Sampling and farm stories prompt consumers to buy specialty cheeses

California specialty cheese makers need information on what drives product sales so they can effectively market their products. Focus group and telephone research revealed that specialty cheese consumers have a strong preference for sampling cheese before making a purchase. Consumers also rely heavi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inCalifornia agriculture (Berkeley, Calif.) Vol. 57; no. 3; pp. 76 - 80
Main Authors REED, Barbara A, BRUHN, Christine M
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Berkeley, CA University of California, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources 01.07.2003
University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources
Subjects
Biological and medical sciences
Food industries
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Milk and cheese industries. Ice creams
California
United States
North America
America
Consumer behavior
Price
Organoleptic properties
Dairy industry
Sensory analysis
Cheese
Craft production
Experimental study
Traditional food stuff
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Summary:California specialty cheese makers need information on what drives product sales so they can effectively market their products. Focus group and telephone research revealed that specialty cheese consumers have a strong preference for sampling cheese before making a purchase. Consumers also rely heavily on staff recommendations to select cheese. They appreciate unlimited sampling in an unhurried, low-pressure environment. Specialty cheese consumers consider themselves “food experimenters”; they value narrative descriptions about where and how the cheese was made and are not price sensitive in this area of their food purchases.
ISSN:0008-0845
2160-8091
DOI:10.3733/ca.v057n03p76