[CH] By Popular demand: the article
Judith Stone (madpepco@gte.net)
Fri, 20 Nov 1998 17:23:49 -0500
Hope you enjoy this and thanks again for all your help.
Consumer Survey: What Are They Really Looking For In A
Hot Sauce?
By Judith Stone
Ahh..hot sauces. The life's blood of our industry. In the short two
years
that we have been in business, it is astounding the number of new
products being
introduced on the market. With all the new products to choose from, the
questions most
asked are " what to stock in my store "or "what should be our next
addition to our line of
sauces?" This is where this survey came from. I, too, wanted to know
what the people
are looking for today. So, I did a consumer survey. Over 100 people
responded and the
results are here for all of us to learn from. What are they looking
for? As Al Griffin
from Norman, Oklahoma, one of the respondents best put it, "Like Plato's
cave, the
sauces are shadows on the cave wall-we look for the "ideal" of hot
sauce. We each have
a template in our heads/nose/tongue, and search for the sauce which most
closely
matches that template."
The industry seems to be moving towards an upscale market. A resounding
100% listed
flavor and ingredients as their top criterias for purchasing hotsauces.
A surprising 40% of
the respondents to the survey were women. It would seem that the women
prefer sauces
to enhance cooking. Jody Baze from Albuquerque, New Mexico put it, "
Taste is the #1
issue. Why consume it if it doesn't taste good?" The thought that came
through was
"What foods will this new sauce match best?". With different types of
sauces
matching different foods, sauces with interesting flavors and unusual
ingredients seem to
be a major factor in purchasing sauces. For example, a fragrant fruit
sauce with
habaneros might be perfect for grilled fish or other seafood. While a
thicker, richer sauce
might be used for a marinade. John Fentzer, Jr.from
Unionville,Connecticut responded,
"I buy based on the ingredient list, color and consistency. In general,
I avoid anything
that lists generic "hot peppers", weird colored sauces, ingredient
separation or watery
sauces". Most of the respondents did not particularly like sauces that
listed vinegar as the
main ingredient. A large number of the respondents preferred fruit-based
sauces. Lorraine
Heidecker said "I will buy a new hot sauce if it contains some sort of
fruit (mangoes,
pineapple, tamirind, peaches,) etc." Chunky vegetables and identifiable
peppers were a
big plus.
The second consideration, was the heat level. Even though habanero
peppers are still the
main pepper preferred, the majority of the survey, preferred the less
intense hot sauces.
As Luke from New South Wales, Australia, responded, "Heat is only
important as long as
there is a balance with flavor. If it's got fruit, make sure the fruit
flavor is there. Don't try
to make a sauce that will strip the chrome from a '63 Caddy when
something that just
melts plastic will do the job and sell about 10 times easier." Or as
Jonathan Smilie from
England put it, "I'd rather have a sauce that engages my palate than
sears my tastebuds."
The common thread throughout the survey was the idea that heat can
always be added.
Forty percent of the survey add habanero powder or other pepper products
to boost the
heat to tasty, less spicy sauces.
We in the industry spend so much money on label design, advertising and
other
marketing. Our general idea is the public is drawn to labeling first.
We place those 5 oz.
bottles that we so lovingly prepare on the shelf and hope ours is the
one people choose.
The surprising results were that labels and slick advertising are not as
important as we
think they are. Elassar Tetramariner from Ann Arbor, Michigan burst that
bubble with
these comments, " I rate label pictures about 3 out of 10 points when
considering
purchase. All the sauces that rely on being "way too hot" or "majikal"
or "established
since 1793 when we used slave labor to make a quick profit on an easily
processed
sauce", do not get my business.""It's hard to tell what you're buying
when shopping for
hot sauces because the labels are deceiving. The labels are creative,
colorful and
eyecatching; however, the sauces don't necessarily live up to the
labels..and I am serious
about my hot sauces", was the response from Bettye Crum from St.
Petersburg, Florida.
On the other side, Bill Oakes from San Jose, California said " if it's
in a REALLY cool
bottle, I'll still get one. And Wayne Chow also had that opinion. He
stated " I am always
drawn by the label/packaging first, then I consider the sauce".
Price was the final consideration in buying hot sauces. I think Jody
Blaze of
Albuquerque, New Mexico put it best, "Price is an issue, but only if
it's very expensive.
If I have to pay $10.00 for 2 ounces, well, this might dissuade me.
However, it depends
on how good it is, some things are worth paying for. And, of course,
some things aren't
worth a plug nickel."
I hope this helps you in your pursuits in this business. The final
quote that I particularly
liked sort of sums up the whole thing. "Overall I figure it doesn't
hurt to overindulge in
hot sauces--relatively cheap, gives me lots of pleasure, not fattening
or frowned upon by
society and maybe has some health benefits" I agree with Erica Klein
from Houston,
Texas on that.
(Note at the bottom)
Judith and David Stone have El Pass-O Cafe and the Mad Pepper Co. in St.
Petersburg, Florida.