Persuasiveness of organic agricultural products: Argument strength, health consciousness, self-reference, health risk, and perceived fear

Abstract

Purpose

The study discusses organic agricultural product persuasion using an empirical survey. This study argued that strong argument persuasive advertising message would trigger individuals' self-reference to the harm of pesticide residue in non-organic agricultural product, which would raise their purchase intention of organic agricultural product.

Design/methodology/approach

The present study conducted an empirical investigation in Taiwan by recruiting 527 Taiwanese participants using the convenience sampling procedure. The current research performed structural equation modeling analysis and used LISREL software to report the analytical results.

Findings

Individuals with health consciousness may perceive a high-level risk of non-organic agricultural product, which would raise individuals' fear perception to the harm of pesticide residue. Fear perception will increase individual's purchase intention of organic agricultural product. Results can help industry practitioners benefit from the results by enabling them to develop their advertising strategy for organic food.

Originality/value

Results can help industry practitioners benefit from the results by enabling them to develop their advertising strategy for organic food.

Citation

Chou, F.-s., Wang, C.-C., Lai, M.-C., Tung, C.-H., Yang, Y.-J. and Tsai, K.-H. (2020), "Persuasiveness of organic agricultural products: Argument strength, health consciousness, self-reference, health risk, and perceived fear", British Food Journal, Vol. 122 No. 4, pp. 1289-1304. https://doi.org/10.1108/BFJ-11-2019-0868