Market Research and Sensory Analysis : A reasoned review and agenda of their contribution to market orientation in Food industry

Innovation development is a fundamental condition for companies to hold their positions in intensified market competition, to stabilize sales, to contribute to a company’s growth, and to reduce risks through diversification. There are many examples in prior literature of the importance of sensory analysis in terms of designing, testing, launching, and re-thinking food products. When these tools are conceived not only as a unique and isolated science, but also jointly with other fields in marketing research, the interdisciplinary approach increases the potentiality and efficiency of research and development. Product innovation can be instrumental for firms by responding to changes in the business environment and be market oriented. Thus, after having demonstrated the importance of the “House of Quality” and “Buyer Utility Map”, as well as their application to the innovation process, this chapter underline the usefulness of adopting multi-methods and interdisciplinary approaches with the support of background information and the use of the latest research in the field of consumer science.