Kansei Evaluation of Natto Packages: Focusing on Text Mining and Color Analysis

Abstract

This study aims to visualize ambiguous package impressions of natto (fermented soybeans) and investigate the relationship between package characteristics and color and purchase intention. Therefore, we analyzed the eight Natto packages of two famous brands in Japan using the following four analysis methods; Color perspective analysis, Factor analysis with SD method, Ranking method, and the Text-mining method. In this study, participants evaluated the impressions of eight Natto packages with the SD method by factor analysis. In addition, they evaluated the Natto packages based on the evaluation item 'Want to buy package' using the Ranking method. Then, we investigated the characteristics of the brands and the relationship between the Natto packages with the Text-mining method. Next, we visualized and examined the percentage of colors used in the Natto packages. In addition, we examined the Cluster analysis based on the factor scores to examine whether there was a relationship between the used color in packages and the two Natto brands. As a result, we could obtain the following four factors; "Natural feeling as a food," "Stubbornness," "Blandness," and "Unpretentious" by the SD method. Among these factors, "Stubbornness" is related strongly to color. However, the ordered results with the Ranking method did not show a clear relationship with color. However, the "Natural feeling as a food" factor has a strong relationship with the color of packages. Therefore, changing the package's color changes the package's impression, affecting the user's motivation to buy. Since we could clarify the relationship between the four factors and the motivation level to buy, we calculated the correlation between these four-factor scores and the evaluated scores of the Ranking method. As a result, there was a negative correlation between the factor "Natural feeling as a food" and "Blandness." In contrast, there was a positive correlation between "Stubbornness" and "Unpretentious." Moreover, the intensity level of the used color in packages differed depending on the brands. The result of the Cluster analysis also revealed that the used color was related to brands. Text mining method with the result from the Ranking method revealed that participants have different views of each brand. And the motivation to buy a Natto is related to not only its price and taste but also the design of the package, including color and text. As future work, this study needs to focus on only the used color packages and more clarify the characteristic between the color of packages and brands.