Research on Consumer Perception of Chocolate Using Neuromarketing Tools

The matter of consumers' perception of chocolate is relevant due to the stable growth of the market for chocolate and chocolate products and the relatively low coverage of the topic in the academic community. The present study is intended to cover the major issues pertaining to the impact of various factors on the perception of chocolate by consumers. In the course of the study, we conducted both traditional marketing tools (questionnaires, hall tests) and neuromarketing tools (electroencephalography). The analysis of EEG data revealed neurometrics — occipital-parietal beta-asymmetry, which correlates with the willingness of an individual to pay for a product and reflects the positive or negative effect of packaging on both the group and individual levels. The results of the work will be useful in developing a methodology for testing the packaging of a product before starting its production. The findings of the study can be extrapolated to other hedonistic food products — various types of confectionery, coffee, delicacies, alcoholic beverage.