Bell Sensory Program Partners with University to Expand Consumer Research Demographics

12 Jun 2017 --- Bell Flavors and Fragrances have announced the partnership of Bell’s Sensory program with a local university in Northbrook, Illinois, to expand Bell’s consumer research with Generation Z and young millennial demographics.

Bell’s Sensory program integrates the sensory experience with consumer needs to guide and validate creative development in innovation platforms. To accomplish this, Bell Sensory has 3 types of panels: a consumer panel who indicates their preferences and overall liking; a discrimination panel who determines if samples are same/different; and a trained panel who rates flavor/fragrance intensity. 

Bell’s Sensory panels are comprised of internal employees that are placed in appropriate panel(s) based on taste/smell acuity as well as their ability to describe and articulate the flavor/fragrance sensory experience.

Karen Graves, the Sensory Director at Bell’s headquarters in Northbrook, recently identified an opportunity to expand Bell’s consumer network. “Historically, we conducted research with only Bell employees and had limited demographic reach. Partnering with the university is our first step to enhance our consumer database,” said Graves. 

The Bell Sensory team piloted several online consumer research studies with the university and believes it is an effective venue to capture foundational insights for Bell and Bell’s customers. 

Graves added: “These surveys help us build a strong foundational knowledge base, which in turn narrows our focus to develop flavors and fragrances that best meet customers’ needs.”