Tasting Accents: Three Studies on the Influence of Regional Accents on People’s Expectations and Perception of Food

Abstract Auditory and informational stimuli are part of the broader multisensory experience of eating. Research shows that foreign accents can decrease the credibility and appeal of products in commercial contexts such as ads, customer service, or sales pitches, but few studies have tested regional accents, and none have tested post-consumption effects in the liking and sensory perception of food. Three studies (two tastings, one online) were conducted with audio descriptions in four Swedish accents (Southern, Western, Eastern, Northern), three different food stimuli (vegan cream cheese sandwich, pork and vegan dried sausages, pictures of regional dishes) and a total of 805 participants. The results revealed that while the speaker was perceived differently depending on his accent, the effects were not transferred to consumer liking, willingness to try (WTT), or sensory and emotional associations to the food stimuli. Altogether, they suggest that regional diversity of voices in ads and jobs such as salespeople and waiters are unlikely to influence the preference and perception of food products.