The relative influence of packaging,labelling, branding and sensory attributes on liking and purchase intent: Consumers differ in their responsiveness

The relative impact of several extrinsic attributes on informed hedonic liking and purchase intent for wine is measured by combining a blind hedonic test with an informed tasting of the same wine packaged in different product concepts. This study separated the relative effect of various attributes and also considers differences between consumers in their responsiveness to various product cues.Five-hundred and twenty-one regular wine consumers participated in a central location test in three German cities in 2005. Respondents first rated hedonic liking of a white wine in a blind condition, then evaluated elements of product concepts differing in four extrinsic attributes, region of origin, grape variety, brand and packaging style, before indicating their liking and purchase intent in an informed condition.Overall, label style and brand evaluation were the strongest drivers for informed liking followed by liking in the blind condition. Purchase intent was influenced directly only by informed liking and price evaluation; the effect of the extrinsic and intrinsic cues is mediated through informed liking. A latent class regression resulted in three consumer segments that differ in the responsiveness of their informed liking to the different product characteristics. Younger inexperienced consumers utilised a mix of various cues, wine experienced consumers based their evaluation mainly on grape variety and blind hedonic liking, and older frequent wine consumers were influenced most strongly by brand and packaging. These findings provide insights into the relative impact of product packaging, branding and labelling on overall product liking and indicate strong differences in how consumers respond to different product characteristics.     

Conjoint analysis on the purchase intent for traditional fermented soy product (natto) among Japanese housewives

Abstract: The effect of sensory and extrinsic attributes on consumer intentions to purchase the Japanese traditional fermented soybean product natto was evaluated using conjoint analysis. Six attributes with 2 levels each were chosen and manipulated: price (high compared with low), the country of origin of the soybeans (domestic compared with imported), stickiness (strong compared with moderate), smell (rich compared with moderate), attached seasonings (attached compared with no attached seasonings), and the environmental friendliness of the packaging (high compared with low). A fractional factorial design was applied and 8 hypothetical product labels were produced. A sample of 479 Japanese housewives ranked these product labels based on their purchase intentions. Overall purchase intention was affected by country of origin, attached seasonings, and price; those attributes accounted for 81.0%, while the sensory attributes of the product accounted for 19.0% of purchase intents. In order to estimate market segments for the natto products based on consumer preference, a cluster analysis was performed. It identified 4 segments of consumers: 1 oriented to attached seasonings, another conscious of the price, and the other 2 oriented to origins. The behavioral and demographic characteristics of the respondents had a limited influence on segment membership. Practical Application: This research was conducted to understand how consumers valuate various sensory and nonsensory product attributes based on their assessment of the overall product in the case of Japanese fermented soy product (natto). The data of this research would be of great importance both in understanding consumer behavior and in designing strategies for product development.     

The influence of involvement on purchase intention for new world wine

Understanding the ways in which consumers’ involvement levels influence how they use different cues to make purchase decisions has been a topic of research for several decades. This study, which provides a specific extension to the more general study by Lockshin et al. [Lockshin, L., Wade, J., d’Hauteville, F., & Perrouty, J. P. (2006). Using simulations from discrete choice experiments to measure consumer sensitivity to brand, region, price, and awards in wine choice. Food Quality and Preference, 17(3–4) 166–178] examines the moderating effects of wine product involvement and wine purchase involvement on wine purchase decisions. A sample of 187 New Zealand regular wine consumers participated in a conjoint experiment using the variety New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. The product stimuli were defined by three attributes: (i) presence/absence of region of origin information, (ii) price level, and (iii) presence/absence of a price discount. Purchase intention ratings, which were analysed using multiple regression and non-parametric bootstraps, suggested that the cue pertaining to information about region of origin was more important for consumers high in product involvement and purchase involvement than for consumers with low levels of involvement. There was also some evidence to suggest that consumers who are high in product involvement place less importance on price and, that consumers who are low in purchase involvement place greater importance on price discounts.     

The impact of product category knowledge on consumer use of extrinsic cues – A study involving agrifood products

In this paper, we analyse the importance of consumer knowledge and its moderating effect on the use of extrinsic cues to make product choices within the white asparagus category. Our experimental design uses 18 screens showing options made from different combinations of brand, origin and price cues. The design uses three knowledge measures: experience in the product category, subjective knowledge and objective knowledge. The results are analysed by means of a multinomial logit model, enabling us to assess the importance of the various cues and interactions between these and knowledge. The results show that knowledge has different effects on the perceived importance of brand and origin. Among other effects, we show that less experienced consumers tend to rely more on origin labels, while the more experienced focus predominantly on brands.     

The effect of wine knowledge type on variety seeking behavior in wine purchasing

Wine is a prolific, but complex and information-intensive product, so it is important for marketers to understand the behaviors and characteristics of different wine market segments, in order to better target their marketing strategies to these different segments’ needs. Yet little is known about how the characteristics of consumers’ subjective and objective knowledge of wine impact their variety seeking purchasing behavior. As variety seeking behavior affects customer retention and loyalty, a better understanding of this behavior is important to wine marketers. Results of a survey show that wine knowledge types are a significant predictor of variety seeking purchasing behavior of wine. Wine consumers who think they know a lot about wine, tend to engage in more variety seeking behavior in their wine purchasing. This suggests that marketers should adapt their segmentation, targeting and channel strategies to individual knowledge types to be more successful.     

The effect of moderating variables on consumer preferences for sustainable wines

Previous studies have shown that credence attributes play an important and often undervalued role in consumers’ product evaluation and purchasing behavior. By contrast, the factors moderating these effects have received less attention by scholars. The current study uncovers the moderating effects of consumers’ psychographic characteristics (i.e.: subjective knowledge, wine involvement, and sustainability concern) on their preferences for wine with different credence attributes related to sustainability. A non-hypothetical economic experiment, consisting of three rounds (blindtaste, info, infotaste), was performed in Italy and Germany to assess consumers’ preferences in terms of willingness to pay for conventional wine and wine differentiated by wine sustainable certifications (i.e.: Organic, VIVA sustainable wine, Vignaioli Indipendenti, Carbon footprint). Wine sustainable certifications positively affect consumers’ preferences, and these effects are mainly moderated by individuals’ wine involvement and sustainability concern. This holds if respondents have information about the wine but do not taste it. After tasting the wine consumers’ preferences are moderated only by respondents’ sustainability concern.     

Consumers wine preferences according to purchase occasion: Personal consumption and gift-giving

We tested the hypothesis that individuals may act differently when buying a bottle of wine for themselves than they do when buying wine as a gift. Using a between-subject design, we estimated the differences in consumer preference for these two occasions. We conducted a choice experiment on 618 Italian wine consumers and included the attributes of price, geographical indication (i.e. IGT, DOC, or DOCG), organic claim, and brand (i.e. famous producer or a non-famous producer). By applying an error component random parameters logit model, we detected relevant differences between the two scenarios in terms of the relative importance of the studied attributes. The gift-giving scenario was further investigated using a latent class model, which identified three segments of consumers; we profiled these according to personal attitudes and wine knowledge. Our results show a relevant heterogeneity among consumers’ preferences for the gift-giving scenario, with geographical indication having a low impact and brand and organic claim playing a pivotal role. This study provides relevant insights for winemakers and retailers regarding diversifying marketing strategies.     

Influence of purchase place and consumption frequency over quality wine preferences

In this study, conjoint analysis is used to determine the relative importance of a set of attributes which influence purchase decision of quality wine: Designation of Origin (D.O.), type of wine, price and occasion. We have considered two different purchase places (restaurants and retailers) and three segments that differ in consumption frequencies (habitual, occasional and sporadic). Significant differences have been found in preference structures between purchase places and among segments. On the one hand, consumers are specially price conscious in restaurants where formal occasions are more valued. On the other hand, the higher consumption frequency is, the lower D.O. and relative price importance is. The type of wine, therefore, acquires greater importance.     

Quantifying effects of convenience and product packaging on consumer preferences and market share of seafood products: The case of oysters

This study analysed the relative importance of product packaging format and preparation convenience for oysters on consumer choice and market share. Consumer preferences for opened versus unopened oyster preparation formats and the provision of easy-to-prepare accompaniments with or without visual serving suggestions were assessed in a choice experiment. The impact of product packaging and preparation convenience on consumer choice was analysed relative to the traditional demand factors of price, region of origin, oyster species, health, environmental and quality claims. A total of 1718 Australian oyster consumers participated in an online choice experiment with visual product stimuli to simulate their choice of ready-packaged oysters in a retail store. Considering preference heterogeneity respondents’ choices were analysed with a scale adjusted latent class model and six different consumer segments were identified. Market share simulations illustrate the impact of oyster product variations on consumer choice. Overall, price, preparation format and species were the most important choice drivers, followed by region of origin and accompaniments, while packaging format and claims only had a minor influence on consumer choice. Consumer differences in price sensitivity and preferences for species and different oyster accompaniments provide scope for consumer oriented product differentiation with the potential to increase oyster demand and healthy seafood consumption.     

The importance of wine attributes for purchase decisions: A study of Italian consumers’ perception

The importance of extrinsic and intrinsic attributes of wine for purchase decisions is the object of a lively debate. As a matter of fact, in recent decades, the shift of consumption motivations from nutritional purposes to drinking for pleasure has caused a persistent decrease in the overall demand. However, the increasing number of product varieties and brands of domestic and imported wine, as well as the increased diversity in wine styles and prices, make the identification of wine purchase drivers difficult. This article investigates the importance of product attributes for Italian consumers when choosing wine. Specifically, a class of statistical models for ordinal data, namely CUB, is taken into consideration. This type of model allows the comparison and clustering of the rating distributions that consumers express about wine features and the detection of significant similarities and differences. In addition, this technique generally helps to relate the subject’s preferences to covariates which typically summarize the socio-demographic profile, the purchase and consumption behavior.     

Extrinsic attributes of red meat as indicators of quality in Europe: an application for market segmentation

Consumers give increasing importance to the extrinsic quality attributes of meat in response to rising concerns on safety, health, convenience, ethical factors, etc. The role that attributes such as animal feeding assurance, environmentally friendly production, respect for the animal welfare, etc. play in the consumer quality evaluation process has not been studied enough. The objectives of this article were: to evaluate the importance of several extrinsic quality attributes of red meat to consumers in five European regions; to analyse the relationships between the attitude towards these attributes, available cues and factors or motivations that are important to consumers when buying meat; and to identify groups or segments of consumers according to the importance of extrinsic quality attributes. The most important extrinsic attributes found were animal feeding and origin. Environmentally friendly production and animal welfare considerations were also important. Animal feed assurance was an indicator of safety and nutritious/ healthy meat but origin was not. For some groups of consumers, respect for the environment and animal welfare were also related to healthy/safe meat. The range of attitudes consumers hold towards extrinsic attributes could constitute an opportunity to develop consumer-led meat products and further market segmentation.     

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.     

The effects of different types of product information on the consumer product evaluation for fresh cod in real life settings

The effects of different types of product information on consumer product evaluation were examined in real life settings. Cod fillets were presented to 1440 consumers drawn from the Dutch TasteNet consumer panel for assessment in their own households. The product was presented accompanied by product information included in the package labelling. A control product, labelled simply as cod, was included. Consumers reported their evaluation of the product for overall and analytic sensory attributes. It was found that information about product type, price, freshness and the advantages of fish farming could influence product evaluation. Cod labelled as wild, highly priced or recently caught was judged more favourably than the unlabelled product. Information on the advantages of farming had a negative effect on product evaluation that interacted with price so as to minimise the positive effect of the latter. Interaction of the information provided with product perception in a realistic situation demonstrated that farmed fish was associated with less favourable product characteristics.     

Extrinsic attributes responsible for red wine quality perception: A cross-cultural study between France and Spain

Understanding quality perception requires focusing both on product proprieties and consumers’ representations. The goal of this study was to access the representations of perceived extrinsic wine quality of consumers from two different wine regions in two European countries with an important wine tradition: La Rioja-RJ-(Spain) and Côtes du Rhône-CdR-(France).Twenty commercial red wines (ten from RJ and ten from CdR) were evaluated in terms of quality by means of a categorization task. Ninety-five French and 93 Spanish consumers had to categorize the 20 wines according to four levels of quality going from very low to very high quality.Three clusters of French and two of Spanish consumers have been identified. Country-of-origin of wine arises as the most important extrinsic cue for less-involved French and Spanish consumers, while more-involved consumers with higher knowledge in wine are able to interpret and use a wider range of cues. Consumers’ knowledge, involvement and nationality appear to be good predictors of quality perception.These results are relevant for the field of sensory analysis in that they help understanding the construction of quality perception. The wine industry can benefit also from these results, especially when exporting wines. This cross-cultural study may help them to develop marketing strategies able to enhance the quality perception of wines and to make use of different extrinsic factors.     

Preference structure for lamb meat consumers. A Spanish case study

There is a current tendency in the European Union member countries to cut down on meat consumption. This tendency is not due as much to the traditional income-price factor, but to other attributes whose influence is gaining relative importance. Some of them are: quality, image, health, food safety and changes in people's taste. In addition, the relative importance of different attributes valued by the consumer must be weighed in order to develop marketing strategies which increase lamb meat consumption. In order to determine these preferences, 400 consumers were asked to evaluate different attributes (price, certification, origin, and commercial type) of lamb meat. Results obtained by means of conjoint analysis techniques show that regular consumers as well as occasional ones show a preference for lamb meat type. In this sense, a market share simulation of preferred (suckling and "ternasco") types proved that regular consumers generally prefer suckling lamb to "ternasco" lamb when both are from Castilla-La Mancha.     

The Choice of Canned Whole Peeled Tomatoes is Driven by Different Key Quality Attributes Perceived by Consumers Having Different Familiarity with the Product

Canned whole peeled tomatoes are a premium tomato product; however, no information is available about the key intrinsic and extrinsic quality attributes perceived by consumers when buying this product. This research considered consumers differing in the level of familiarity with peeled tomatoes, that is, knowledge, frequency of consumption, and availability of this product, on 3 markets: Chile (low), The Netherlands (medium), and Italy (high). The perceptions and preferences of each group were studied using first focus groups and subsequently conjoint analysis in order to identify the key quality attributes leading their preferences for this product. Focus groups identified 7 intrinsic attributes (color, packing medium, tomato consistency, acidity level, sweetness level, extra ingredients, and intensity of product taste), and 5 extrinsic attributes (packaging material, product type, country of origin, brand, and label design). Significant variations according to the familiarity were found. The conjoint analyses showed that color of tomatoes was the most important intrinsic quality attribute for all groups, while packaging material was the most important extrinsic quality attribute for Chileans and Dutch, being a glass container or a can with easy open the preferred packaging for respective groups. In contrast, country of origin was the most important parameter for Italians. We concluded that intrinsic and extrinsic attributes were strongly influenced by the degree of familiarity with canned whole peeled tomatoes.