Understanding American premium chocolate consumer perception of craft chocolate and desirable product attributes using focus groups and projective mapping.

Publisher: Public Library of Science Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 101285081 Publication Model: eCollection Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1932-6203 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 19326203 NLM ISO Abbreviation: PLoS One Subsets: MEDLINE

Original Publication: San Francisco, CA : Public Library of Science

Chocolate* ; Taste*; Consumer Behavior/*statistics & numerical data ; Focus Groups/*statistics & numerical data ; Food Preferences/*physiology ; Perception/*physiology; Cacao/chemistry ; Cacao/standards ; Choice Behavior/physiology ; Consumer Behavior/economics ; Focus Groups/methods ; Food Packaging/economics ; Food Packaging/methods ; Food Packaging/standards ; Food Preferences/psychology ; Humans ; United States

Craft chocolate is a relatively new and fast-growing segment of the American chocolate market. To understand American premium chocolate consumer perception of craft chocolate and desirable chocolate product attributes, we conducted a mixed-methods study using focus groups and projective mapping. Projective mapping revealed that participants segmented products in terms of quality based upon usage occasion rather than cost or other factors. We found that American premium chocolate consumers use search attributes such as segmentation, price, availability, and packaging as quality determinants. Additionally, they desire credence attributes that convey trust through, for example, the presence or absence of sustainability certifications, or a semblance of meaning. Premium chocolate consumers seek out experience attributes such as utility and/or joy, which are achieved by purchasing a chocolate product as a gift, for its nostalgic purposes, or for desired post-ingestive effects. We propose a Desirable Chocolate Attribute Concept Map to explain our findings.
Competing Interests: ALB, AJB, and HH are all employed by Penn State. ALB is a former employee of Ghent University and was an intern at Mars Netherlands. AJB is a former employee of Land O’Lakes and has received consulting fees from Eight Oaks Distillery and Giant Eagle. HH is a former employee of UC Davis and HM.Clause and has received consulting fees from Henkel Adhesive Technology. HH is an associate editor and member of the publications committee at the American Society of Enology & Viticulture (ASEV). ALB receives funding from USDA-NIFA. AJB receives or has received funding from PA Dept. of Agriculture and the National Sugar Association. HH receives or has received funding from Penn State, University of Alabama, USDA-NIFA, USDAFAS, PA Dept. of Agriculture, National Dairy Council, PT Indesso Aroma, and Sherwin-Williams Company. HH has received travel support and honoraria from AOAC, University of Alabama, and Henkel Adhesive Technology for speaking at meetings. HH is the Rasmussen Career Development Professor in Food Science, a named professorship made possible by a philanthropic gift by Frederick, Sr. & Faith E. Rasmussen. ALB is or has been a member of the following professional societies: IFT, SSP, Gamma Sigma Delta, Phi Tau Sigma, and the Philanthropic Educational Organization International. AJB is or has been a member of the following professional societies: IFT, SSP. HH is or has been a member of the following professional societies: ASEV, IFT, FCIA, SSP, GöCH, ASAC, E3S, and Gamma Sigma Delta. None of these organizations nor the funders have had any role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results. The competing interests statement in the manuscript does not alter our adherence to PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials.

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Date Created: 20201104 Date Completed: 20201225 Latest Revision: 20231104

20240105

PMC7641343

10.1371/journal.pone.0240177

33147215