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Consumer Satisfaction/Dissatisfaction and Handling of Complaints in out of Home Eating Sector
3-18Views:107The contribution of the eating-out-of-home sector to the overall food spending of Hungarian households is very low, especially when compared to other, well developed countries. In order to increase this market – besides the improvement of the elements of macro- and micro-environment – a significant task is to strengthen and improve the consumer satisfaction and loyalty. Consumer satisfaction/dissatisfaction is a complex system whose key element is complaint handling. The research team conducted a questionnaire survey in the spring of 2014 in Hungary (Central Hungary and Northern Great Plain regions) with a sample of 1063 respondents of the age group 15+ years. In the survey, the research models and findings of former international research projects were taken into consideration. Our research results are in compliance with the international research results and trends, although differences may be found in the numbers and extent of the Hungarian results. In the Hungarian eating-out-of-home sector, the desired service quality of the consumers exceeds the detected quality of services particularly in the key areas. Despite the frequent consumer dissatisfaction, the documented forms of dissatisfaction, which could be recognized directly by the management (e.g. direct complaints towards the staff, registered opinion on the claims book), are very low. Guests prefer to use the indirect channels of complaint (for example choosing other restaurant, negative word of mouth, or reducing tips), which will result in that the specific reasons of complaints could not be recognized by management of the restaurant. The exploration and registration of the original problems are the main prerequisites of the successful improvement of consumer satisfaction, therefore establishing an active complaint management system should be a key task for the restaurants.
JEL code: D12
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Consumer Perception of Corporate Social Responsibility
3-14Views:134Several studies have drawn attention to the importance of and the impact on consumer behavior of the corporate efforts in order to promote sustainable consumption in the last decades. The concept and framework of sustainable consumption appear at global, European and national levels. Several studies have examined the possible design and modeling opportunities for sustainable societies. The socially responsible operation of companies and their efforts for sustainable consumption can be the driving force behind social changes. In our study, we examined the consumer’s perception of social responsibility of companies on based on a national representative sample of 1,038 respondents over 15 years of age. In our analysis, opinions and attitudes related to sustainable development are presented, followed by the characterization of the groups that can be separated on the basis of the monitoring of sustainable corporate activities. The research shows that only a minority the consumers do not believe that consumers could make to sustainable development through their decisions. In contrast, nearly a third of domestic consumers is neutral or attaches importance to the efforts of companies for sustainable development, which is average by European standards. The company moves which lead to better opinions of domestic consumers, or which may lead to the rejection of shopping are introduced. Four groups of consumers are separated according to the monitoring of sustainable business activities.
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Opportunities and Obstacles in the Healthy Food Consumption Area
65-76Views:251The issue of healthy food consumption is an extremely hot topic in today’s fast-paced world. One of today’s ruler trends are the health awareness and health market expansion. The role of the health of consumers is appreciated. People spend more and more to preserve their health. The consequence of conscious consumption is that individuals can keep their physical and mental activity for a longer time remaining their life and accordingly they can be involved in the economic growth. Our central hypotheses were that the financial situation, the level of consciousness and „identity” have a decisive influence on women who assume a healthy eating habit in Hungary. We also presumed a link between health consciousness and financial attitudes, as well as a positive relationship between health consciousness and behavioral intent and normative beliefs. Our results confirm: the income status and the degree of awareness mostly influence the existence of a healthy diet.
JEL codes: E21, H31, H51
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A Netnographic Study of Health-Conscious Food Consumption in the Digital Era
19-38Views:681Health-conscious lifestyles and the consumption of foods which are considered healthy are becoming increasingly important globally and domestically. Thanks to digitisation, the consumer has a wide range of new and innovative ways to obtain useful information. Social media and its elements have reformed access to information over the past decade. The main objective of our research was to assess the impact of digitisation on healthy food consumption. In this article, we analysed particular social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram and Youtube) with a netnographic observation and examined the role of influencers in health-conscious food consumption. During secondary research, we clarified basic definitions and analysed recent and near-term trends. In the primary research, the netnographic survey was conducted in two sessions (September and October 2018 and December 2019). The aim was to broaden the research while comparing the results of the two observation sessions. Only Hungarian language sites were used for our observations. We analysed the Facebook pages and groups related to healthy eating. For the terms related to the topic under study (e.g., “healthy lifestyle” and “conscious eating”), we identified the same pages in most cases. So a given page has appeared for more than one search term. The creators of the groups typically include 4-5 keywords in the title at a time. We have analysed the number of hashtags with and without accents associated with health-conscious, free-from and plant-based nutrition. The majority of the analysed hashtags showed a tendency for their accented variants to grow more than non-accented ones in the past year. In addition, we systematized the Hungarian influencers with Youtube channel in the research topic. Based on the results, it can be stated that relatively few influencers operate a channel with a higher number of subscribers in the fields of healthy eating and healthy lifestyle. To sum up, the mention of healthy lifestyle in social media is complex and it is not tightened to health-conscious food consumption.
JEL Classification: M31
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Interpretation of Health-conscious Food Consumption Behavior on the Basis of LOHAS Concept
39-46Views:281In our study, the information search behavior of sustainability committed consumer group is analyzed. Furthermore, consumer opinions about nutrition labels on food packaging are highlighted. According to the international literature, LOHAS (Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability) group is the most committed consumer segment to sustainability.
Exploration of Hungarian sustainability committed consumer groups’ opinion about food labels is supported by the closing part of a research chain which was started in 2010. This, last research was carried out in 2012, where, with the aid of quota sampling, Trend followers’ and Unconcerned’s judgment on food labels was investigated. The quota and the two mentioned groups were formed on the basis of a national representative research, which was performed in 2011. Information search behavior was evaluated according to the structure of Grunert-Wills’ information search model. In this study we focus on our research results, which connect to the last two steps (understanding, interferences and use) of the mentioned model.
Goal of this research is to investigate in a practical aspect of information search behavior of domestic sustainability committed consumer group (“Trend followers”) in connection with food labels proving health effects of foodstuffs. Four hypotheses were defined to reach our goal:
H1: Among health information on food packaging, labels stating energy value, are getting a higher influencing role in food purchasing process, where conscious consumer groups have a deeper knowledge about the objective meaning of food labels.
H2: Consumer knowledge about objective meaning of food labels is getting a highlighted role in formation of brand loyalty.
H3: Trust has an essential role in consumer acceptation of food labels, where common qualifier activity of different organizations (state, profit and nonprofit area) come into the front.
H4: Correct understanding of food labels has a positive influencing effect on acceptation of higher prices and on real use of food labels during food purchasing.
One- and multivariate analysis and cross table analysis were calculated to investigate our assumptions. In the closing part of our study, three practical recommendations are defined, which relate to follows: optimization of communication strategy of food industries, way of introduction of new food labels and need of objective guidance of consumers about food information. -
The Online Marketing Activity of German Farmer Shops
73-91Views:280The importance of digital marketing is increasing significantly. During the current pandemic situation, its shortcomings are even more easily noticeable. Due to the German consumers' green purchasing behaviour, the poor online performance of German farmer shops appeared. The aim of this paper was to analyse the usage of digital marketing tools in this field. A representative database was applied for the descriptive statistics and the principal component analysis as well. Five clusters were defined by the K-mean method. The research of 375 farmer shops highlighted shortcomings in the usage of the website and social media. More than 70% of the farmer shops did not operate any website or did not provide on it all the required information, while only 20% of the shops were available online as a webshop. The low share of digitally well-managed farmer shops (less than 3%) was revealed by the clustering method. These focus mostly on the sale of alcoholic beverages. The social media surfaces meant in the case of many shops the only contact to the consumers, however, the application of these platforms was not common according to the applied method. For the farmer shops, the lack of digital marketing could mean a disadvantage in a short period, however, the increasing importance of online appearance could cause the decrease of interest and sales for a longer period.
JEL Codes: M31, O13, E21 -
Research of Risk Reductive Behaviours Related to Food Products
63-77Views:76This topic will always be actual, since most of the companies crave to understand the
behaviour of their consumers in Hungary – what kind of patterns of behaviour they have, and how companies can influence consumer behaviour without high expenses, considering the most effective methods. As we know, consumer behaviour should be researched on the level of a specific product or service in the short term, or as a brand versus personal preference.
Nowadays, the role of health-awareness and cost-consciousness is getting misrated, alongside with environmental protection and the awareness of hazardous substances. Based on our idea, the background of our research assumes awareness of the contents of food, and the investigation of labels or titles. The organic labels on food have a high priority role in Hungary. In our opinion, the trust contains the following factors: (1) There are control authorities who are reliable, and guarantee the high quality of products for the consumers (for example: Hungarian Authority for Consumer Protection, or other food and chemical industrial laboratories). (2) Food processing facilities are accredited, recorded, and given a certificate (for example: certificate of organic production, etc.) (3) Purchasing is straight from the source. (4) Purchase is on the basis of information technology. These factors are the underlying cause of the change in behaviour resulting from risk reduction awareness. The article focuses on the food consumption behaviour analysis of Hungary’s population. The analyzed database was queried from IPSOS Ltd. (N=1 038 people) but we will select 883 people, based on inclusive criteria (aged between 18 and 70) and exclude people with extreme incomes (due to being outliers). In order to indroduce the topic, we will start our research with a short literary introspection. Before the analysis of the database, we presume consumers have a kind of set awareness that is shaped by buying their daily food and products. In this research, we will prove this assumption.JEL code: D12
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Investigation of Healthy Nutrition in Post-Adolescents Complemented with a Sociological Aspects
45-58Views:367In our rapidly evolving world, a healthy lifestyle has got more and more attention. The prevention and gradual development can never be begun early enough. In our research, we examined the healthy, moderate eating habits of post-adolescents complemented with sociological aspects. We performed primary and secondary data collection. We used methods like descriptive statistics, cross-tabulation analysis, factor analysis, and cluster analysis. In terms of sociologic factors, we examined some dimensions of detachment, which confirmed that university citizens are one group of post-adolescents. The healthy eating habits were analysed by food groups and social factors. During the cluster analysis, we separated 5 clusters and evaluated them by the factors. Based on the factor and cluster analyses, we found that university students consider healthy eating to be an important social value.
JEL Codes: A13, I12 -
Pilot-study for the Investigation of School Meals’ Preference and Main Factors of Restaurant Service
53-63Views:94In Hungarian public educational institutions (nurseries, kindergartens, primary and secondary schools) it is compulsory to provide food for schoolchildren at least by one meal per day. Schoolchildren represented 14% of the total population of Hungary in 2016. Although school catering is compulsory task for educational institutions, many students refuse this service, because of food intolerances or based on external reasons such as „I don’t like’, ”it is not tasty” or because of negative opinions and rumours about school catering services. Surveys have already been conducted in some countries on the acceptance of school catering services in order to explore the reasons of the negative experiences, but in Hungary, our research was the first in this topic. Our main goal was to explore the acceptance level of the school catering services and their meals in the sample of schools in Budapest. The first step of our research was to launch a pilot study, where 202 students and teachers of five schools in Budapest filled a questionnaire. The most preferred meals of the students were roasted and fried meats (they would like to have these meals more frequently), and cakes/desserts. The least preferred meals were pottage, and simple soups, which they would like to consume less frequently. Teachers preferred healthier food, e.g. fish, stewed or grilled vegetables. In almost half of the different meal types, a significant difference was detected between the answers of teachers and students. Noodle dishes, cakes and desserts were preferred at significantly higher level by the students. The different characteristics of the meals (taste, aroma, nutritional value, temperature, serving style) were assessed as significantly less important by the students than by teachers. Food hygiene, healthy food and diversity of meals were assessed equally well by the two respondent groups. Both respondent groups indicated that adapting to the individual needs of the consumers is inadequate.
JEL codes: D12, L83
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Awareness and Effect of CSR on Consumer Decisions
15-27Views:222Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a common topic, both at national and international levels. Profit maximisation is essential for companies, but they should not forget the social and environmental impacts of their activities. The question of sustainability is also a common topic requiring examination. The future of the Earth, our natural resources and the generations that will come after us also impact on the responsibilities of companies. For many companies, this kind of responsibility is natural and they take such CSR and sustainable steps that are worth following. From modern society, there is a high expectation and even strong pressure on companies to conduct responsible business practice. The number of responsible companies is increasing due to this pressure. What do we mean by CSR? What sorts of activities and steps are covered by CSR? What are the motivators of the CSR strategies, CSR activities of companies? What are their reasons? Many researchers investigate the motivators of CSR. From them, opinion on the company, image of the company, “consumers will prefer us”, are among the most frequent ones. However, are the CSR actions of companies appreciated by consumers? The results of many researchers demonstrate that they are not appreciated. In general, responsible business practise is a high expectation from consumers, but when purchasing a product, this aspect is one of the least important factors. The aim of this paper is to collect some of the most relevant research findings on CSR, to introduce the informedness of Hungarian respondents on CSR in general, to find out the main influencing factors of their purchasing decisions, and also find correlations between the received results and the demographic variables based on our primary research. Our results support the present practice in terms of the definition of CSR. Almost all the listed alternatives are strongly associated with CSR by the respondents. The highest average received for the “creating workplaces, employment” alternative indicates the importance of this activity. Regarding the different factors influencing purchasing decision, our results underline the importance of price and price value ratio. This research finding is in line with other research findings, which shows that CSR actions of companies, responsible business practice is not the number one influencing factor of actual consumer decision.
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Examination of the Eating Motivations of the Hungarian Population Based on the TEMS-Model
81-93Views:169Our study fills a gap because we were the first to examine the eating motivations of the Hungarian population using the TEMS questionnaire. Our aim was to analyze the eating motivations of Hungarian consumers in details. To this end, we launched a national questionnaire survey of 1,000 people, which is representative by gender, age, type of settlement, and region. In our survey, we obtained 8 well separated factors, which are the following: Social Anxiety, Comfortable Enjoyment, Health Awareness and Weight Control, Price Sensitivity, Social Eating, Self-Rewarding, Habit and Tradition-Driven Eating, The Tempting Nature of Food. Based on cluster analysis, we classified consumers into 5 clusters: Traditional Simplifiers, Thrifty Social and Emotional Eaters, Balanced Self-Rewards, Health Conscious, Indifferent.
JEL-Codes: A13, D70, I12, Q56 -
Beliefs and Misbeliefs About Plant-Based Diet Relying on the Results of an Online Research
65-77Views:553A main current trend is healthy lifestyle and the consumption of fruit and vegetables. The assessment of healthiness of plant-based diet is not so obvious either among the population or food experts. In an online survey the knowledge, beliefs and misbeliefs about plant-based diet were analysed among members and non-members of online social media lifestyles groups. All in all, it can be stated that there are no significant relationships and differences between knowledge, attitude and perception of members and non-members. Social media users are aware of the different types of plant-based diet (vegetarian, vegan) and the positive and negative psychological effects. The associations connected to plant-based diet are the following: healthy, environmentally friendly and expensive. Only a small segment of Hungarian people follow plant-based diet. At the same the diverse and everyday consumption of fruit and vegetables is essential because of health and sustainability issues. Due to conscious nutrition and more plant-based diet, people can contribute to the protection of their own health and the Earth.
JEL Classification: M31
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The Effect of Consumer Perceived Trust and Image Toward Food Brands on Consumers’ Willingness to Buy
41-56Views:188Purpose – 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
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The Characteristics of the LOHAS Segment, the Consumer Group which is Devoted to Sustainable Consumption
3-9Views:304Sustainable consumption is a megatrend influencing consumer habits today. Our research was carried out to find out information – with the help of international and national literature – about the general and differentiating characteristics and the size of the consumer group devoted to sustainable consumption. Our aim was also to sum up the economic importance of the segment. This “new type” of consumer-buyer group is called LOHAS (Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability) by professionals. An important feature of the segment is that they consider all the three pillars of sustainable development (economic, social and ecological) in their shopping decisions. LOHAS consumers live their life health-consciously. Their devotion to sustainability is reflected in purchasing environmental-friendly, socially responsible products. Besides this, it can also be claimed about them that they are early adopters and they are able to influence the opinion of their friends and family. They are less price-sensitive, and they are characteristically brand-loyal. These characteristics make them the attractive target of a lot of marketing activities. It is hard to describe the LOHAS lifestyle only with demographic features since their devotion to sustainable consumption is determined by mostly personal values and the individual’s value order. LOHAS lifestyle has five, well defined value categories that direct the individuals’ behavior. They are authentic values, health-conscious values, ethic values, individualist values and environmental-conscious values. The LOHAS group is also characterized by such a hybrid lifestyle in which different characteristics merge with each other. The LOHAS “phenomenon” is mostly characteristic of the western world, but it is becoming widespread in the Asian region’s consumer society. In the developed countries the size of the group may reach 25%. For today the approach and value order characterizing the LOHAS consumer’s lifestyle have appeared within the Hungarian population as well. Hungarian researchers estimate the size of this group different – between 4 and 30% – depending on the values expected during segmentation. The LOHAS trend influences all the branches of economy calling companies for innovation that meets the needs of the consumers who prefer hybrid lifestyle, and for environmental and social responsibility. However, the strongest influence appears in the food industry. It is worth mentioning that some members of the tertiary sector have also realized the opportunities lying behind them. Besides the economic importance of the LOHAS consumer group, it is important to mention that their inner values and views envisage a healthier society and a cleaner and more livable environment.
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Value Dimensions of Consumers And the Weak Commitment on the Food Market
25-40Views:174This paper aims to present the value dimensions of the protection of the domestic food market by analyzing the consumer value of the European Union geographical indications of origin (which defines certain foods as national ownership). The research covers the relationship between contemporary food policy and sociological values of consumers, including identity, credibility and culture, as well as the complexity of globalization. Although food plays a central role in maintaining human life, consumers generally know very little about where the purchased product comes from, the environmental and social costs involved, as monitoring the environmental impacts of the entire global food system is complex and a complex process. For a customer to understand what steps need to be taken to ensure the sustainability of the system and launch a change needs a huge amount of knowledge. This study applied face consciousness as a sustainability is a cultural dimension to explore the cultural impact on consumers’ decision-making styles. The paper is used empirical research multi-dimensional scaling to find out what some food products become known to domestic customers while other products do not. The results found the gap that the Hungarians are rather risk-averse customers than health conscious which does not fulfil the requirement of the long-term sustainability of the nation.
JEL Codes: A13 B55, D18
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The Competitiveness of Hungarian Micro-Enterprises in the Pasta Market
51-60Views:109By analysing the long-term competitiveness of Hungarian dry pasta making micro and small businesses, I intend to explore its strategic potential. The changes in the competitiveness of the dry pasta sector in Hungary between 1969 and 2019 were analysed with the help of contemporary periodicals from the database of the Hungarian Agricultural Museum and Library. The changes in the competitiveness of the Hungarian dry pasta market over the period 1969-2019 were analyzed according to the six aspects of diamond model: factor conditions, demand conditions, corporate strategy, structure and rivalry, relating and supporting industries, government regulations, change. Looking at future trends in the dry pasta market, the bidirectional impact on the competitiveness of the pasta market will be affected. One effect is to move towards horizontal networking as a result of globalization, making the pasta company that is able to negotiate better in the food supply chain more competitive. The other effect is the trend of local patriotism, which stimulates the development of micro-regions and originates in the initiative of the locals: innovation of flavours, innovation in raw materials, possibilities of Hungarian ethnocentrism. In addition, retail brands are expected to grow further. As retail chains do not pass on any gains from the increase of their export volume to the processors, the manufacturers’ own brand is weakened. The study provides a long-term overview of the changes in the competitiveness of companies operating in the dry pasta market. There has been a tremendous change over the last eighty years with the innovative transformation of the pasta industry. At that time, almost all pasta products were made at home, and today the pasta group is competing for housewives by employing industrial designers.
JEL Codes: M31, M39
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Forms of Conscious Consumption
73-80Views:259Globalization and its effects can be found almost everywhere. Among the effects of globalization the improvement of international trade, the technological progress, the increasing influence of multinational companies, the strengthening power and influence of international institutions such as the WTO, IMF, and World Bank, greater mobility of human resources across countries, greater outsourcing of business processes to other countries have to be pointed out. As one of the results of globalisation we can buy even such products that have been produced somewhere on the other side of the world. It is not always clear for the consumers where, how and by whom the product has been produced. For conscious consumers the information provided on the packaging of the product, labels, trademarks can help a lot when making their purchasing decision. Of course there are several other ways to collect the necessary information. For these consumers the origin of the product, the producer, the production process, the ingredients, the environmental and social impacts of the production, as well as ethical concerns are really important questions.
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Examining of Fruit and Vegetable Consumption Among the Hungarian Consumers
79-89Views:353The importance of fruit and vegetable consumption is emphasized by promotions, recommendations, and domestic and foreign researches. According to the results of Hungarian research, consumers with high education and high income are the fastest to commit to a healthy lifestyle (of which regular consumption of fruit and vegetables is an integral part). The present study examines fruit and vegetable consumption through focus group interviews examining two distinct segments; full-time undergraduate students as well as full-time adults. The reason for choosing the two segments was based on the literature, according to which lifestyle research shows that the supportive family financial background of students helps to make this segment more health-conscious, while full-time adults with higher education and income are also more health-conscious consumers. Based on the results of interviews with six groups – three with students and three with full-time adults – it can be stated that among the participants the reasons for consuming fruit and vegetables are health awareness, and in many cases the family pattern is a determining, moreover important aspect that vegetables and fruits are very much loved. However, despite their commitment to a healthy lifestyle and fruit and vegetable, most of them have never heard of fruit and vegetable promotions. As a result of the focus group research, it can also be observed that income is a determining factor, especially in the face of rising prices. In addition to consumption patterns, the research also addressed the issue of branding, the results of which suggest that geographical indications are still more important than the creation of a stand-alone brand name.
JEL Classification: I12, P46
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Health or Taste? Consumer Dilemmas with Functional Foods – Literature Review
17-29Views:305The current study of our two-part paper series is dealing with one of the most important attitude influences on functional food consumer behaviour. Namely, it focuses on “health effects vs. taste” attitude factor of functional food products, which describes the possible conflict between a pleasant taste and the health benefit of the product. This factor is analysed on the basis of two aspects of factors influencing food choice: internal (food) effects (e.g. sensory aspects) and external (non-food) effects (e.g. psychological, social, cultural factors). The most important internal (or intrinsic) characteristic is the taste of the food product. A remarkable finding of this study is that good taste is a crucial, self-relevant characteristic of any food product and bad taste would not be accepted in functional food products either. Consumers are hardly willing to compromise on the taste of functional food products for potential health benefits. Another aspect in the case of functional food products is that intrinsic product characteristics are given by the combination of the health-enhancing ingredient with the type of carrier product used. Studies have shown that functional ingredients that weaken the taste of such food products reduce their acceptance. There is a consensus in the literature that a natural match between added ingredient and carrier product increases the overall acceptance of functional food products. External (or extrinsic) characteristics, e.g. psychological and lifestyle factors, and socio-cultural differences provide further aspects of the potential conflict of “health effects vs. taste”. From a psychological point of view, one may assume that an individual who chooses a functional food is committed to the products’ benefits and may be willing to accept some unpleasant taste in order to achieve the desired health benefit. It has to be noted, however, that although the importance of a given health benefit may lead to the acceptance of an unpleasant taste, this acceptance is not necessarily supported by each of the health benefits. Lifestyle variables also influence the acceptance of functional foods, e.g. wellness-oriented consumers appear to be more willing to trade the taste for health benefits. However, the segment of consumers who are ready to sacrifice the taste for potential health benefits cannot be identified by using classical demographic characteristics as segmentation variables. The “health effects vs. taste” conflict is influenced by cultural differences, too. E.g. the priority of taste can be observed in whole Europe; in contrast, the preference for nutritional benefits is rather typical in the Asian countries. The final conclusion of our study is similar to that of the literature. Good taste and healthiness are not necessarily to be traded-off against each other. Hoping for consumer willingness to compromise on the taste for health is highly speculative and risky, so the functional food industry must develop good taste solutions. In addition to sensory perception of the food, the expectations have also been found to have an impact on the acceptance of functional food products. Consumers’ expectations are highly influenced by marketing communications. In case of functional food products marketing communication is strongly based on health-related information and this information influences not only the perception of healthiness but the liking of foods, too. Hence, additional values of functional food products (health+convenience+pleasure) have to be communicated as hedonic values, emphasizing especially the role of pleasure.
JEL codes: D11, M31
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The Size and Characteristics of the LOHAS Segment in Hungary
11-30Views:543Until the 1990s, those exchange processes were in the focus of marketing in which the producers had the bargaining power in their hands. After realizing the limited sources and the natural challenges at the beginning of the twenty-first century, today marketing experts are interested in global issues like sustainable development and sustainable consumption. The aim of our research was to define the size of the Hungarian LOHAS consumer group by analysing its lifestyle based on sustainable values. This has been achieved in three steps. At first, the appearance of sustainable values was analysed using factor analysis. Secondly, we made the value-based lifestyle segmentation of the Hungarian consumers with the help of k-means analysis, and finally, with further segmentation, we estimated the size of the consumer group that is the most devoted to LOHAS values. In order to achieve the set objective, a nationwide representative questionnaire-based survey was carried out involving 1000 people in Hungary. During the value-orientated research, 25 lifestyle statements were drawn up. The 25 statements were grouped around 5 aspects which were the following: environmental consciousness, health consciousness, ethical values, authentic values and individualism. Results reveal that in the value order of Hungarian consumers, the characteristics showing in the direction of sustainability are present and they are separated in six value categories. They are individualist values, authentic values, environmental consciousness, ethical (competence) values, health consciousness and ethical (corporate) values. From among the value dimensions, authentic values, health and environmental consciousness, as well as ethical corporate behaviour are especially important to Hungarian consumers. According to our results five value-based segments could be separated which are Uninvolved elderly people (16.4%), Young trend followers (32.1%), Young environmentally conscious people (18.6%), Ethical traditionalists (22.6%) and also Disappointed pessimists (10.3%). The biggest cluster, the group of Young trend followers, reflects the characteristics of the LOHAS consumers’ lifestyle the most. Yet, this segment cannot entirely be regarded a consumer group devoted to LOHAS values. The biggest heterogeneity can be observed based on the ethical (competence) values of Young trend followers, and a further segmentation of this group was considered necessary to be able to ascertain the rate of the most devoted LOHAS consumers. The third sub-cluster that overestimates the ethical (competence) statements the most can be identified with the LOHAS consumer group. Based on the results of our research, their rate is 8.7% within the Hungarian population. Further research is necessary to find out whether the situation of value orientation in the other Eastern European countries is similar to that in Hungary, where the social and the cultural backgrounds show many similarities.
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The Transformational Impact of Industry 4.0 on the Wine Marketing and Wine Sector
55-64Views:100Industry 4.0 - like other industries - is transforming the wine sector. From viticulture to winemaking processes to wine marketing and sales, Industry 4.0 technologies have appeared everywhere and have proven to be effective with numerous best practices. It can be stated that sooner or later every serious market participant will incorporate some of Industry 4.0's solutions into their business strategy - otherwise, they will suffer from a difficult-to-catch and manage competitive disadvantage. This study summarizes the processes and main characteristics of the first three industrial revolutions, then analyzes in more detail the fourth industrial revolution and the concept of Industry 4.0, its events, the development opportunities inherent in Industry 4.0 innovations, and certain social risks as well. Subsequently, using case studies and examples uncovered through literature research, it illustrates the connection points between Industry 4.0 and the wine industry - primarily wine marketing.
JEL Codes: O3, O4, M310, M370, Z310, Z330 -
International Market Segmentation of European Countries Based on Sports and Health Consumption
33-49Views:240Differences in development of European countries can be seen in many areas. Differences in household expenditure, income inequality and life expectancy have already been revealed by a number of previous studies. However, relatively little attention has been paid to the international variations in household health, sports and recreation spending. In our research, therefore, European countries were segmented on the basis of, among other things, household health, sports and recreation expenditures, pointing out that the level of these expenditures is related to other dimensions of development. As a result of our research, the authors managed to separate four clusters of European countries in terms of sports consumption and three clusters in terms of health consumption, with useful lessons for economic and social policy or profit-oriented companies considering international expansion in the health, sports and recreation markets.
JEL Classification: I12, I14, I15, M30, Z20
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Qualitative Investigation of Salt and Sugar Free Nutrition in the Canned Vegetable Market
71-82Views:301“Free from” products as important components of a health-conscious diet are prevalent on store shelves. Our research is based on the analysis of the market situation and introduction possibilities of a potential canned vegetable that can even satisfy the needs of consumers for salt and sugar free meals. Secondary data and information collection provided the basis for further research. In the primary research, we used three qualitative methods, which were netnographic examination, expert interview, and focus group research. In the course of netnography, we examined consumer needs for salt and sugar free canned food on the Internet, mainly on social media, based on pre-collected keywords. The interview with an expert in the canning industry focused on the specificity of canned food and the position of “free from” canned food. Focus group research was composed to learn about the perceptions of university students about both canned food and their customers alike. Among other things, we have shed light on the fact that consumers associate the expression “free from” with the word health, but emphasizing “free from” nature of the product can create a sense of lack. Examining “free from” canned food, we found that young, time constrained, health-conscious consumers can be the target group. Due to the target market, we recommend promoting it on online platforms, where it would even be advisable to use educational campaigns.
JEL Codes: M31, Q13
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Are We Going Green Online Too? Consumers’ Attitude Towards Companies’ Ecomarketing Communication in Online Space
3-19Views:222Nowadays environmental protection is one of the most pressing global topics that appears in more and more corporate promotions. The expansion of the Internet and the rise of the digital world and social media have opened up new opportunities for companies to carry out green promotional activities. The purpose of the study is to examine the attitude of consumers in the online space towards the promotion of companies related to environmental protection and to propose different strategies in this regard. In this article, using netnographic research method, the comments received under the environmental protection related Facebook posts of the top 12 Hungarian FMCG (Fast-Moving Consumer Goods) companies are analyzed and users are segmented, based on their attitude and reactions. Three main groups (supporters, critics, objectives) and eight subgroups can be distinguished (idealists, humorists, interested, helpless, experienced, smartass, informants and whishers) in the case of companies' Facebook posts related to the environment. Critics can generate negative eWom, while supporters can generate positive online word of mouth for the company. Finally, regarding the treatment of different segmented groups, we formulate online and offline strategies that companies should follow. It is recommended for companies to continuously monitor and analyze online comments, since with the help of feedback they can improve their operational activities and avoid image damage caused by negative word of mouth.
JEL Codes: M31; M37; F64 -
Analysis of the Health – Environment – Nutrition Nexus: A Review
3-24Views:790The fastest improvement of the wealth and quality of life was witnessed in last decades by the humanity globally. Economic and social development, however, influenced the state and processes of the natural environment at the same time significantly. Food supply is one of the major interfaces between the society and the natural resources, as we highlight in our literature review; approximately one-third of the resource use and pollution is originated in nutritional needs. Also, health effects of western diet are remarkable. Consequently, debate on ‘healthy diet’ and ‘environmentally friendly’ food supply chain became complementary and reinforcing topics recently, at least in the scientific communication.
JEL Codes: F64, I12, O13, Q4, Q5