The Right Sensory Mix

Berry-AMA Book Prize FINALIST 2011!

“The Right Sensory Mix” is one of the four best marketing books in 2011 according to the American Marketing Association Foundation.  

The Berry-AMA Book Prize is awarded annually be the Foundation (AMAF) and recognizes books whose innovative ideas have had significant impact on marketing and related fields. For additional information about the Berry-AMA Book Prize, visit Berry-AMA Book Prize.

Why do some people drink black coffee and others stick to tea?

Why do some people prefer competitors’ products?

Why do we sell less in this country?

Many companies fail to acknowledge and analyze disparities observed among customers and simply put them down to culture or emotion. New neuroendocrinological research proves that consumers are rational: They just have a different biological perception of the same stimulus! Their preferences, behavior, and decisions are strongly influenced by the hundredsof millions of sensors monitoring their body and brain. People with more taste buds are for example sensitive to bitterness and are more likely to drink their coffee with sugar or milk, or to drink tea.

After reading the book, managers will be able to:

• Understand and predict consumers’ behavior and preferences

• Design the right sensory mix (color, shape, taste, smell, texture, and sound) for each product

• Fine-tune their positioning and product range for every local market

• Systematically increase their innovation hit rate

From the reviews:

“Professor Derval has made this research accessible and understandable in her acclaimed book … which has been making waves not only in the field of neuroscience, but also in the marketing world, for the past year and a half. … ‘Diana Derval has written the best book … . Her writing is lively, full of relevant case studies, and rich in insights. No marketing department or new product department must proceed without first reading this book.’” (MMD Newswire, November, 2011)

“Diana Derval has written the best book that I have seen on the critical role of the five senses in determining our brand preferences. Her writing is lively, full of relevant case studies, and rich in insights. No marketing department or new product department must proceed without first reading this book.” (Philip Kotler, S.C. Johnson & Son Professor of International Marketing, Kellogg School of Management)

“A very innovative and promising approach, which takes into account the physiological diversity of consumers, and proposes to link it with behavioral characteristics; product developers and marketing teams should read this book in order to take advantage of the variability of sensory perceptions.” (Nathalie Jacquet, Head of Sensory Analysis & New Products Development, Research Center Pernod Ricard)

“Professor Diana Derval inspires you with her mental agility, always seizing any opportunity to break "conventional" consumer insights with a new, scientific approach, producing unexpected strategies for predicting consumer behaviors and new ways of identifying unexplored, profitable market segments. A fascinating book!” (Markus Kohler, Director Packaging at Philip Morris International)

“Diana Derval invites us to explore our senses, with the help of fascinating scientific discoveries – and a great sense of humor. Reading her book was like an eye-opener: it changed my vision of marketing and made me consider a new consumer approach.” (Alexis Mühlhoff, Head of Marketing, Komatsu)

“Five golden stars! "The Right Sensory Mix" takes the concepts of genetics and neuroendocrinology and applies them to predict consumer behavior. The text is intellectually brilliant and delightful. Read the book and you will want to adapt Prof. Derval's model because the book discloses in detail how sensory networks and the Hormonal QuotientTM help predict consumer's attitudes and behavior, the data obtained from her own scientific approach, to how thetechnique works as exemplified by well known commercial brands.” (Magda Carvalho, PhD Genetics, Faculty Member Cornell Medical School New York, J.D., US Patent Attorney)

“Thanks to her discovery concerning the relationship between hormones and sensory sensitivity, Diana Derval proposes an amazing scientific approach to accurately profile consumers, according to their Hormonal QuotientTM. She succeeds in explaining her findings on smell, color, and texture preferences in a very simple and lively way making her book so pleasant to read. This original tool can be recommended for marketing profiling or in addition to a psychology study to comprehend one’s personality.” (Wai Wong, accessory group development manager, Sephora/LVMH Group)

Prof. Diana Derval is President and Research Director of DervalResearch, global market research firm specializing in human perception and behavior, and Chair of the Board of Directors of the Better Immune System Foundation. Visionary researcher, inventor of the Hormonal QuotientTM, member of the Society for Behavioral Neuroendocrinology, and author regularly featured in the media, Diana Derval turns fascinating neuroscientific breakthroughs into powerful business frameworks to identify, understand, and predict human traits, motivations, and behavior. She has accelerated the development of Fortune 500 firms including TomTom, Michelin, HP, Philips, Sara Lee, and Danone. Diana Derval is Professor of Marketing and Innovation at the University of Wales MBA/Robert Kennedy College, and teaches Sensory Science at ESSEC Paris-Singapore Business School, and at the University Leonard de Vinci. Over 10,000 professionals enjoyed her inspirational lectures and workshops from Chicago to Shanghai.