Analysis of Customer Perception of a New Product Using the Neutrosophic Biplot Method

Abstract

This paper sought to propose and apply the Neutrosophic Biplot analysis method to understand consumer perception of a new technological product with uncertain attributes while addressing the shortcomings that a conventional approach would present. Data was collected through a survey experiment with neutrosophic rating scales where 50 subjects slid on one scale to indicate how much they agreed (A), were neutral, or indifferent (I), and disagreed (D) about each of the eight features of a new smartphone they received. A neutrosophic data matrix was formed and converted into a real-valued matrix using a scoring function, allowing for the application of HJ-Biplot analysis. The two most important findings were that segmentation exists in this market, leading to the conclusions that there are three kinds of consumers: “Technophiles” (those concerned with performance and camera), “Thrifters” (those concerned with price and battery), and “Aesthetes” (those concerned with design) and that software as an attribute has been perceived by consumers with a high degree of indeterminacy. Ultimately, Neutrosophic Biplot is a valuable analysis for perception because by acknowledging uncertainty in consumer response, the analysis creates a more detailed and accurate picture of such information which can help direct corporate strategic decisions better.