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In marketing, a blind taste test is often used as a tool for companies to compare their brand to another brand. For example, the Pepsi Challenge [1] is a famous taste test that has been run by Pepsi since 1975. Additionally, taste tests are sometimes used as a tool by companies to develop their brand or new products.
Blind taste tests are ideal for goods such as food or wine (see blind wine tasting ) that are consumed directly. Researchers use blind taste tests to obtain information about customers' perceptions and preferences on the goods. Blind taste test can be used to: [2]
Blind taste tests require a "blind testing" meaning the people taking the blind taste test are unaware of the identity of the brand being tested, [3] or if done at home this can be as simple as a blindfold over the person taking the test. This means that any bias, preconceived ideas about a particular brand or food, is eliminated. The people taking the test will also be unaware of any changes done to the product. [2]
In the famous Pepsi Challenge, [1] people took a sip from two different unlabelled glasses, not knowing which was Coke and which was Pepsi.
There are two types of blind taste tests:
Taste tests are commonly employed by the public television show America's Test Kitchen and its spin-off series Cook's Country , typically administered by Jack Bishop. [4]