Pangborn 2025: Scent & Sensibility

In categories as diverse as premium horse feed and health and wellness products, sensory experience is increasingly being recognized as a powerful lever for consumer differentiation and decision-making.

This workshop explores how brands can strategically design sensory cues- such as aroma, flavor, and feel- not just to please the senses, but to shape expectations, trigger emotions, and build trust. We’ll share insights from two innovative research initiatives.

The first centers on Cargill’s development of a signature scent for premium horse feed across the U.S. and Mexico, an initiative grounded in a multi-phase approach that engaged horse caregivers and owners in co-creation and evaluation, while also validating palatability with horses themselves.

The second set of case studies will focus on healthcare products such as over-the-counter (OTC) medicine, where optimizing flavor and mouthfeel must be carefully balanced against perceived medicinal effectiveness.

We’ll explore how sensory design, claims testing, and ethical research protocols intersect to guide product development, particularly in categories where perceived effectiveness must be balanced with consumer appeal.

Attendees will walk away with practical tools to:

• Co-create sensory attributes with end users.
• Balance hedonic appeal with functional credibility.
• Navigate category-specific research constraints.
• Translate sensory insights into compelling, differentiated product experiences.

Host or Publisher Curion Insights