Taste the Difference – and Say It! The Role of Sensory Language in the Multimodal Semiotic Cocktails of Food Labelling and Web-store Presentations

We presents ongoing research into the use of sensory language for underpinning the marketing and labelling of pre-packed foods and drinks, including locally branded products, and its interplay with non-verbal sensory stimuli (pictures, colours, shapes). Preliminary results will be presented on the generation of innovative sensory language through user-driven innovation in e-store environments (Coop.dk) as well as on consumers’ perceptual and behavioural responses to such innovations in simulated e-shopping situations monitored by eye-tracking. The results indicate that the presence of verbal sensory expressions – if appropriately chosen and visually noticed by the consumer – contribute significantly to product expectations in terms of taste and eating experience, and that ordinary consumers may contribute valuable cues to the formulation of comprehensible and appealing sensory descriptions.