Food reputation impacts on consumer's food choice
Corporate Communications: An International Journal
ISSN: 1356-3289
Article publication date: 5 October 2012
Abstract
Purpose
Reputation is conceptualised as the believed effects that any social agent (ranging from a person to a company to a country) can have. Food reputation is beliefs about the effects of food on its consumers. On the basis of a multidimensional construct for food reputation derived from qualitative and correlational studies, this paper aims to test four hypotheses about food reputation dimensions' effects on consumers' food choices.
Design/methodology/approach
A multi‐attribute, multi‐step choice experiment was carried out using a “phased narrowing” procedure. The procedure is based on eight product choices, using four reputation dimensions as manipulated attributes (duration, identity‐territoriality, social and environmental responsibility, psycho‐physiological well‐being); this is replicated on one drink and one food product.
Findings
A pilot study (n=50) checked the manipulation of the four reputation dimensions. ANOVA (n=118) showed the impact of the manipulated reputation features in the food choice process, especially in the final decision‐making phase.
Originality/value
The results confirm that food reputation features impact consumer choice, detailing the relative importance of different reputation features according to choice phase, product category, and individual characteristics.
Keywords
Citation
Bonaiuto, M., Caddeo, P., Carrus, G., De Dominicis, S., Maroni, B. and Bonnes, M. (2012), "Food reputation impacts on consumer's food choice", Corporate Communications: An International Journal, Vol. 17 No. 4, pp. 462-482. https://doi.org/10.1108/13563281211274158
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2012, Emerald Group Publishing Limited