A Voice-of-Consumer Approach in Development of New Seafood Product Concepts

Abstract

This article describes a consumer-based approach for development of new seafood product concepts among young adults in Norway and Iceland. The study aim was to gain insight into how young adults determine their acceptance of seafood and make potential product choices. Additional insights measured were confidence in seafood preparation and consumption choices when exposed to specific new seafood concepts. Based on consumer-reported values, three seafood product concepts were evaluated by 354 consumers in a web-based, conjoint experiment in Norway and Iceland. Consumers' evaluations showed a number of consumer preferences for specific seafood product concepts partly associated with and partly conflicting with their original values. Understanding consumer attitudes can help to explain these results. The results of this study will be used as a guide for the next step in developing seafood product concepts.