Global vs. Local: A Quantitative Study of Factors Influencing Italian Consumers’ Preference in the Purchase of Food Products

• Authors: Alice Aiudi , Ilaria Curina

Title variants

PL

Marki globalne a marki lokalne – ilościowe badanie czynników wpływających na preferencje włoskich konsumentów w zakresie zakupu produktów spożywczych

Abstracts

PL

Cel: celem badania jest poszerzenie aktualnej literatury na temat preferencji włoskich konsumentów w zakresie marek lokalnych i globalnych we włoskim sektorze spożywczym. Metodologia: badanie oparto na szeroko przeanalizowanych koncepcjach, takich jak teoria tożsamości kulturowej, etnocentryzm konsumencki i zaangażowanie w kategorię produktową, aby zbadać mechanizmy skłaniające włoskich konsumentów do preferowania lokalnych lub globalnych marek w sektorze spożywczym. Zasadniczą część badania ilościowego, w którym udział wzięło 412 uczestników, stanowi niehierarchiczna analiza skupień. Wyniki: w artykule potwierdzono wartość dotychczasowych badań. Stanowi on wkład w literaturę dotyczącą konsumpcji żywności, polegający na przetestowaniu modelu koncepcyjnego, w którym połączono wcześniejsze koncepcje badawcze, pogłębiając w ten sposób analizę czynników wpływających na preferencje włoskich konsumentów w zakresie marek produktów spożywczych. Analiza skupień pozwoliła na podzielenie włoskich konsumentów na dwie wyodrębnione grupy o cechach spójnych wewnątrz tej samej grupy. Ograniczenia/implikacje badawcze: w opracowaniu zwrócono uwagę na kluczowe znaczenie badanych zmiennych w realizacji strategii pozycjonowania i komunikacji ukierunkowanych na zaspokojenie potrzeb konkretnych rynków, na których działają przedsiębiorstwa, oraz podkreślono istotność łącznej analizy tych zmiennych. Próba złożona z włoskich konsumentów nie pozwoliła na uogólnienie wyników. Ponadto badanie koncentruje się na wąskiej kategorii batonów czekoladowych. Nie jest zatem możliwe uogólnienie wyników na inne produkty spożywcze. Oryginalność/wartość: jest to badanie nowatorskie oparte na teorii sygnalizacji. Przyczynia się ono do rozwoju lokalnych i globalnych marek z perspektywy włoskiej. W opracowaniu również po raz pierwszy przeanalizowano sektor spożywczy i wagę, którą Włosi przywiązują do swoich produktów spożywczych i tradycji, z zastosowaniem podejścia opartego na analizie skupień.

EN

Purpose: The study intends to expand the current literature on Italian consumers’ brand preferences between local vs. global alternatives in the specific Italian food sector. Design/methodology/approach: This study draws on concepts largely investigated like cultural identity theory, consumer ethnocentrism, and product category involvement to examine the mechanisms that drive Italian consumers to prefer alternative local or global brands in the food sector. A non-hierarchical cluster analysis represents the core part of the quantitative research that involved 412 participants. Findings: By confirming the validity of existing studies, the present paper contributes to the food consumption literature by testing a conceptual model that integrates previous research concepts, thus deepening the analysis of the factors affecting Italian consumers’ food brand preferences. The cluster analysis allowed for dividing Italian consumers into two distinguished groups with characteristics coherent inside the same group. Research limitations/implications: This study emphasizes the key relevance of the investigated variables in the implementation of positioning and communication strategies aimed at meeting the needs of specific markets in which firms operate, and it highlights the importance of analyzing those variables together. The sample composed of Italian consumers did not allow the generalizability of the results. Furthermore, this study focuses on the narrow category of chocolate bar products. Therefore, this does not permit the results to be generalized to other food products. Originality/value: The novel research is based on signaling theory that contributes to the local and global branding domains from the Italian perspective. This work is also the first to analyze the food sector and the importance that Italians attribute to their food products and traditions through a cluster analysis approach.

Keywords

EN

local vs. global brand; food sector; Italian consumers; preference; cluster analysis

PL

marka lokalna a marka globalna; sektor spożywczy; włoscy konsumenci; preferencje; analiza skupień

• Publisher: Uniwersytet Warszawski. Wydawnictwo Naukowe Wydziału Zarządzania
• Journal: Problemy Zarządzania
• Year: 2022
• Volume: 20
• Issue: 4(98)
• Pages: 4-27

Dates

published

2022

Contributors

author

Alice Aiudi

• Department of Economics, Society, Politics, University of Urbino Carlo Bo, Italy

• https://orcid.org/0000000331385591

author

Ilaria Curina

• Department of Communication Sciences, Humanities and International Studies. University of Urbino Carlo Bo, Italy

• https://orcid.org/0000000177027664

References

• Aaker, D. A. (1991). Managing brand equity. The Free Press.
• Alonso, E. B., Cockx, L., & Swinnen, J. (2018). Culture and food security. Global Food Security, 17, 113–127.
• Aysuna, C., Bilgen, İ., & Kara, A. (2016). The effect of country of origin perceptions and perceived brand globalness on perceived brand quality. Conference Paper. https:// www.researchgate.net/publication/324687664_The_Effect_of_Country_of_Origin_ Perceptions_and_Perceived_Brand_Globalness_on_Perceived_Brand_Quality
• Balabanis, G., Stathopoulou, A., & Qiao, J. (2019). Favoritism toward foreign and domestic brands: A comparison of different theoretical explanations. Journal of International Marketing, 27(2), 38–55.
• Batra, R., Ramaswamy, V., Alden, D. L., Steenkamp, J.-B. E. M., & Ramachander, S. (2000). Effects of brand local/nonlocal origin on consumer attitudes in developing countries. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 9(2), 83–95.
• Belk, R. W. (1988). Possessions and the extended self. Journal of Consumer Research, 15(2), 139–168. http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/209154.
• Cannon, H. M., & Yaprak, A. (2002). Will the real-world citizen please stand up! The many faces of cosmopolitan consumer behavior. Journal of International Marketing, 10(4), 30–52. http://dx.doi.org/10.1509/jimk.10.4.30.19550.
• Davvetas, V., & Diamantopoulos, A. (2016). How product category shapes preferences toward global and local brands: A schema theory perspective. Journal of International Marketing, 24(4), 61–81. http://dx.doi.org/10.1509/jim.15.0110.
• Dimofte, C. V., Johansson, J. K., & Ronkainen, I. A. (2008). Cognitive and affective reactions of US consumers to global brands. Journal of International Marketing, 16(4), 113–135.
• Ericksen, P. J. (2008). What is the vulnerability of a food system to global environmental change? Ecology and Society, 13(2). http://dx.doi.org/10.5751/ES-02475-130214.
• Ferguson, B., & Thompson, C. (2021). Why buy local? Journal of Applied Philosophy, 38(1), 104–120.
• Fischler, C. (1988). Food, self and identity. Social Science Information, 27(2), 275–292. International Social Science Council. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/053901888027002005. Fort, M. (2010). McDonald’s launch McItaly burger’. The Guardian.
• Fournier, S. (1998). Consumers and their brands: Developing relationship theory in consumer research. Journal of Consumer Research, 24(4), 343–373. http://dx.doi. org/10.1086/209515
• Gao, H., Zhang, Y., & Mittal, V. (2017). How does local–global identity affect price sensitivity? Journal of Marketing, 81(3), 62–79.
• Ger, G. (1999). Localizing in the global village: Local firms competing in global markets. California Management Review, 41(4), 64–83. http://dx.doi. org/10.2307/41166010.
• Goldsmith, R. E., Flynn, L. R., & Stacey, E.C. (2009). Brand attitudes and brand commitment. American Marketing Association, Winter Proceedings, 1–9.
• Gürhan-Canli, Z., Sarial-Abi, G., & Hayran, C. (2018). Consumers and brands across the globe: Research synthesis and new directions. Journal of International Marketing, 26(1), 96–117. http://dx.doi.org/10.1509/jim.17.0063.
• Halkias, G., Davvetas, V., & Diamantopoulos, A. (2016). The interplay between country stereotypes and perceived brand globalness/localness as drivers of brand preference. Journal of Business Research, 69(9), 3621–3628. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j. jbusres.2016.03.022.
• Ketchen, D. J., & Shook, C. L. (1996). The application of cluster analysis in strategic management research: An analysis and critique. Strategic Management Journal, 17(6), 441–458. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1097-0266(199606)17:6%3C441::AIDSMJ819% 3E3.0.CO;2-G.
• Kim, J. S. (2022). Attitudes toward global and local consumer culture and the meanings of brands. Review of Marketing Science.
• Konuk, F. A. (2019). The influence of perceived food quality, price fairness, perceived value and satisfaction on customers’ revisit and word-of-mouth intentions towards organic food restaurants. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 50, 103–110. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2019.05.005.
• Leary, M. R. and Tangeney, J. P. (2003). Handbook of self and identity. Guilford Press.
• Leitch, A. (2000). The social life of lardo: Slow food in fast times. The Asia Pacific Journal of Anthropology, 1(1), 103–118.
• Liddicoat, J., Papademetre, L., Scarino, A., & Kohler, M. (2003). Report on intercultural language learning.
• Lin, Y. C., & Wang, K. Y. (2016). Local or global image? The role of consumers’ local–global identity in code-switched ad effectiveness among monolinguals. Journal of Advertising, 45(4), 482–497.
• Luna-Arocas, R., & Li-Ping Tang, T. (2005). The use of cluster analysis to segment clients of a sport center in Spain. European Sport Management Quarterly, 5(4), 381–413.
• Malhotra, N., Nunan, D., & Birks, D. (2017). Marketing research: An applied approach. Pearson.
• Makri, K., Papadas, K. K., & Schlegelmilch, B. B. (2018). Global-local consumer identities as drivers of global digital brand usage. International Marketing Review. http://dx.doi. org/10.1108/IMR-03-2018-0104.
• Mitchell, A. A., & Olson, J. C. (1981). Are product attribute beliefs the only mediator of advertising effects on brand attitude? Journal of Marketing Research, 18(3), 318–332. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/3150973.
• Paltridge, B. (2012). Discourse analysis: An introduction. Bloomsbury Publishing.
• Rosenbloom, A., & Haefner. J. E. (2009). Country-of-origin effects and global brand trust: A first look. Journal of Global Marketing, 22(4), 267–78.
• Rotter, J. (1971). Generalized expectancies for interpersonal trust. American Psychologist, 35, 1–7. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/h0031464.
• Salnikova, E., & Grunert, K. G. (2020). The role of consumption orientation in consumer food preferences in emerging markets. Journal of Business Research, 112, 147–159.
• Schuh, A. (2007). Brand strategies of western MNCs as drivers of globalization in Central and Eastern Europe. European Journal of Marketing, 41(3/4), 274–91.
• Schuiling, I., & Kapferer, J. N. (2004). Executive insights: real differences between local and international brands: Strategic implications for international marketers. Journal of International Marketing, 12(4), 97–112. http://dx.doi.org/10.1509/jimk.12.4.97.53217.
• Shimp, T. A., & Sharma, S. (1987). Consumer ethnocentrism: Construction and validation of the CETSCALE. Journal of Marketing Research, 24(3), 280–289. http://dx.doi. org/10.2307/3151638.
• Sichtmann, C., Davvetas, V., & Diamantopoulos, A. (2018). The relational value of perceived brand globalness and localness. Journal of Business Research. http://dx.doi. org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2018.10.025.
• Song, H., Wang, J., & Han, H. (2019). Effect of image, satisfaction, trust, love, and respect on loyalty formation for name-brand coffee shops. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 79, 50–59. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2018.12.011.
• Steenkamp, J. B. E., & De Jong, M. G. (2010). A global investigation into the constellation of consumer attitudes toward global and local products. Journal of Marketing, 74(6), 18–40. http://dx.doi.org/10.1509/jmkg.74.6.18.
• Steenkamp, J. B. (2019). Reflections on defining global brands, fragmentation and segmentation, and the emergence of richer brandscapes. International Marketing Review. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/IMR-12-2018-0356.
• Stöttinger, B., & Penz, E. (2018). Balancing territorial identities: How consumers manage their ethnic, regional, and national identities in daily life and consumption situations. International Marketing Review. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/IMR-03-2018-0115.
• Strizhakova, Y., Coulter, R. A., & Price, L. L. (2011). Branding in a global marketplace: the mediating effects of quality and self-identity brand signals. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 28(4), 342–351. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijresmar.2011.05.007.
• Westjohn, S. A., Arnold, M. J., Magnusson, P., Zdravkovic, S., & Zhou, J. X. (2009). Technology readiness and usage: a global-identity perspective. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 37(3), 250–265.
• Westjohn, S. A., Singh, N., & Magnusson, P. (2012). Responsiveness to global and local consumer culture positioning: a personality and collective identity perspective. Journal of International Marketing, 20(1), pp. 58–73. http://dx.doi.org/10.1509/jim.10.0154.
• Wilson, T. M. (Ed.). (2006). Food, drink and identity in Europe (Vol. 22).
• Yang, Z., Sun, S., Lalwani, A. K., & Janakiraman, N. (2019). How does consumers’ local or global identity influence price-perceived quality associations? The role of perceived quality variance. Journal of Marketing, 83(3), 145–162.
• Yildiz, H., Heitz-Spahn, S., & Belaud, L. (2018). Do ethnocentric consumers really buy local products? Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 43, 139–148. http://dx.doi. org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2018.03.004.
• Zhang, T., Chen, J., & Grunert, K. G. (2022). Impact of consumer global-local identity on attitude towards and intention to buy local foods. Food Quality and Preference, 96, 104428.
• Zhang, Y., & Khare, A. (2009). The impact of accessible identities on the evaluation of global versus local products. Journal of Consumer Research, 36(3), 524–537. http:// dx.doi.org/10.1086/598794.

Identifiers

DOI

10.7172/1644-9584.98.1

Biblioteka Nauki

16530392