Mental representation, intuitive clustering

Intuitive clustering is based on free sorting techniques that can be used as part of a group discussion. Participants are presented with pictures of products (selected from the full range of brands and products available on the market). They are then asked to group the products into categories according to their own spontaneous criteria, which they vote on together (common denominator). This is how the main categories emerge. After the first rational round, consumers start to get creative in additional rounds, digging deeper and diversifying their ways of mapping.

In the second phase, each category is discussed in detail and sub-categories are created. At this stage, we pay particular attention to terminology and nomenclature. Within each segment, we identify the hero products that are representative of their 'genre'. This is how we decode the consumers’ mental categories and relevant segmentation/ purchase criteria and understand the role each product plays in the universe.