A Conjoint Analysis of Preferred Chocolate Product Attributes for Local Chocolatiers Among Gen Z College Students in the First District of Davao City

Abstract

This study aims to provide empirical data by identifying the preferred chocolate product combinations for local chocolatiers and the relative importance of various attributes in shaping choices among Gen Z college students in the first district of Davao City. Anchored in the Multi-Attribute Utility Theory and Sensory Marketing Theory, the study employed Conjoint Analysis using 1000minds via the Potentially All Pairwise Rankings of all Possible Alternatives (PAPRIKA) method. Four sensory attributes were investigated: Type of Chocolate, Format, Texture, and Outer Packaging Material. Data from 389 verified respondents obtained through purposive sampling with a Poisson distribution revealed that Type of Chocolate (27.1%) and Format (27.1%) were the most preferred attributes, followed by Texture (23.3%) and Packaging (22.5%). The ideal simulated combination was a milk chocolate bar with a crunchy texture in paper-based packaging.