THE EFFICACY OF USING PHOTOGRAPHS TO REPRESENT ATTRIBUTES OF SLICED SANDWICH BREAD IN AN ADAPTIVE CHOICE-BASED CONJOINT

Pictures to represent product concepts in surveys are a useful tool. However, this technique limits the complexity of the survey design. This study determined if pictures of individual product attributes of sliced bread products can be used to determine the utility of sliced bread in adaptive choice-based conjoint (ACBC) analysis. Sliced sandwich bread was photographed, formatted, sized and composed for visual evaluation. All possible crust/crumb combinations (n=36) were first presented to bread consumers (n=1,024) in an online survey to determine their overall appearance liking. Subsequently, bread consumers (n=891) evaluated the crust and crumb pictured attributes in an ACBC survey. Market simulations were conducted to predict bread performance. Consumers (n=100) then evaluated commercial bread representing select levels of crust and crumb for appearance liking, and results were compared with the market simulation results to demonstrate the efficacy of the technique. Both surveys revealed crumb with seeds/flakes to be more appealing than a uniform crumb, and crust with flakes/oats was more appealing than crust with no topping. The utility scores estimated from the attribute pictures were representative of choice behavior in a consumer test. Practical ApplicationsWhole wheat breads are important in the fight against obesity by aiding in weight loss and increasing satiety. However, despite best efforts, they are underrepresented in the American diet (United States Department of Agriculture and United States Department of Health and Human Services 2010). It is important to understand how consumers currently perceive whole wheat and white breads to determine what features of bread are most attractive. The appearance of bread influences purchase intent of the consumer. Pictures, rather than descriptions of features, may be useful to determine the utility of crust and crumb attributes. Representing pictures of attributes as opposed to the entire product concept will enhance the complexity of conjoint studies allowing for more information to be gathered in a given study.