CUSTOMERS’ TASTE PERCEPTION TOWARDS GELATO PRODUCTS (CASE STUDY: CREMERIA DI DEE GELATO)

• Main Author: Irawan, Diandra
• Format: Theses
• Language: Indonesia
• Subjects: Manajemen umum
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/41243
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

Dessert is one of the three main categories of food, serving as the final course. The popularity of dessert is increasing significantly. Food producers are facing a great challenge due to differences in taste perception and adaptability. Around 80% of food buying decision depends on taste. The sustainability of a food business highly depends on the customer liking to the product. Cremeria di Dee Gelato is a dessert business focusing on selling classic homemade Italian gelato in Bandung. The perception of flavors by the customers has been an external issue in determining the product fitness. The difference between social media and real customer profile seems to be the internal issue for the company. Having the business runs as a product oriented company, it concerns the proper plan for product development and marketing. Finding the right target market and product is necessary to build a longterm relationship between the producer and consumer. The study will conduct both internal and external analysis to determine the relationship between customers’ personal backgrounds to their perceptions and preferences of Cremeria di Dee Gelato’s products. The research methods used in this study are Core Competencies, Valuable, Rare, Inimitable, Organized (VRIO) Analysis, Value Proposition Canvas, Business Model Canvas), Segmenting, Targeting, Positioning (STP) Analysis, Data Analysis, Benchmark Analysis, Sensory Analysis, and Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats (SWOT) Analysis. The market had been retargeted into Bandung and Jakarta area, age between 18-29 years old. Liking to certain flavors depends on personal taste or preference. Customers’ demographic background indirectly affects the customers’ taste preference. Age and region had a bigger impact rather than occupation. Customers had a higher sensitivity towards sweetness and flavor intensity compared to texture. Sensory analysis showed that offered product did not fit the customers’ preferences. The right operational plan is needed in determining the best attributes to offer that fit the most customers’ preferences, which was less sweet, less intense flavor, and smoother texture product. The right marketing plan is needed to create affinity between product offered and customer. Instagram was chosen to be the main platform for promotions based on its exposure. Repetition of experiment must be done to keep updated with the most recent customers’ preferences.