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Which Dutch apple is your favorite?

Opdrachtgever Fruitmasters

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Optimization research

Benchmark research

Which Dutch apple is your favorite? afbeelding

The challenge

Fruitmasters’ ambition is to offer every customer an apple that suits his or her taste, or to share it in the future. The belief is that many purchases are currently made based onroutine or price, while more tasty alternatives are available for many consumers. To respond to this, deeper insight was needed into what consumers actually experience and value. The ‘old’ taste segmentation was always based on objective product measurements, but never on the experience of taste. It can now be said that, for example, a high brix (sugar value) is not necessarily perceived as the sweetest. The aim was therefore to gain better insight into the taste experience of different apple varieties and to find out which varieties are perceived as comparable.

The approach

Two different types of studies were used: a sensory study and a hedonic study. During the sensory research, our expert panel of 13 trained gourmets was asked to assess 41 different apples in duplicate based on jointly drawn up attributes. Subsequently, in the hedonic study, 25 different apples were tested by ‘the ordinary consumer’ for taste and aromas during a Central Location Test (CLT).

"We experienced the collaboration with all the people at Essensor as very pleasant throughout the entire process: always very cooperative, genuinely curious and professional."

Wouter Vagevuur – Commercieel Manager bij FruitMasters

The result

The result is a detailed flavor profile for the apples, and thus a new flavor segmentation, which has been launched from Monday, September 30, 2024, through a major campaign called ‘You have apples & you have apples’. This message makes consumers aware that there are more apples than their standard choice, all with different properties. Central to the campaign is the website where a test is available to determine the perfect apple for each consumer. This test helps consumers discover a wider range of apples.🍏🍎

New flavor segmentation

A refined flavor profile for the different apple varieties has led to a new flavor segmentation. This was introduced through the campaign 'You have apples & you have apples', in which consumers are challenged to look beyond their familiar choice.

Development of taste test

A Dutch apple is just as tasty as a foreign apple, but without the travel costs. With the taste test at www.appelsmaaktest.nl you will discover which local apple best suits your personal preference. This way you can effortlessly choose the ideal apple for your shopping cart.