Consumers' preferences for beef in the Spanish region of Extremadura: a study using conjoint analysis

The study of consumers' preferences is of great interest in the beef sector, where the BSE crisis generated deep changes in the basic conditions of demand for meat and in the behaviour of consumers. Previous qualitative research showed that ‘price’, ‘origin’, ‘production system’ and ‘labelling’ were the main attributes affecting preferences for beef in Extremadura (SW Spain). The data were obtained by a survey carried out between February and April 2002 with a sample of 575 regular consumers of beef. Conjoint Analysis has been used to estimate the relative importance of those attributes and to determine the existence of consumer segments with similar preference profiles. Results show that the origin of the product is the most important attribute for the choice of beef, followed by quality labelling, production system and price. Three groups of consumers were identified through cluster analysis, according to their preferences for beef. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry     

Influence of evoked contexts on rating-based conjoint analysis: Case study with lamb meat

The aim of the present work was to evaluate the influence of two evoked consumption contexts on consumers’ intention to purchase lamb meat cuts using rating-based conjoint analysis. Participants were randomly assigned to one of the evoked consumption contexts: a celebratory lunch with family over the weekend (n = 157), and a dinner at home after a day’s work (n = 171). Rating-based conjoint analysis was used to evaluate the influence of four independent variables on consumers’ intention to purchase lamb meat in each of the two evoked consumption contexts: type of cut, presentation, seasoning and price. Intention to purchase scores were significantly affected by the evoked context. Consumers were more willing to purchase lamb meat when the celebratory weekend lunch context was considered, compared to the weekday dinner. In the two contexts, price was the most important variable affecting willingness to purchase lamb meat, followed by type of cut. However, at the aggregate level the utility values were similar for the two contexts: consumers expressed higher intention to purchase for leg cuts without seasoning at the highest price. In the two contexts different consumer segments were identified, which gave different relative importance to the variables included in the conjoint task. However, conclusions regarding consumers’ segmentation were affected by evoked consumption context. The findings suggest that evoked consumption contexts influence results from conjoint analysis, which suggests that they may be an interesting methodological alternative to increase the validity of conjoint tasks.     

Consumer preferences for iced coffee determined by conjoint analysis: an exploratory study with Norwegian consumers

The main aim of this study was to investigate consumer preferences for extrinsic attributes of iced coffee, explore consumers' coffee consumption habits, find new market opportunities and segment consumers based on similar products preferences. A sample of 101 consumers of iced coffee was recruited during 2012 in Norway. Twelve iced coffee products combining different levels of attributes such as coffee type, origin, calories and price were presented on screen and rated according to consumers' willingness to buy (WTB). Mixed model anova , principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS‐DA) were applied to analyse data. Results show that the most preferred products for the consumer sample as a whole were low‐price low‐calorie products, while age has a significant effect on WTB for different iced coffee products. Four different consumer segments based on type of iced coffee and country of production preferences were identified and discussed.     

Handling of individual differences in rating-based conjoint analysis

In this paper a method for handling individual differences in conjoint analysis is described and discussed. This method is a combination of ANOVA and PCA/PLS both of which are well-known techniques that can be run in almost all statistical software packages. Main attention will be given to the way individual differences in acceptance pattern are interpreted and related to consumer characteristics such as demographics, attitudes and habits. The approach is then illustrated using two data-sets from consumer studies of yoghurt and apple juice.     

Preferred information strategies for food allergic consumers. A study in Germany, Greece, and The Netherlands

Information provided on food packaging is currently the most important method enabling food allergic consumers to eliminate allergens from their diet. This study aimed to identify the preferences of food allergic consumers regarding different information provision scenarios. Respondents (N = 287) filled out a web-based questionnaire on their preferences regarding a food label, an in-store booklet, and an ICT-solution. ICT methods will not replace effective food labelling, but may be used to supplement information provided by labels. Recommendations for information delivery to food allergic patients in the form of labels and booklets, as well as personalised (novel ICT) approaches, are provided.     

Understanding consumption choice of prosecco wine: an empirical analysis using Italian and German Homescan data

This study analyses the degree to which wine consumers are truly able to intrinsically evaluate the meaning of a designation of origin certification or whether they generally consider such a certification to be a vague credence attribute. This issue was addressed through an empirical analysis of Homescan Panel data in the Italian and German markets, using a Heckman probit model to assess the role of consumers’ characteristics and habits in the choice of ‘Prosecco’ wines characterized by two different levels of the denomination of origin certification. Our results suggest that Prosecco sparkling wine is perceived as a product of medium-high positioning and is preferably purchased by households that buy wines with a higher unit price. In contrast, consumers who appreciate sparkling wine did not show any preference towards a specific type of Prosecco, especially outside the area of production, such as in the German market, which suggests that they still do not completely understand the difference between the certification levels.     

Consumer’s purchasing intention for lamb meat affected by country of origin, feeding system and meat price: A conjoint study in Spain, France and United Kingdom

Food selection and consumption can be affected by different intrinsic and extrinsic cues. In this study, the effect of three extrinsic cues (country of origin, price and feeding system) on consumer’s purchasing decisions making process for lamb meat in three European countries: Spain, France and United Kingdom was investigated, as well as the relative importance of each cue. Four countries were considered for evaluating the effect of the country of origin (local, Argentina, Switzerland and Uruguay), three feeding systems (grain-fed, grass-fed and grain + grass-fed) and different price levels (low, medium and high), which were simultaneously compared. Fifteen profiles combining the different levels for each of the factors considered where those obtained by means of an orthogonal design. These profiles were evaluated by 100, 99 and 92 consumers in Spain, France and United Kingdom, respectively. Moreover, consumers sensory evaluated lamb from four different feeding systems, grain-fed, grass-fed and two mixtures of grain and grass-fed. Conjoint analysis was carried out both for evaluating clusters of consumers in each country and for considering an overall evaluation of all the countries at the same time. In general, the origin of the meat was the most important factor in determining consumer’s purchasing decisions making process, the local one being the most preferred. Uruguayan origin was the least preferred, which indicates that Uruguayan public and private sectors would need to enhance their country and meat image as well as support market promotion and penetration strategies in the European market. For some consumers the feeding system was the most important factor for choosing any particular meat amongst others, being grass-fed animal the most preferred. These results are not in agreement with the consumer’s acceptability studies of lamb meat when taste the meat from different feeding systems in a blind condition (without information), showing a disconfirmation. Lamb meat price has a minor role in determining consumer’s purchasing decisions. However, one segment of consumers, composed mainly by men, considered that the price is the most important factor. These findings showed the importance of studying consumer preferences and their segmentation for developing market promotions, which should have a holistic approach including extrinsic factors in the evaluation of consumer’s purchasing decisions making process.     

A preliminary study of the relationship between Australian wine consumers' wine expertise and their wine purchasing and consumption behaviour

Few Australian wine companies have the resources to acquire consumer relevant information to assist their strategic decision-making. This exploratory study examined the relationship between Australian consumers' wine expertise and their self-reported wine related behaviours, such as wine purchasing and consumption. A measure of consumer wine expertise developed specifically for the Australian consumer, comprising a wine knowledge test and an aroma identification (sensory) test, was used to segment 61 wine consumers into three expertise levels. A large positive correlation between wine expertise and formal wine training was demonstrated. Data showed that females dominated the low and males the high expertise groups, respectively. The high expertise level consumers spent more on wine, purchased more bottles and fewer casks per month and consumed more wine in a week than the low and medium expertise groups. Analysis revealed significant differences between the styles of wine consumed by the various expertise levels. A combination of Factor and Cluster analyses generated three distinct consumer segment profiles based on wine purchase drivers. These preliminary data indicate that wine consumers' wine behaviour may be influenced by their wine expertise.     

Projective mapping: A tool for sensory analysis and consumer research

Studies have indicated that profiling and (dis)similarity scaling yield different perceptual product maps. Conceptually, these two procedures are different. This paper looks at a third and alternative method of producing a two-dimensional, perceptual map utilizing a projective-type method whereby individual assessors themselves are required to place products on the space according to the similarities and differences they perceive. However, visual comparison of the final results provided by each assessor is difficult and, hence, generalized Procrustes analysis is applied to compare each assessor's map for similarity with the others. In this study it was found that the perceptual map derived from projective mapping was as similar to the map derived from profiling as from dissimilarity scaling. However, consistency over repeated trials was greater for projective mapping than for the other two methods. It is suggested that projective mapping could be a potentially useful technique for linking sensory analysis and consumer research data.     

Functional and organic eggs as an alternative to conventional production: a conjoint analysis of consumers' preferences

BACKGROUND: In the current context of growing consumer demand for foodstuffs that are healthy and safe and that are obtained in a manner respectful to the welfare of animals, the analysis of consumer preferences towards attributes of this type takes on particular importance. These trends are especially clear in the case of the consumption of eggs because of their strong negative association with cholesterol levels and their extremely intensive systems of production. The introduction of variants that are more in harmony with current consumer demands represents an interesting market alternative. RESULTS: The present study was aimed at investigating the preferences of Spanish consumers for these alternative types of egg that are entering the market. The survey was conducted with 361 consumers from October 2007 to March 2008. The conjoint analysis allowed us to estimate the relative importance of the main attributes that affect consumer preferences for eggs and to distinguish segments of consumers with similar preference profiles. CONCLUSION: It was found that price is the most important attribute determining consumer preferences, followed by the hens' feed and their rearing conditions. It was also found that only some groups of consumers are willing to pay the premium necessary for alternative methods of production. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry     

植物基人造肉产品购买意愿及影响因素--基于武汉市消费者的实证分析

为深入了解植物基人造肉市场快速发展背景下国内消费者对人造肉产品购买的意愿及影响因素,以武汉市202位消费者调研数据为样本,构建了消费者人造肉食品购买意愿研究模型。研究发现,消费者的感知体验和感知信任对购买意愿的影响显著,但感知有用性并未对消费者购买意愿产生显著影响。价格制定、技术风险和口感风味等因素通过影响消费者感知特性间接对消费者购买意愿产生作用。其中,价格制定对消费者感知特性影响最为显著,技术风险和口感风味对消费者感知特性影响次之。该研究有助于更好地了解国内一线城市消费者对人造肉产品的购买意愿及关切。研究结论可为人造肉生产商更好地研发产品,为零售企业激发消费端的购买热情提供借鉴。     

An exploratory study of urban South African consumers’ perceptions of wine and wine consumption: focus on social,emotional, and functional factors

Wine is of great economic and cultural significance for South Africa, but some population groups were until relatively recently denied equal access to wine and alcohol products. The South African wine industry has launched various campaigns in recent years that aimed at portraying wine as an acceptable and attractive choice when alcohol consumption is considered. It is therefore appropriate now to investigate whether these endeavors of the South African wine industry have resulted in particular consumer behavior and preferences that could serve as input to enhance strategies when marketing to South African consumers. This study uses the thematic analysis method to identify themes that could be of value for wine marketers. To collect data for the study, a total of 44 consumers were assigned to 6 focus groups. Eight main themes driving consumer choices emerged from the data: journey and role of life-stage, context of consumption, conceptualizations, barriers, price and purchasing, bottle closures, health, sensory perception, and cultivars. The influences of gender and ethnicity on consumers’ perceptions of wine and wine consumption were investigated. Gender produced the biggest differences in respect of respondents’ perceptions about wine and wine consumption whilst ethnicity did not appear to be of any significance.     

The importance of landscape in wine quality perception: An integrated approach using choice-based conjoint analysis and combination-based permutation tests

This work’s aim is to evaluate the importance of landscape in wine quality perception using a novel integrated approach based on two statistical techniques, i.e. choice-based conjoint analysis (Gustafsson et al., 2001) and combination-based permutation tests (Corain and Salmaso, 2004, Pesarin and Salmaso, 2009a). To this end we developed a preference choice experiment which was submitted to a sample of respondents during blind wine tasting meetings. The obtained results allow us to weigh up and emphasise the importance of an attractive landscape to the perception of a finer quality of wine. Indeed, we noticed that associating wine to an image of greater visual impact, i.e. an evocative landscape, induces a significantly higher preference for the tasted wine. Moreover, the integrated application of choice-based conjoint analysis and combination-based permutation tests allows us to identify the specific relationship each market segment has with landscape, price and wine quality.     

Positioning narratives of wine tourism websites: a lexical analysis across two different regions

Wine tourism is becoming an increasingly important tourism niche with various regions competing for tourism dollars. It is often assumed that differentiation in the sector is region based. This research investigates the positioning narratives from websites of a sample of top wine tour service firms across the US and Australia. Analysis is undertaken using an innovative methodology that combines computer-based lexical analysis followed by hierarchical clustering on principal components. The research seeks to determine the extent to which identified clusters are region based and whether the positioning narratives on websites can provides useful clusters across regions. Results are reported, implications are discussed, limitations are noted and possible areas for further research are indicated.     

Sensory evaluation of wine through correspondence analysis: a theoretical and empirical rationale

Sensory evaluation in wine research focuses on understanding wine preference and choice within a holistic framework. This study offers a theoretical and empirical rationale for the sensory evaluation of wine. A precondition for sustainability and success in the market arena is a clear understanding of potential interaction of sensory evaluation properties and other factors affecting consumer choice. New approaches and methodologies for preference matching and assessment of sensory properties and information queues on overall liking are of fundamental importance for wine makers. The aim of this study is to advance the understanding of sensory evaluations affecting consumer both on empirical and theoretical grounds. For the implementation of this aim, an empirical research with real wine tasting data was conducted and analyzed through the use of Correspondence Analysis (CA). The findings of this study demonstrate that this method is more appropriate in wine sensory data analysis due to their categorical and non-parametric nature. CA is a very useful technique to establish a solid knowledge for the identification of the wines based on evidence and facts of their aromatic characteristics.     

Parboiled rice: A study about attitude,consumer liking and consumption in São Paulo,Brazil

The consumption of parboiled rice in Brazil is low when compared to milled rice, despite alleged nutritional, convenience and technological benefits. Data collected through a survey with 186 consumers in the city of São Paulo, Brazil, were analysed with the aim of gaining a better understanding of local consumer attitudes towards parboiled rice. Six attitudinal items were assessed as giving a score on a five‐point Likert scale. Cluster analysis was used to identify three segments of respondents with different attitudinal patterns. Subsequently, correspondence analysis revealed associations among clusters and educational level and liking/consumption data. Most consumers did not show an established opinion about the main characteristics of parboiled which indicates a weakness of the product promotion. A positive attitude, as demonstrated by a higher intake of parboiled rice, was a reflection of habit and liking, while a negative attitude seemed to be due to previous negative experience and misconceptions about the product. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry     

An exploratory analysis of cross-country biases in expert wine reviews

This paper examines whether online reviews by wine experts use different language to describe wines from different countries, and whether this reveals a certain bias. This is important because the language used in wine reviews can make a wine seem more or less appealing, and therefore may have a significant impact on consumers’ perceptions and purchase intentions. An automated content analysis was conducted of 28,858 reviews for top-rated wines that were published on the Wine Enthusiast magazine website. While the initial objective was to focus on the Old World versus New World dichotomy, the findings are more nuanced. Most of the differences that were found between reviews for wines from particular countries can be explained based on for example climate and whether or not the wine is purchased for immediate consumption. However, it was also found that reviews for wines from France, Italy and the United States use much more figurative language, and refer more often to the vineyard and the winemaking process, while this is much less the case for wines from Spain, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina and Chile. This could indicate that reviewers have a bias based on their level of knowledge of, and/or interest in, particular countries.     

An investigation of trends in viticultural climatic indices in Southern Quebec,a cool climate wine region

Climate and weather are key factors influencing winegrape growing conditions. Temperature variables (maximum, minimum and average) and precipitation variables (annual, monthly and daily) are often used to assess the regional climate, and monitor any changes in climatic conditions. A number of viticultural climatic indices formulated from these variables have been used in many regions to describe the climate of vineyards. Southern Quebec has been recognized as an emerging cool climate region where climatic conditions, particularly warming temperatures, are slowly altering growing conditions. Wineries are starting to switch from cold-resistant hybrid grapes to the more delicate Vitis vinifera varieties. The present study uses five temperature base indices (Huglin, Latitude-Temperature, Cool Night, Temperature Variability, Winkler) and one precipitation based index (Drought) to investigate any trends in the regional climate. The most significant positive trends were seen in the Huglin and Winkler indices; less significance was seen in the Cool Night, Latitude-Temperature and Temperature-Variability indices. No significant trend existed in the Drought index. Overall, the trends indicate significant changes in the temperature and viticultural possibilities for the region.