Visualization of expressing culinary experience in social network, memetic approach

Abstract

Objectives: The scientific aim of the study was the implementation of the assumptions of tourist experience formation model according to Quan and Wang (2004) in the context of meme theory (i.e. carriers of cultural information, Dawkins, 1976) for evaluation and visualization of the expression of regional cuisine culinary experience by social network users. The quality of culinary service influencing consumer's experience is equal to memetic transmission forming and broadcasting. Such type of transmission is acquired and decoded by consumers for further expression, i.a. through social networks. According to meme theory, the formation and expression of culinary experience is the building of memetic maps described by the frequency of the appearance of certain memes. Data and methods: Research included ten catering facilities, serving dishes of the regional cuisine (Polish, Belarussian, Ukrainian, Lithuanian and Tartar), located in the Podlaskie Voivodeship and having an active profile in Facebook social network. 370 comments were considered from the period between May and September 2016, referring to the contents connected only with the culinary offer of the facilities taken into account. The quantitative and qualitative content analysis was performed. The classification of emotion according to Xu et. al (2015) was used in the semantic decomposition of posted comments. Positive (enjoyment, confidence, safety, positive associations) and negative (dissatisfaction, distrust, anxiety, lack of positive associations) content of posted comments referred to the decor of the inside (mechanic factor), the quality of service (humanic factor) and served dishes (functional factor) were distinguished and analysed (Wall and Berry, 2007).Results: The analysis of the obtained meme maps suggests the presence of positive relationship between presence of memes of holistic enjoyment and enjoyment associated with regional dishes (rS=0.67; p<0,05). Similar relationship was observed between sense of enjoyment as well as the formation of positive associations with regional cuisine (rS=0.67; p<0,05). Expression of anxiety is also highly connected with the negative perception of food quality (rS=0.65; p<0,05). Conclusions: Meme theory is an effective and useful framework for social media content analysis. The study had utilitarian character. Results can be used for the establishment of a system of the recommendation towards improving the quality of regional cuisine culinary services.