Getting the message across: the importance of information in Fair Trade marketing

Abstract

Consumers are confronted with information asymmetry in products from Fair Trade since they are unable to check whether the promised product quality is adhered. Therefore, information on the product is crucial, but on the other hand, extent and content of consumers’ expectation towards that information is unknown. Therefore, the focus of this survey is on consumers’ information search when purchasing a Fair Trade product. A mixed methods approach was applied: Focus group discussions and Information Display Matrix experiments were performed in order to gain insights into consumers’ information preferences and decision making in the case of Fair Trade products. A complementary questionnaire was conducted. Results show that participants search for information quite extensively, with an emphasis on the Fair Trade label, but also information on price, production method and further ethical criteria are important.Keywordsethical consumptioninformation search behaviourInformation Display MatrixIDM