This research established that fishskin leather is still in the introductory stage of its product life cycle, in spite of the fact that the leather has been in existence for more than 200 years. The reasons why such an innovative product did not have more widespread prestige were studied. It was found that a critical factor was a need for a change in attitude about the leather by both manufacturers and consumers. Further, there appeared to be little activity directed towards overcoming the observed negative image of a product made from the skin of fish, which could be improved by more effective marketing and persuasive advertising. The marketing environment was studied in order to establish how it works and what effect it might have on the marketing of fishskin leather products; consumer acceptance of fishskin leather was also examined, the -research then included a series of steps for grounded theory building according to Eisenhardt and Dibb and Simkin. This work was designed to contribute to the innovation-development process, to include consumer acceptance of fishskin leather products. As a result, a model was constructed by modifying that of Albrecht, Horne, Kunz and Stout to produce an international and national model of fishskin leather marketing channels. Survey and statistical research began with the isolation of a representative sample from the target population consisting of tanners, designers, manufacturers and retailers - a city centre survey of the opinions of shoppers was also carried out, as were a series of case studies. From the literature and interviews, significant variables were selected so that a questionnaire could be constructed, and pilot tested prior to circulation. Two forms of analysis were applied to the collected data. The first was descriptive which allowed the data to be cleaned up and for the researcher to become more familiar with the data. Descriptive statistics were followed by submitting normally distributed data to the multivariate techniques of factor and cluster analysis. The statistical analysis identified that the most important new product characteristics were quality, craftsmanship, price and style, and that the most successful marketing strategies were those of product and price of the retail marketing mix or the four p's product, price, place and promotion. This research has produced a better understanding of the factors involved in the diffusion of fishskin leather. It has also identified the strategic methods and marketing innovation activities needed for the marketing of fishskin leather products.

Master of Science / Food Science Institute -- Human Nutrition / Koushik Adhikari / A significant increase in the number of products carried in supermarkets has lead manufacturers to use food color as a way to differentiate their products from competitor’s products or as a form of communication. This report’s overall objective was to review the impact of color on sensory properties of foods and beverages and help product developers understand the multiple sensory properties within a food or beverage that may potentially change by manipulating color. The effect of color on flavor or odor identification, basic taste perception, flavor or odor intensity, quality and refreshment, and consumer acceptance has been extensively researched. Research to date has shown inconsistent findings, although key themes are consistent. Some colors are more appropriate for certain foods and beverages, and product color can be directly linked to palatability. Color cues can be used for flavor identification within a food or beverage, and the presence of certain colors evoke flavor associations within a product. Perceived intensities of basic taste or flavor attributes have increased or decreased merely with color addition. Consumers use color cues to determine quality, therefore color can ultimately affect product acceptance.

Master of Science / Department of Food Science / Kadri Koppel / Pomegranate fruits are seasonally produced and require processing to provide year round availability. Effects of processing on phenolic compounds, color, and other physical properties have been examined but few studies have examined the sensory effects. Juice prepared from fresh Wonderful pomegranates was used to prepare fresh frozen juice, batch pasteurized juice, and reconstituted juice from dried arils. These juices were evaluated using analytical and affective sensory methods to increase the understanding of processing effects on pomegranate juice properties. A modified consensus flavor profile showed that a large number of small differences existed. The accumulation of these changes demonstrates the distinction among processing methods. Time intensity multi-evaluation (TIME) profiling, a new method, was used to further understand how multiple attributes, including aromatics, feeling factors, and basic tastes, changed over the course of one sip. Fruity flavor was consistently the first to appear in the profile while bitterness and astringency lasted the longest. The attribute woody displayed longer peak times in the pasteurized and reconstituted samples than seen in fresh frozen juice. Semi-Continuous Consumption (SCC) profiling, another new method, explained product differences over 25 sips that mimicked consumption. Overall, astringent and bitter components increased while fruity and overall sweet attributes declined. These profile changes differed by sample with reconstituted juice showing the least increase in astringency over consumption. The juice samples were subjected to an acceptance test that showed four liking clusters, one that accepted all three juices and three clusters that disliked one of each juice type. The results from these studies are an initial step in describing how processing of pomegranate juice can effect flavor. Understanding the flavor differences is beneficial to processors for marketing products and for purchasers of these products for ingredient usage. Furthermore, the process of TIME and SCC profiling are described which are beneficial for understanding how multiple flavors change over single and multiple consumption events of a product respectively. These new methodologies are useful in explaining the experience of complex products such as teas and coffees or products exhibiting build-up such as nutrition aides.

Master of Science / Food Science - Human Nutrition / Delores Chambers / Researchers evaluated the flavor characteristics of seven black walnut (Juglans nigra L.) cultivars: Brown Nugget, Davidson, Emma K, Football, Sparks 127, Sparrow, and Tomboy using descriptive sensory analysis. Seven trained panelists developed a lexicon for the black walnuts and scored the intensities of the samples for 22 flavor and taste attributes. Results showed that the 7 samples differed significantly (P ≤ 0.05) on 13 of the attributes. For the majority of the attributes, only Emma K differed from the rest of the cultivars by being characterized with lower scores for black walnut ID, overall nutty, nutty-grain-like, nutty-buttery, floral/fruity, oily, and overall sweet. It also was higher in acrid, burnt, fruity-dark, musty/earthy, rancid, and bitter attributes. Researchers then incorporated the black walnut cultivars into a simple cookie recipe and evaluated the samples for differences in flavor attributes using the same trained panelists. Nine of the 25 attributes differed significantly across cultivars: black walnut ID, overall nutty, nutty-buttery, brown, toasted, acrid, rancid, overall sweet, and sweet (P ≤ 0.05). Lower mean scores in black walnut ID, overall nutty, and sweet and higher mean scores in rancid and acrid characterized the Emma K cookie. A PCA biplot revealed that cookies with Football, Sparks 127, and Sparrow walnuts related with one another and the attributes nutty-woody, leavening, and piney. A consumer acceptance test for six of the cookies (Tomboy cultivar was excluded) was also performed. There were four significant clusters of consumers that differed in their acceptance of the cookie samples. Cluster 1 preferred Football, clusters 2 and 3 each showed no overall preference, and cluster 4 preferred Emma K suggesting a set of niche consumers for black walnut cookies. Results presented in this paper can assist black walnut growers in determining which cultivars to plant and harvest. By knowing which cultivars have the most desirable flavor characteristics, growers can focus time and resources on select cultivars, therefore resulting in higher quality black walnuts as products to be sold to consumers in various formats. By consciously choosing which cultivars to harvest, black walnut growers can meet market demand and increase profit.

Benefits and consequences of controversial products are debated in the public arena for the protection of consumers and to evaluate the market decisions made by industry and government. The food industry continues to develop new foods as well as processes to bring food to the market. Some of these processes bring to issue the safety of the products or the impact on the market, workers, or environment. Such controversial products or processes include BSE (mad cow disease), genetically modified organisms (GMO), antibiotics, pesticides, carbon monoxide modified atmosphere packaging, and food irradiation. This thesis sets out with the objective of understanding, developing, and utilizing methodologies similar to those used in other contingent valuation studies to evaluate how consumers are influenced by varying information using food irradiation as a focus subject. Food irradiation is a technological food process that continues to be debated and much information favoring and opposing it is readily available to the public, making it a suitable subject about which to study information effects and consumer acceptance. To accomplish this objective, consumers were surveyed in grocery stores in the state of Texas during the spring of 2006. As irradiated foods are not currently widely available, a hypothetical product, irradiated mangoes, was used to elicit information from survey participants. The survey was comprised of two parts. First general information regarding consumer knowledge and trust of food irradiation as well as willingness to pay (WTP) was collected. Second, varying information regarding food irradiation (positive, negative, or mixed) was presented and questioning was reaccomplished. Evaluation of the survey data was made in three papers, each comprising its own chapter in this thesis. The first paper evaluates consumers’ initial trust and knowledge of food irradiation and how these factors interact with information in changing WTP. The second paper assesses responses for a “cheap talk” effect. Cheap talk is informing consumers of the existence of hypothetical bias in studies of this type with the goal being to reduce this bias to real life response equivalence. The third paper evaluates not only WTP, but also how consumer trust is affected by varying forms of information.

Master of Science / Food Science Institute / Kadri Koppel / Black walnut (Juglans nigra L.) is a Juglans species native to the United States. Nuts are collected each fall from black walnut trees and the kernels are consumed in many food products like ice cream, candies, and baked goods. Flavor profiles of black walnut cultivars have been examined, but no studies have looked at the effect of growing season on flavor profile, and few studies have determined consumer acceptance of black walnut food products. The sensory profiles of 10 black walnut cultivars (Football, Vandersloot, Brown Nugget, Pounds, Sparks 127, Davidson, Sparrow, Neel, Emma K, and Tomboy) were evaluated using descriptive sensory analysis. A trained panel scored the intensity of 3 appearance, 7 aroma, 23 flavor, and 6 texture attributes. Results showed that the cultivars differed significantly (P≤0.05) on 11 of these attributes. The results from this study were also compared to results collected in 2011 of 7 black walnut cultivars. Two flavor attributes (black walnut ID and overall nutty) had an interaction effect of year and cultivar, while 7 attributes showed a main effect of year (brown, caramelized, floral/fruity, fruity,-dark piney, musty/dusty, and oily). In general, flavor attributes had higher intensities in 2011 than in 2013. Six of the black walnut cultivars were also incorporated into a gelato base and evaluated by both a trained panel and consumer panel. Trained panelists developed a lexicon for the gelato samples and scored the intensity of 18 flavor attributes. The gelato samples differed on 3 main flavor attributes: black walnut ID, overall nutty, and sour (P≤0.05). Based on consumer liking, there were 3 distinct clusters of consumers. One cluster preferred samples with a milder black walnut flavor, another preferred a more intense black walnut and overall nutty flavor, and the third cluster liked all of the samples. Results from this study indicate that growing season should be considered when determining flavor profile of agricultural products. These results can also help guide growers in selecting cultivars that may produce a more consistent crop year after year, and cultivars that consumers find acceptable in food products.

Malnutrition remains a persistent and increasing problem in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Food production has not kept pace with population growth, and many people have poor access to adequate, nutritious diet. In many areas of the developing world, maize is a vital staple and a main source of dietary protein. In Eastern and Southern Africa, maize is the basic food for the subsistence farmers. Per capita consumption of maize in Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe is 100 kg per year, while in Tanzania, per capita consumption is estimated at 73 kg per year. Unfortunately, the nutritional value of conventional maize is poor, partly due to the low biological value of its protein. To ensure sufficient protein intake, conventional maize should therefore be consumed with complementary protein sources, such as legumes or animal proteins. The complementary proteins sources however, tend to be expensive, or take a lot of time and fuel to cook, for instance beans. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the sensory characteristics and consumer acceptance of quality protein maize (QPM) in rural Tanzania. QPM is a maize cultivar which has almost double the amount of tryptophan and lysine. QPM has been adopted in several countries of SSA, but very few studies have been undertaken on its acceptance by consumers. In Tanzania, no study has been undertaken to elicit consumers‟ acceptability for this maize variety. The sensory characteristics of food products affect consumers‟ immediate consumption gratification. This study makes a unique contribution to the literature by exploring the roles that sensory evaluation and nutritional information play in shaping consumers‟ QPM flour purchasing behaviour through economic experiments in rural Tanzania. A triangle test was undertaken to find out whether there is a difference between QPM and conventional maize. Additionally, a rural household survey was undertaken which collected consumers‟ demographic, farming and individual characteristics. This was done using structured questionnaires administered by trained enumerators. Moreover, modified home use sensory testing and central location sensory testing were also undertaken to determine sensory characteristics of QPM and conventional maize. Stiff porridge, a major maize product in East and South Africa, was used to undertake this experiment. Finally, acceptability of QPM was tested using experimental auctions with the Becker-DeGroot-Marschak (BDM) procedure, and maize flour was used to undertake this experiment. The sensory evaluation findings of the study indicated that consumer characteristics of QPM stiff porridge were highly appreciated than those of conventional maize stiff porridge. This was observed both in the modified home use testing and central location testing. Likewise, consumers were willing to pay more for QPM than for conventional maize in all evaluation criteria used. Triangle test showed a significant difference between QPM and conventional maize. Sensory evaluation however needs to be repeated with other QPM varieties to ensure that it is not only a specific QPM variety that has favourable consumer characteristics. This study further revealed that providing QPM nutritional information to consumers increases their willingness to pay for QPM. Subjects who were provided with QPM nutritional information had higher WTP for QPM than those who were not. This shows that creating awareness of the nutritional contents, especially of the new varieties, would increase the appreciation by consumers hence help in fighting malnutrition in SSA. Providing QPM nutritional information, on the other hand, decreased consumers‟ WTP for conventional maize. This was unexpected because the information provided only concerned QPM. The study recommends that another study be carried out to find out the cause of decrease in WTP for conventional maize when QPM nutritional information is provided. This study clearly reveals that QPM is acceptable by rural consumers in Tanzania. This information can help policy makers in Africa to better understand consumers' food behaviour and make initiatives to improve diet and health, which can be important in reducing malnutrition in Sub Saharan Africa. / Dissertation (MSc(Agric))--University of Pretoria, 2011. / Agricultural Economics, Extension and Rural Development / unrestricted

MCom (Business Management) / Department of Business Management / Consumer mobile phone adoption is on the rise exponentially, and offers marketers with many new opportunities to reach and serve customers. The South African mobile phone market has increased rapidly and a significant proportion of mobile services usage in South Africa is the youth. South African youths are following international trends as well as becoming the fastest-growing group in terms of technology adoption in the country. The prevalence of mobile technology as well as its capability to enable laser precision marketing on an individual basis has directed marketers to consider the adoption of mobile marketing. However, the question remains whether consumers are ready for uptake of mobile phone marketing. The purpose of this study was to bring light and create an understanding of the factors affecting university students’ willingness to participate in mobile phone marketing in South Africa. This study used a positivist paradigm that ensures that there is a gap between the researcher’s subjective bias and the objective reality being studied. The study was descriptive in nature with survey method being used to complete the study. The quantitative research technique was applied with data being collected from respondents by a self-administered questionnaire targeted at youth students from selected South African Universities. The questionnaire was pre-tested in a pilot study involving the research participants to identify errors in the research questionnaire and to ensure that the data collected would be relevant and as precise as possible. Findings from this study revealed how consumers want to participate in mobile marketing as well as the contributory factors influencing the acceptance of mobile marketing. Furthermore, this study supplements to the increasing body of evidence on mobile marketing acceptance. The study can also assist managers to utilise the potential of this marketing medium amongst university students in South Africa. More essentially, this study also provided information that can be used to monitor decision making towards mobile advertisements and marketing planning.

Selecting the correct methodology to better understand how consumers perceive food products is a challenging task for the food industry and sensory researchers alike. Free comment tasks (FC) utilize the advantages of open-ended questions to generate intuitive comments from untrained consumers to help identify and describe sensory attributes of products. However, FC data is typically analyzed using text analysis done by hand and is very cumbersome to organize and interpret. There is a growing need and interest to add to the library of data analysis tools used to understand FC data and consumer acceptance studies. Sentiment analysis is an opinion mining tool commonly used in marketing and computer science that extracts the emotional valence of the author from an unstructured text in the form of a sentiment score. A few studies in sensory evaluation use lexicon-based sentiment analysis which has many drawbacks: it is time-consuming, requires a large amount of data and dictionaries need to be tailored for food. We used a deep learning sentiment analysis approach to analyze and predict consumer sentiment/acceptance. The research objectives of this study are 1) to explore quicker and automated methods of sentiment analysis to better understand and predict consumer acceptance, and 2) to examine the advantages and disadvantages of sentiment analysis as a data analysis tool in sensory evaluation. We avoided the pitfalls of creating a sentiment lexicon by using online beer reviews to train a word embedding model where all of the relevant words in the review are converted into vectors. We used the distance and similarity (clustering) of the vectors to determine taste/flavor attributes that correspond to negative and positive sentiment. Next, to validate and test our model we gathered FC data in a consumer acceptance study. Panelists (N=68) were presented with six beers, one at a time and were instructed to taste and smell before leaving comments. We performed sentiment analysis on the FC data, and we compared our deep learning sentiment analysis model with three other pre-existing sentiment analysis models: SentimentR, VADER, and Liu and Hu opinion lexicon. Our deep learning sentiment analysis model had the highest accuracy (69%) and precision rate (73%). Overall, our findings provide an early look into the advantages and disadvantages of sentiment analysis applied to FC data in sensory evaluation. / Master of Science in Life Sciences / It can be a challenging task for the food industry and sensory researchers to select the correct methodology to better understand how consumers perceive food products. One method is Free comment tasks (FC) which use open-ended questions to generate comments from consumers. However, FC data is typically analyzed using text analysis done by hand and is very cumbersome to organize and interpret. This thesis is interested in investigating the application of data analysis methods from computer science on FC data. Sentiment analysis is an opinion mining tool commonly used in marketing and computer science that finds the emotional tone of the author from a text in the form of a sentiment score. First, we created a deep learning sentiment analysis model which uses algorithms to find useful patterns in the text that indicate positive and negative sentiment with minimal human intervention. We were interested if there were any advantages in creating a model so we compared our model to three widely used sentiment analysis models: VADER, Liu Hu and Sentiment R. Next, to test our sentiment analysis model and the three others we gathered FC data in a consumer acceptance study. Panelists (N=68) were presented with six beers, one at a time and were instructed to taste and smell before leaving comments. The research objectives of this study are 1) to explore quicker and automated data analysis methods to understand FC data, and 2) to examine the advantages and disadvantages of data analysis tools from computer science in sensory evaluation. Our deep learning sentiment analysis model had the highest accuracy (69%) and precision rate (73%). Overall, our findings provide an early look into the advantages and disadvantages of sentiment analysis applied to FC data in sensory evaluation.

Yes / Despite being regarded as the most comprehensive theory in understanding individual technology adoption – UTAUT2 theory with growing number of citations and impetus beyond IS domain face strong criticism on usage of the model in its entirety. This study located UTAUT2 based empirical studies in the Scopus and Web of Science bibliographic database through citied reference search in order to evaluate appropriate usage of UTAUT2 constructs. The meta-analysis results spanning across 60 studies with more than 122,000 cumulative observations found BI→UB as the strongest path with all significant values. PE→BI emerged as the most utilized path with most significant values underscoring the emphasis placed by consumers on utilitarian value. Meanwhile, with most non-significant path values the future usage of EE→BI path is been cautioned and questioned. Finally, trust, personal innovativeness, perceived risk, attitude, and self-efficacy were found as the five topmost UTAUT2 extensions.