Abstract
The purpose of the study was to assess the relative preference for hot & spicy sauces using conjoint analysis, with focus on English consumers. From the results of the study, we were able to derive a standard with the best sauce attributes. The respondent group was selected from the CCFRA's customer database. The qualification criteria for inclusion in the sample were: the primary grocery shopper in the household, a consumer of a range of home cooked oriental & far eastern cuisines, enjoyed hot & spicy chili-based foods, and willing to buy hot chili-based oriental sauces. A total of 676 respondents completed the survey in which 76% were women, and all respondents were between the ages of 18 and 65 years. An online survey method was used and a conjoint analysis was adopted. In conjoint analysis, a product is described as a combination of a set of attribute levels, where a utility value is estimated for each attribute level. In summing up the results of this study, the sensory property (flavor) attribute was most important, the second was brand, and the third was price. For the sensory property attribute, a mild chili sauce of blended garlic, sugar, and lime scored highest. In terms of brand, Blue Dragon was selected as the best. The lesser known Korean Kochujang brand of "Hot&Joy" scored lowest with respect to brand value. Encouraging, however, was the description based on the Hot&Joy product: a hot chili sauce blended with ginger and garlic, which held appeal across age groups and genders. In terms of price, 75p per bottle had the best score.
