An ethnographic analysis of consumer information processing and decision-making at farmers’ markets

Purpose Farmers’ markets have grown rapidly in recent years and at the same time consumers increasingly desire to eat healthfully and sustainably. This research aims to analyze the way consumers process information regarding local food claims such as sustainability and organics when shopping for local foods at farmers’ markets. Design/methodology/approach This research uses ethnographic methods that included interviews with 36 participants, more than 100 hours of participant observation and prolonged engagement over a two and half-year period. Findings The findings indicate that there are two dominant types of consumers at the farmers’ market, hedonistic and utilitarian consumers. Hedonistic consumers rely on heuristic cues such as aesthetics, their relationship with the farmer and other peripheral sources of information when making purchase decisions. Utilitarian consumers, by contrast, carefully analyze marketing messages using central route cues and tend to be more conscious of their purchase choices. Practical implications This study will help farmers more effectively position their marketing messages and help consumers be aware how they process information in this space. Originality/value Unlike previous studies of consumer behavior at farmers’ markets that primarily use survey methods, this study uses observational and ethnographic methods to capture in situ interactions in this complex buying context. Further, while much work has been done on broad concepts of local food and organic preferences, this study provides a more in-depth look at consumer information processing in the farmers’ market space that reflects a mixture of organic and non-organic food.

The Right to Repair

In recent decades, companies around the world have deployed an arsenal of tools-including IP law, hardware design, software restrictions, pricing strategies, and marketing messages-to prevent consumers from fixing the things they own. While this strategy has enriched companies almost beyond measure, it has taken billions of dollars out of the pockets of consumers and imposed massive environmental costs on the planet. In The Right to Repair, Aaron Perzanowski analyzes the history of repair to show how we've arrived at this moment, when a battle over repair is being waged-largely unnoticed-in courtrooms, legislatures, and administrative agencies. With deft, lucid prose, Perzanowski explains the opaque and complex legal landscape that surrounds the right to repair and shows readers how to fight back.

Are the People Listening to Government's Good Advice: Source Credibility in Government Attributed Social Marketing Messages

<p>During 2008, the New Zealand government conducted over 53 separate social marketing programmes aimed at improving the lifestyle and behaviours of the New Zealand people. This situation has provided a niche environment to study the impact of high-volume government-attributed social marketing advertising on the source credibility of the government (where the government is the main source and sponsor of social marketing). The research data was collected through fourteen semi-structured in-depth interviews with four social marketers and ten members of the public. This study further sought to identify alternative sources of social marketing messages considered more effective than government, and as a logical part of this study, the repetition effect of various similar messages from one source, the New Zealand Government, in a social marketing context was examined. This research has showed that the high-volume of social marketing messages has homogenised the source thoughts of the interviewed members of the public. It has led them to assume all social marketing is from government. Further, the high-volume has caused the target audience to abbreviate the cognitive response process illustrated by the Model of Cognitive Response compiled by Belch & Belch (2007). Where their attitude towards the messages was favourable or it conformed to their beliefs, the target audience placed less priority on the importance of the source's credibility. This research compares and contrasts the social marketing data to well-accepted commercial marketing theory and principles, and attempts to provide a social marketing context to these theories.</p>

Are the People Listening to Government's Good Advice: Source Credibility in Government Attributed Social Marketing Messages

<p>During 2008, the New Zealand government conducted over 53 separate social marketing programmes aimed at improving the lifestyle and behaviours of the New Zealand people. This situation has provided a niche environment to study the impact of high-volume government-attributed social marketing advertising on the source credibility of the government (where the government is the main source and sponsor of social marketing). The research data was collected through fourteen semi-structured in-depth interviews with four social marketers and ten members of the public. This study further sought to identify alternative sources of social marketing messages considered more effective than government, and as a logical part of this study, the repetition effect of various similar messages from one source, the New Zealand Government, in a social marketing context was examined. This research has showed that the high-volume of social marketing messages has homogenised the source thoughts of the interviewed members of the public. It has led them to assume all social marketing is from government. Further, the high-volume has caused the target audience to abbreviate the cognitive response process illustrated by the Model of Cognitive Response compiled by Belch & Belch (2007). Where their attitude towards the messages was favourable or it conformed to their beliefs, the target audience placed less priority on the importance of the source's credibility. This research compares and contrasts the social marketing data to well-accepted commercial marketing theory and principles, and attempts to provide a social marketing context to these theories.</p>

What is rogue marketing? An exploration of how hard seltzer sparked a social media phenomenon

Purpose This study aims to introduce, explicate, offer a framework and provide future research directions for a phenomenon herein named rogue marketing. Rogue marketing is explored vis-à-vis a phenomenon that occurred over the summer of 2019 with a new product category, hard seltzers. It is proposed that rogue marketing occurs when an unaffiliated individual creates and posts an informal message about a brand on social media that becomes viral. Although the post is not funded or endorsed by the company that owns the brand, reaching viral status results in free and unexpected advertising (positive or negative). Design/methodology/approach Rogue marketing is first explored through a comparative analysis with company produced advertisements. Then, the company’s response to rogue marketing is gauged through both qualitative and quantitative data. The sample of 210 respondents was recruited from students enrolled in college hospitality courses and through posts made on social media. Findings Rogue marketing is found to be somewhat more compelling than company produced advertisements and those who found the rogue marketing message more compelling had stronger sentiments regarding the company’s response. Research limitations/implications This exploratory study of rogue marketing provides a conceptualization and starting framework for future research concerning this phenomenon. Originality/value Rogue marketing is a new phenomenon and is distinct from influencer marketing and viral marketing in its characteristics. Additionally, the company’s response to rogue marketing messages may influence behavioral outcomes.

Willingness-to-pay for robot-delivered tourism and hospitality services – an exploratory study

Purpose This paper aims to investigate potential consumers’ willingness to pay for robot-delivered services in travel, tourism and hospitality, and the factors that shape their willingness to pay. Design/methodology/approach An online survey yielded a sample of 1,573 respondents from 99 countries. Independent samples t-test, Analysis of variance (ANOVA), cluster, factor and regression analyses were used. Findings Respondents expected to pay less for robot-delivered services than human-delivered services. Two clusters were identified: one cluster willing to pay nearly the same price for robotic services as for human-delivered services, whilst the other expected deep discounts for robotic services. The willingness-to-pay was positively associated with the attitudes towards robots in tourism, robotic service experience expectations, men and household size. It was negatively associated to travel frequency, age and education. Research limitations/implications The paper’s main limitation is its exploratory nature and the use of a hypothetical scenario in measuring respondents’ willingness to pay. The data were gathered prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and do not reflect the potential changes in perceptions of robots due to the pandemic. Practical implications Practitioners need to focus on improving the attitudes towards robots in tourism because they are strongly and positively related to the willingness to pay. The marketing messages need to form positive expectations about robotic services. Originality/value This is one of the first papers to investigate consumers’ willingness to pay for robot-delivered services in travel, tourism and hospitality and factors that shape their willingness to pay.

To donate or not to donate? How cosmopolitanism and brand anthropomorphism influence donation intentions for international humanitarian causes

Purpose There are vast opportunities for nonprofit organizations (NPOs) globally to find support for international humanitarian causes. However, donors/consumers are not always willing to contribute for such causes. This study aims to investigate how potential donor perceptions are shaped to gain wider support and aims to build a model that could guide managers of NPOs in their communication strategy. Design/methodology/approach Two scenario-based experiments with the participation of graduate students from an Indian university were conducted. Findings Cosmopolitan people have the higher moral judgment of the international causes championed by NPOs. However, anthropomorphizing the NPO’s message elevates the moral judgments among non-cosmopolitans. Process tests indicate that these moral judgments indirectly impact donation intentions for these causes. Research limitations/implications The paper only investigates donation intention for poverty and not humanitarian causes such as access to drinking water. Moreover, the campaign chosen takes place only in Africa (e.g. not in Asia or Latin America). Practical implications NPOs could tailor their marketing messages for international humanitarian causes by targeting cosmopolitan donors/consumers and using humanization as the branding strategy. Originality/value This research contributes to theory by showing how consumers who would otherwise not contribute to an out-group could be influenced positively by the NPOs’ branding strategy.

Consumer Choices in the Pasta Market: The Importance of Fiber in Consumer Decisions

The aim of the current study was two-fold: (1) to identify consumer segments based on pasta selection motives and (2) to examine the differences between the identified segments in terms of perception of pasta and pasta with added fiber and information on the food label. The data were collected using a CAPI (computer-assisted personal interview) survey on a sample of 1013 consumers. The k-means clustering method was used to identify four clusters of consumers, namely, quality-oriented, sensory-oriented, convenience-oriented, and neutral consumers. The quality-oriented group was the group that expressed the most positive opinions about the pasta and about the addition of fiber to pasta. Moreover, they appreciated the information placed on the pasta label the most. Consumers in the sensory-oriented segment were the least likely to agree that the addition of fiber to pasta deteriorated its taste and to agree that it looked worse compared to pasta without fiber. These findings are of significance for those involved in the public nutrition sector as well as for those responsible for preparing well-targeted marketing messages. The conclusions may constitute invaluable insights for those devising educational initiatives and campaigns.