No rose without a thorn: Hedonic testing of live rose plants

Abstract

AbstractSensory and consumer testing of live rose bushes presents several unique logistical challenges due to product size and the need to present roses during a small window of opportunity when they are in full bloom, the timing of which differs from plant to plant. The current study determined whether online (close up photographs of rose blooms) and in‐person (live plants) liking tests produced comparable results and discusses the logistical considerations of in‐person testing. Three studies were conducted: two in‐person to compare two different study design strategies (n = 199, n = 206) and one online (n = 209). Photos of rose blooms evaluated online did not correlate with in‐person liking evaluations (R2 = .00003). The best approach for in‐person testing (completing testing in 1 week with only blooming roses versus spreading out testing over 3 weeks) depended on the project budget and whether a particular rose of interest needed to be in the sample set.Practical ApplicationsMany consumer studies on nonfoods have used photographs of products to obtain consumer feedback rather than presenting a live prototype as this approach is more resource‐efficient. However, the present study demonstrates that a photograph of rose blooms (as shown in rose catalogues and plant tags) does not yield comparable liking scores to in‐person evaluation. Because rose bushes are large, highly variable and have fine details, it is challenging to evaluate them from photos that fit on a computer screen.The current study also describes a protocol for in‐person consumer hedonic testing of flowering plants. A new experimental design (Sudoku design) is presented, suitable for products that are too large to fit in a sensory booth or otherwise immobile requiring panelists to move around the room from product to product to make their evaluations. Two approaches are discussed which account for the difference in timing of rose blooming across cultivars.