DISTINGUISHING ACTIONABLE VERSUS INACTIONABLE ATTRIBUTES

This paper distinguishes between two classes of product attributes, actionable attributes and inactionable ones. Actionable attributes are those which (a) can be optimized by varying the types and levels of ingredients in a product and (b) probably reflect true sensory orperceptual responses to products. Examples are sweetness, fragrance, softness, and the like. Inactionable attributes are those which cannot be optimized in this way, no matter what type or level of ingredient is varied. These inactionable attributes may reflect alternate ways of saying “degree of liking”. Actionable attributes can be distinguished from inactionable ones by contrasting the attribute profile of existingproducts versus ideal products, or versus concepts when products, concepts and ideals are profiled on the same attributes and scales. This must be done in the same study, however.