CREATING DATABASES FROM CROSS‐NATIONAL COMPARISONS OF FOOD MIND‐SETS

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article introduces a “mind genomics” approach to gathering information on consumption attitudes toward food, and reactions to food concepts across national boundaries. Mind genomics is an approach that creates a body of knowledge as to how consumers respond to the components of a complex stimulus. Conjoint analysis has been employed to support the study where the object was to gather and evaluate information and create databases using the “mind genomics” approach. The databases contain information about product features as well as situational vignettes. The study has evaluated 22 foods and beverages in three countries, testing 20 out of the 22 food items in each country. Our procedure looks in depth at food consumption patterns in France, the United Kingdom and Germany. Specifically, we employ direct (self‐profiling) questionnaires to capture food consumption habits for a specific food in combination with a conjoint analysis stimulus–response model to understand how consumers respond to food concepts. By combining self‐profiling and stimulus–response methods into a single interview, one can study a single food such as soup in great depth to obtain a significant understanding of consumption habits and food‐related communications factors. By conducting parallel studies with a set of many foods, one can build a clearer, more holistic picture of food habits for a single country. Then, by conducting parallel studies across countries, one can identify differences across many different dimensions. These dimensions include product features, responses to emotional statements and self‐selection of relevant criteria for food acceptance. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONSThe results provide a strong empirical evidence that by applying the “Mind Genomic” approach across countries one can identify consumption clusters that contain self‐selection of relevant criteria for food acceptance and consumption independent of country affiliation. The study concludes with a discussion how marketing and brand managers of international companies can proactively use insights gained by analyzing linked international databases.