In addition to all the theoretical insights the Master’s students are gaining in the seminar "Making Sense of Sensory Marketing," led by Chair of Marketing Management (IfM) Assistant Professor Frederik Ferié and supported by Research Assistant Nadine Eckel, the guest lecture gave the students the opportunity to look at the practical side of sensory marketing.

Dr. Frauke Kühn, Senior Sensory Manager at isi GmbH, gave first-hand insights into how sensory marketing research is used for everyday products, from food to body care. The students learned that it is all about the right fit between concept, design, brand, and product. Each product has a specific job that needs to be done, such as snacking for Snickers or refreshing for Fisherman's Friend. These jobs must be reflected in the product's extrinsic and intrinsic attributes. Not only should they address all our senses but also our emotional needs, such as autonomy, stimulation, or security. The resulting challenge, however, is to achieve a fit between the prior expectations and the actual experience.

This is where Dr. Kühn and her team come in. They achieve sensory decoding by combining descriptive data from expert panels with consumer data from lab and home experiments. Visualized as a heat map, sensory decoding shows the analyzed products in relation to the important attributes and also the unimportant. With the help of such maps, Dr. Kühn is able to provide her clients with specific recommendations for action. Her enthusiasm for her profession was palpable throughout the guest lecture - thank you, Dr. Kühn, for this unique insight into your exciting day-to-day work.

Image credits: Dr. Frauke Kühn/Firefly.