness (Study 1) and purchase intention (Study 2). The effect of zooming-out (vs. zooming-in) on luxury perception was driven by perceived exclusivity via differences in perceptual distance to the product (Study 2). Furthermore, the present research also demonstrated that the zooming's effect on purchase intention was moderated by brand positioning; that is, the zoom-out (vs. zoom-in) effect used in product videos increased purchase intention for luxury (but not non-luxury) brand products (Study 3). These findings contribute to a better understanding of the role of videographic techniques in advertising products' luxuriousness to consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Consumer evaluation of 13 commercial verjuice products was conducted. • Fruity, floral, and honey notes were favoured for beverage applications. • Wine-like and green apple notes were suited for culinary scenarios. • Sugars were highly associated with sweetness, fruity and floral perception. • Unfamiliar users felt more curious, familiar users felt happier and more satisfied. The wine sector is working to add value, enhance sustainability and reduce waste, yet often creating new products with unknown consumer acceptance. Verjuice, juice made from discarded unripe thinned grapes, is an example. Whilst verjuice has various culinary uses, its versatility in beverages continues to expand. However, its sensory drivers of liking when consumed as a drink, and their potential impact on its application remain unclear. Chemical drivers of sensory characteristics are also unknown representing a critical knowledge gap needed to guide product innovation. This study aimed to provide new knowledge regarding consumer acceptability of verjuice by identifying its sensory drivers of liking as a beverage, evaluating its potential use in different applications and identifying chemical drivers of its sensory characteristics. New Zealand consumers (n = 93) evaluated 13 verjuice samples from different countries. Furthermore, verjuice familiarity and its influence on emotional response was investigated to determine likely future consumer engagement. Sweetness was the most positive driver of liking in verjuice overall, followed by fruity and floral notes, smoothness, and to a lesser extent citrus flavour. Consumers expressed varied preferences for verjuice's sensory profile, with fruity, floral, and honey flavours driving beverage application, whilst winey and green apple notes were more associated with culinary scenarios. Some association between chemical parameters and sensory attributes were evident (e.g. sugars were highly associated with perceived sweetness, fruity, and floral attributes; these attributes also shared proximity with 1-hexanol and cyclohexanol). The general idea of verjuice elicited positive valence emotions, but consumers who were 'not familiar' felt more curious, and those 'familiar' felt happier and more satisfied. Findings highlight the potential to tailor verjuice for specific applications by understanding desired sensory profiles and related chemical parameters. Recognising the interplay between familiarity level and emotional response is crucial for positioning the product in the marketplace and fostering consumer engagement. Marketing initiatives are needed to increase verjuice familiarity and support product innovation, leading to increased product appeal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista FACE is the property of Universidad de Pamplona and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Purpose: Past research argues that identity-linking messages must use established descriptors of the social group (i.e. prototypical identity appeals) to be effective. The authors show that less established descriptors (i.e. identity-linking messages low in prototypicality) can be optimal for an important customer segment, namely, for those that affectively identify with the social group. This is because of the distinct self-motives underlying the cognitive and affective social identity dimensions. Design/methodology/approach: A pilot and two experimental studies were conducted, using gender and nationality as the target identities. Findings: Consumers feel more hopeful and have higher purchase intention for products advertised using identity depictions that fit with their predominant (uncertainty-reduction or self-enhancement) self-motive. Consumers predominantly high in affective/cognitive social identity prefer identity-linking messages that are low/high in prototypicality. An abstract mindset reverses these effects by encouraging a similarity focus. Research limitations/implications: Future work should identify potential boundary conditions of the findings. Further, all studies use ascribed social groups. Future work should explore whether consumers relate differently to different social group, such as achieved groups, non-human groups or aspirational groups. Practical implications: Adverts using established descriptors of a brand's target social group may no longer fit the brand's positioning. Understanding when and when not to use less established group descriptors to market brands is important for practitioners. Originality/value: To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first research to explore the conditions under which priming consumers' identity using less/more established (i.e. low/high in prototypicality) descriptors has a beneficial, or detrimental, effect on consumers' purchase intention. In understanding these effects, the authors draw on consumers' self-motives underlying cognitive and affective identification, a distinction not yet made in the identity-linking communications literature. The authors also explore the mediating role of hope – a central motivating emotion – in identity marketing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite recent industry attention, questions remain about how native advertising is perceived and processed by consumers. Two experiments examined effects of language and positioning in native advertising disclosures on recognition of the content as advertising, effects of recognition on brand and publisher evaluations, and whether disclosure position affects visual attention. Findings show that middle or bottom positioning and wording using “advertising” or “sponsored” increased advertising recognition compared to other conditions, and ad recognition generally led to more negative evaluations. Visual attention mediated the relationship between disclosure position and advertising recognition. Theoretical, practical, and regulatory implications for disclosures in native advertising are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Consumer definitions of sustainability are largely uninformed by scientific research and may not align with industry definitions. Furthermore, consumers themselves have varied perceptions, definitions, and opinions of sustainability that vary between categories and products within the dairy category. Understanding these differences and developing marketing messaging aligned with consumer sustainability definitions offer an advantage to dairy product producers when strategically positioning their products in a changing marketplace. This review outlines the factors that may affect consumer sustainability perceptions to provide a basis for future marketing and scientific work. Consumer trends and desires for sustainability are explored, including how they are reflected in the rapid growth of plant-based alternatives. Factors that may influence consumer perception of dairy as sustainable are covered in detail, including packaging, labeling, animal welfare, organic status, grass-fed or pasture-raised feeding systems, and local and clean label perceptions. Finally, a discussion of the challenges of marketing dairy foods with sustainability messages is addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyze how online reviews are used to evaluate the effectiveness of product differentiation strategies based on the theories of hyperdifferentiation and resonance marketing. Hyperdifferentiation says that firms can now produce almost anything that appeals to consumers and they can manage the complexity of the increasingly diverse product portfolios that result. Resonance marketing says that informed consumers will purchase products that they actually truly want. When consumers become more informed, firms that provide highly differentiated products should experience higher growth rates than firms with less differentiated offerings. We construct measures of product positioning based on online ratings and find supportive evidence using sales data from the craft beer industry. In particular, we find that the variance of ratings and the strength of the most positive quartile of reviews play a significant role in determining which new products grow fastest in the marketplace. This supports our expectations for resonance marketing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach: This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings: Differentiation of offerings is a proven approach to help businesses to survive and prosper within a highly competitive market. Firms become better equipped to achieve these goals through building brand equity and appropriate brand positioning to highlight its unique qualities and ability to meet the needs of targeted consumers. Originality/value: The briefing saves busy executives and researchers' hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Investigation of a company's product positioning decisions in the presence of social learning customers in monopolistic, competitive, and collusive markets, respectively. • Identifying the influence of market status and customers' ex ante quality uncertainty on the product positioning in the presence of social learning customers. • A multi-agent system to simulate the learning process and the company product strategies as a gaming process via particle swarm optimization. Customers can share their opinions on the Internet, and this online sharing affects customers' quality expectations, their purchasing decisions, and firms' product positioning such as price and quality decisions. In this study, we examine product positioning in monopolistic, competitive, and collusive markets, where companies must address the social learning of customers. We apply a multi-agent model to simulate the learning process and the product positioning of companies as a gaming process via particle swarm optimization. We find that the optimal policies are highly dependent on market status and the level of customers' ex-ante quality uncertainty. Specifically, in the absence of competition, social learning can help a monopolistic company gain higher profits by offering low quality products at a low (high) price in environments of low (high) uncertainty. However, duopoly competition leads to reduced prices and lower quality designs in general, except for a low degree of uncertainty. Social learning intensifies the competition between companies, and without it, competition is moderated through differentiated price and quality decisions. Under duopoly competition, a company with high uncertainty deviation benefits more from social learning by adopting a low-price-low-quality strategy, outperforming a competitor with low deviation. Finally, while collusion typically leads to higher prices and benefits for companies compared to duopoly competition, it may hurt the companies when the effects of social learning are small. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Are consumers interested in aspects of pig production and do they take these into account in their buying decisions when such information is available? Samples of consumers in Germany and Poland selected the two – for them – most important out of a list of ten production characteristics, relating to animal welfare, health and safety, and environmental issues. In a subsequent choice experiment, the relative weight these characteristics had in consumers' choices was estimated. Relative importance of production characteristics varied between consumer segments, with the production interested segment being bigger in Germany than in Poland. With the exception of one animal welfare related criterion in Germany, those production characteristics that consumers perceive as most important relate to health and safety aspects rather than to animal welfare and environmental impact. • A choice experiment investigated the role of production characteristics in consumer choice of pork. • In both Germany and Poland, there is a consumer segment that finds production characteristics important. • Production characteristics with individual benefits are most important. • Results indicate possibilities for product positioning based on safety and health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synopsis Cosmetic development is not exclusively guided by notions of rational effectiveness but also by notions of sensoriality. Thus, the sensorial properties of a cosmetic product are studied using internationally recognized discriminating or descriptive methods. Descriptive sensory profiling is an essential tool in this process as it allows an experienced panel to assess the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of a product. The results obtained with this method enable to get a more accurate image of the product. However, given the new demands of the industrial world and the new innovation paths (shorter development times, complex products or willingness to include the consumers in the process) a need to access new methods has arisen. These 'alternative' methods that offer product positioning, ratings and attribute citation frequency, can be implemented with either a panel of experts or with consumers. The flash profile, the pivot® profile or the check all that apply (CATA) are just a few of the methods that the cosmetic professionals have started to test. This article reviews the methods used in the sensory assessment of cosmetic products. The analysis carried out shows that the complementarity application of sensory assessment is essential in the upstream innovation phase of a product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]