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• Perception of Italian Food Industry Products among Hungarian Consumers

  31-52

  Boglárka Figeczki

  Róbert Sándor Szűcs

  Marietta Kiss

  Views:

  134

  The role of food marketing is increasingly important, as the food market is highly competitive and sensitive to economic, cultural, and social changes. Understanding consumer behavior in the food market is key to developing effective marketing strategies. Our research aim was to examine the impact of country of origin as a factor influencing consumption, specifically for Italian food products, on the Hungarian market. Using quantitative and qualitative methods (i.e., a questionnaire survey and two focus group interviews), we examined the respondents’ Italian food purchasing habits, preferences, and attitudes towards “Made in Italy” products. The results show that country of origin influences consumer decisions, especially for frequent buyers of Italian products, who associate higher quality, special taste, and freshness with these foods. At the same time, consumers’ price sensitivity may be a limitation in the application of premium pricing. Based on the attitudes toward Italian food, consumers have been classified into three distinct segments (“Rejecters,” “Neutrals,” and “Enthusiasts”), and it was found that with increasing socio-economic status, attitudes toward Italian products are also improving. Emphasizing excellent quality and unique flavors, as well as consciously utilizing segment-based word-of-mouth advertising, can play an important role in promoting “Made in Italy” foods on the Hungarian market.
  
  JEL Codes: M31, Q13

• The Effect of Consumer Perceived Trust and Image Toward Food Brands on Consumers’ Willingness to Buy

  41-56

  Mohammed Abdalrahman

  József Lehota

  Views:

  506

  Purpose – consumers’ buying process is affected by many variables in which branding strategy is indeed an important variable to be considered. This paper aims to evaluate the influence of three branding elements – brand name, packaging, and country of origin – on Palestinian consumers’ willingness to buy food products to understand better their buying. Methodology – The study was conducted in the Palestinian market, the sample was selected according to simple random sampling technique, and a structured questionnaire was prepared, then it was electronically distributed by using emails and social media. The questionnaire contains 35 questions depending on a balanced Fifth Likert Scale and a single-item 7-point differential semantic scale, the questions intended to determine the influence of the selected branding elements on consumers’ willingness to buy food products. The data were analysed depending on the descriptive analysis and one sample t-test. Findings – according to the results of the data analysis it was found that product features and attributes were the factors of the highest importance that influenced the consumers’ willingness to buy, while the branding elements variables came at second rank of importance. Also, the results show that the effect of three chosen branding elements on consumer willingness to buy is significant. The outcomes of this study may be advantageous for firms working in food sectors, since the Palestinian market is lacking such a scientific study and help them in creating marketing strategies to increase the sales volume of their products.

  JEL Codes: M31, M39