Our senses combine to help our brains interpret what we’re eating, with smell responsible for about 80% of what our brains interpret as ‘taste’.
In fact, how something is presented informs our taste expectations. The green ketchup fail by Heinz is such a wonderful cautionary tale for us all — before people vote with their wallets, apply the behavioural science filter to your new product or communication.
A number of communications studies have shown the language used to describe food and drink affects how we feel about what ‘taste’ is coming.
It makes sense when you pause to think about it. It’s more appetising and mouthwatering to think of something as Moreish Morsels than Portion Controlled. Yet, when you’re focused on product innovation, we can sometimes forget to orient our exciting new products back to the market and frame our new innovation in a language that tantalises and clearly communicates the benefit it can offer.
Why?
Using powerful, evocative and, where you can, onomatopoeic words triggers signals in our brains that recall strong, often emotion-laden memories that can help override the things that might be holding us back from changing our current behaviour and discovering something new.