Compact and mobile, the Aroma Kiosk combines a simple, user-friendly touch screen linked to Givaudan’s state-of-the-art artificial intelligence algorithm ATOM 2.0 (Advanced Tools for Modelling) and proprietary VAS technology. Consumers smell and rate different aroma profiles then the data are translated into personalised flavour preferences using an AI-based algorithm.

The combination of these digital tools and AI can significantly shorten the product development cycle, increase the chances of successful launch, and at the same time provide consumers with personalized recommendations and market products.

Fabio Campanile, Givaudan’s head of global science & technology, taste & wellbeing said: “The Aroma Kiosk is a game changer that allows us to crowdsource information on consumer preferences quickly, across many different demographics.

“The units are at the forefront of digital sensory innovation. Their portability allows them to be situated in public environments making them particularly powerful. The Kiosks can be customised for any type of product and can be used in a nearly limitless range of environments, representing a major step toward accessing consumers everywhere, every day, all while data is collected and flows in real time.”

“The insights and data can then be used to develop and refine product lines, ensuring they truly delight the consumer, a great example of how we co-create amazing food experiences with our customers,” added Campanile.

All around the world and across categories, consumer needs are changing at a record pace. Givaudan’s Aroma Kiosk is able to support customers with accurate, actionable consumer insights and product development. The Aroma Kiosks can be used to create customized surveys, collect consumer data, offer personalized preferences in real time, and make smart recommendations on market products. The results can be segmented based on consumer demographics, meaning we can create highly tailored, crowdsourced products of the future.

The new units have been extensively tested with consumers in a number of locations ahead of launch. For example, Givaudan recently worked with an alcoholic beverage company in South Africa to identify the most preferred flavors for different alcoholic applications. The Aroma Kiosk offered an intuitive method for collecting consumer preference data for alcoholic products that is often elusive and difficult to capture. Over a period of three days, the team collected data from 150+ consumers in a shopping mall in Johannesburg to deliver highly successful products.

On another occasion, Givaudan used the Aroma Kiosk in Mexico to understand the evolving consumer perception of a fresh strawberry flavor. The results from the Kiosk were quite surprising and revealing; it clearly showed how people of different generations perceive flavors and aromas and how different these perceptions are from one generation to the next. For example, fresh strawberry attributes, as perceived by older generations, were considered to be artificial-like by younger generations. The AI inside the Aroma Kiosk & ATOM beautifully captured the evolving perception of a fresh strawberry in consumers’ minds.