Consumer Beliefs Research Articles

New York State dairy veterinarians’ perceptions of antibiotic use and resistance: A qualitative interview study

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) limits the ability to prevent and treat infection, making AMR one of the foremost threats to human and animal health. Animal agriculture’s large use of antibiotics in food animals is an important factor in AMR. As such, policies to reduce antibiotic use and combat AMR in animal agriculture in the United States (US) have been in place or are developed. One key to the success of these policies in the US is understanding how a major stakeholder - veterinarians treating dairy cattle - perceive the scale of antibiotic use, the threat of AMR and the utility of antibiotic use policies. We interviewed 9 dairy veterinarians in New York State and conducted an iterative thematic analysis of their responses, through which five themes were identified: 1. veterinarians’ views of the frequency and reasons for antibiotic misuse, 2. their ideas on reducing antibiotic use, 3. perceptions of AMR within the dairy industry, 4. view of organic farming and how it relates to animal welfare, and 5. the impact of consumers’ beliefs on the dairy industry. Participants viewed antibiotic overuse as largely due to farmers’ concern for the welfare of their cattle and desire to treat ailments swiftly. Interviewees believed that it was possible to reduce antibiotic use through regulation, such as the Veterinary Feed Directive and improved herd management activities, such as better colostrum management, culture-based mastitis treatment, and improved housing conditions. They did not view the dairy industry as a significant contributor to AMR, particularly when compared to the human medical industry. Interviewees also offered their (unsolicited) opinion on organic dairy farming in the US and expressed frustration with the limited treatment options available in organic dairy farming and how this dynamic may potentially compromise animal welfare. Finally, they commented on the impact of consumers’ beliefs on the dairy industry, expressing frustration with how misinformation about the dairy industry has led to consumer driven changes. As consumer beliefs have an impact on the dairy industry, this influence could be leveraged to further decrease antibiotic use. These findings can help guide future efforts in veterinarian-client communication and the development and implementation of effective policies in New York State. These results also highlight the need for more quantitative research on antibiotic use in the dairy industry, as without this data it will be difficult to ascertain the true impact of policy interventions.

Sharing Leftover Food with Strangers via Social Media: A Value Perspective Based on Beliefs-Values-Behavior Framework

An emergent effort to reduce wasted food is to share uneaten food with others via social media. However, the following question arises: Are those unknown people willing to take my leftovers? Few studies address the above question. Hence, developing a comprehensive model that explains the acceptance of leftover food from strangers (LFFS) via social media warrants research attention. Considering the dual roles LFFS recipients play—namely, both peer-to-peer (P2P) technology user and service consumer—the study embraces diverse motivational factors across research disciplines to explain LFFS acceptance. Drawing on technology and marketing research, the study develops a value-based model to investigate consumer acceptance of LFFS via social media. The study examines the effects of two prominent consumers’ beliefs (cognitive interaction and affective trust) on their context-specific value perception (conditional and epistemic values) toward LFFS, and the impact of these perceived values on the acceptance of the leftover food from strangers. The study employed a two-stage data collection approach and collected 663 usable questionnaire packets from two major metropolitan areas in Taiwan. Using a Structural Equation Model (IBM SPSS Amos) to analyze the data, the results indicate that trust and interactivity relate positively to consumer perceived value (both conditional and epistemic) of LFFS. Furthermore, both conditional and epistemic values mediate the relationships between the proposed consumer beliefs and LFFS acceptance. The research helps create a sustainable society as sharing uneaten food with other unknown social community members provides a connected, diverse, and sustainable life.

The role of production method information on sensory perception of smoked salmon—A mixed-method study from Denmark

Product information is capable of steering the consumers’ expectation formation process. Therefore, this paper aims to investigate whether information on production method influence consumers’ preference and liking of smoked salmon. A consumer test was conducted among 92 consumers to determine liking of the smoked salmon on a 7-point hedonic scale before (blind) and after (informed) receiving information about production method (organic, conventional and wild-caught). Further, two explanatory focus group discussions (n = 5 in each group) were conducted to determine consumers’ belief on production method.A linear mixed-effects model analysis indicated that the consumer overall liking of wild-caught smoked salmon significantly increased after production method information was provided, while regarding organic and conventional smoked salmon no significant difference was noted. Post hoc test indicated that organic smoked salmon was significantly more liked than wild-caught smoked salmon (mean difference ± standard error: 0.652 ± 0.19, p < 0.01) in blind condition, however, between organic and conventional smoked salmon no significant difference was noted (-0.032 ± 0.19, p = 0.983). Further, in informed condition, organic smoked salmon was significantly more liked than conventional smoked salmon (0.50 ± 0.19, p < 0.05), however, between organic and wild-caught smoked salmon no significant difference was noted (0.228 ± 0.19, p = 0.452). Relative importance analysis results suggest that liking of taste was the most important contributor (26.84%) to smoked salmon overall liking (p < 0.05, R2 = 74.17%). Focus group discussion revealed that consumer beliefs related to food safety, animal welfare and sustainability as well as purchasing habits seem to influence smoked salmon preferences.Thus, organic aquaculture sector should focus on promoting consumer beliefs by providing reliable information based on scientific evidences that helps differentiates their products with that of conventional and wild-caught smoked salmon. Future studies might investigate other fish species to better understand the role of product method information on consumer preference and liking of fish.

Color and Marbling as Predictors of Meat Quality Perception of Argentinian Consumers.

In Argentina, color and intramuscular fat are the main attributes of raw beef quality; however, it is necessary to clarify how consumers use them, in order to establish different marketing strategies. Consumer preferences are affected by multiple factors. Thus, the objective of the present study was to identify the Argentinian consumer’s choice behavior regarding beef color and fat content. An online survey was carried out in Argentina. It inquired about socio-demographic characteristics, purchase and consumption habits and beliefs, showing pictures related to color, marbling and the amount of fat. Choice behavior was evaluated by asking why consumers chose a particular picture out of the ones shown. Several Kruskal–Wallis tests evaluated the different hypotheses. Three different decision trees using the CHAID analysis method were created. Multifactorial analysis was carried out for clustering consumers. Regarding consumer beliefs, 90% of the respondents agreed with the sentence, “The two main characteristics defining beef quality at purchase time are meat color and marbling”. Socio-demographic characteristics affected purchase habits and beliefs; they also affected perceptions about meat color and marbling. It was possible to build three consumer groups for future marketing strategies: “hedonic” focused on a pleasing sensory experience, “appearance” prioritized the visual aspects, and the “health-conscious” consumers were interested in their healthy nutrition.

Exploring and explaining older consumers' behaviour in the boom of social media

AbstractThe growing number of ageing consumers and their increasingly active engagement in social media platforms present a great opportunity for digital marketing to the grey market. However, the potential of this segment has been underrated by both marketers and marketing scholars. The empirical belief of senior consumers' technological illiteracy somewhat discourages industrial and academic approaches to seeking the answer to some critical questions such as what older consumers think about social media‐based advertising, influencers, or peer communications. Thus, this study aims to explore and explain older consumers' social media‐related behaviour through (a) delving into motives behind their frequently used social media site(s), (b) investigating older consumers' purchase behaviour aspects (i.e., determinant(s) to purchase decisions, favoured shopping modes), (c) discovering what senior consumers think about social media‐based advertising, influencers, and peer communications, and (d) evaluating the impact of social media on older consumers' purchase behaviour. Five key themes emerging from the adopted qualitative approach are (1) Facebook predominance, (2) Scepticism, (3) Price sensitivity, (4) Asymmetric social influences, and (5) Favoured physical store shopping. Each finding is demonstrated in a detailed causal explanation. Academic contributions and implications for social media marketers are highlighted and discussed.

Customer Attitude towards the Purchase Behavior of Green Apparel Products Consumers; with Special Reference to the Sri Lankan Government University Students

Aims: People are steadily more attentive to unsustainable consumption patterns due to severe environmental issues in the world. The study examines the factors that may affect the attitude towards green apparel products with particular reference to Sri Lankan university students’ families and analyze the attitude that affects green apparel products' purchasing behavior.&#x0D; Methodology: Three hundred and eighty complete questionnaires were used to analyze the study. Descriptive statistics and simple and multiple regression analysis utilized for data analysis of the study. Three independent variables, namely environmental apparel knowledge, environmental consumer beliefs, and subjective norms, except the environmental apparel knowledge, shows a positive significant effect on green products' attitudes.&#x0D; Results and Conclusions: Moreover, the study shows a positive impact on the attitude to purchase green apparel products. Producers should consider changes in the unsustainable consumption pattern of the young generation.

‘Health Halo’: A new opportunity for Organic Food in COVID upsurge

Purpose- In order to find out the health impact of organic food, this paper is a systematic review of prevalent literature that summarizes the health implications of organic food vs. non-organic food or conventional food on human health. With the upsurge in COVID cases globally, the demand for organic food has increased over the years. People have shifted toward organically grown food perceiving it to be healthy and safe for consumption which is also claimed to be an immunity booster. This paper not only underlines the health benefits of organic food but is also an attempt to find out the health halo if any behind such formed conventions and beliefs. Design/Method/Approach- The paper draws its knowledge from published work in reliable sources and attempts to understand the beliefs of organic food consumers. Findings- It was found that the people living in developed cities in India are aware of the prevalent benefits of consuming organic food products. They not only prefer organic food products but also consider them safe. Many states of India are working towards achieving the aim of getting 100% organic in the coming years. Various owners of supermarkets in India have witnessed a 30-40% increase in the sales of organic food in the last two years. Research Gap- Clinical research is required to further validate the claimed health benefits by medical professionals.

The impact of new technologies on consumers beliefs: Reducing the perceived risks of electric vehicle adoption

Consumers who decide to adopt complex, radically innovative products simultaneously can hold very different belief structures that, for example, capture concern for future losses, and beliefs of future gains, as well as the desire to coalesce with referents. This research develops a model of how consumers decide their next electrified vehicle. Based on the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) and Risk-Benefit Models, the electric vehicle (EV) purchase decision is modeled as primarily based on beliefs of the perceived benefits and the perceived risks of technology adoption and social influences. Further, beliefs of a manufacturer's expertise and trustworthiness were found to reduce consumer risk concerns and strengthen consumer conviction that the benefits of technology were attainable. Structural equation modeling of survey data confirm the proposed consumer decision model, and our contention that technology adoption can be better understood by specifically exploring discordant consumer beliefs of the post-purchase consequences. The results of our research provide a new understanding of salient consumer risk and benefit beliefs when consumers face new technologies that represent a paradigm shift. Results also provide insight for technology firms that need to constantly develop new strategic marketing actions designed to increase demand for their complex technological products.

Consumer trust in the dairy value chain in China: The role of trustworthiness, the melamine scandal, and the media

This study provides a deep insight into Chinese consumer trust in the Chinese dairy value chain, as a lack of trust due to the 2008 melamine scandal has been widely recognized as a barrier to the development of the domestic dairy industry in China. Based on face-to-face interviews with 954 Chinese consumers in Beijing, Shanghai, and Shijiazhuang, this study measured consumer trust in farmers, manufacturers, retailers, the government, and third parties. Consumer trust was studied by measuring the effect of beliefs on the trustworthiness of actors (i.e., competence, benevolence, integrity, credibility, and openness), and current experiences regarding the melamine scandal and the media. The results showed that the level of trust in dairy chain actors varied. The government and third parties were relatively highly trusted, whereas retailers were considered less trustworthy. The importance of consumer beliefs about trustworthiness are different among actors. Consumer belief of competence determines trust in farmers and manufacturers. For retailers, the government, and third parties, respectively, benevolence, credibility, and openness are the most important factors. Trust in dairy chain actors is still strongly negatively affected by current experiences regarding the melamine scandal, even though it occurred more than 10 years ago. Using social media to directly provide more information and establish continuous daily communication with consumers could help manufacturers and third parties to strengthen consumer trust.

Energy-Related Behaviour of Consumers from the Silesia Province (Poland)—Towards a Low-Carbon Economy

The issue of energy behaviour among Polish consumers, and especially the motives and attitudes they manifest, is relatively under-researched. This article attempts to identify individual attitudes and beliefs of energy consumers using the example of the residents of the province of Silesia (Poland). The authors conducted the expert segmentation of respondents in terms of their motivation for saving energy, based on the results of their proprietary survey. The second stage of the study involved using a classification model that allowed for the characterisation of the obtained groups. Psychological and financial factors were of greatest significance, which is confirmed by the results of other studies. Nonetheless, the obtained results explicitly indicate the specificity of the region, which requires transformation towards a low-emission economy. Despite the initial stage of changes both in the awareness of the consumers and the public interventions of the authorities, it should be emphasized that a majority of the respondents—at least to a basic extent—declared taking energy-saving measures. Financial motives are predominant among the respondents, although pro-environmental motives can also be noticed, which might translate into increased involvement and concern for the environment and climate.

The Quality and Health-Promoting Value of Meat from Pigs of the Native Breed as the Effect of Extensive Feeding with Acorns.

Simple SummaryModern society is paying more attention to the quality of meat and its production system. Therefore, in this study, we analyzed the possibility of using a native pig breed—Złotnicka Spotted. This breed’s popularity has increased in Poland as it may be a good source of valuable meat. Compared to the meat frompigs of the same breed following intensive fattening, the meat from free-range pigs extensively fed on silage and small amounts of acorns is characterized by a higher content of fat, which acts as a carrier for flavor and, indirectly, juiciness. Moreover, rearing systems with traditional feeding, e.g., with the use of acorns, may have a positive effect on meat quality, dietetic value, and, therefore, consumer acceptance of the product.The popularity of meat from animals of native breeds is growing all over the world, due to consumer belief regarding its higher quality compared to meat from industrial farm animals. In addition, the living conditions (welfare) are of great importance for consumers. We observed the effect of different ways of keeping and feeding pigs of the same conservative breed on the quality of meat and its health benefits. The aim of the study was to compare the meat quality from pigs of the native Złotnicka Spotted breed, fattened intensively or extensively (with conventional farm-produced compound feed and acorns). The meat from free-range pigs extensively fed on silage and small amounts of acorns was characterized by a higher content of fat, which acts as a carrier for flavor and juiciness, as well as higher monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) content (p ≤ 0.05) and lower atherogenic, thrombogenic, and peroxidability indices (p ≤ 0.05). It may be stated that the meat quality of the native pig breed is significantly dependent on the housing and feeding method. A more beneficial effect on the quality of meat and its dietetic value, as well as its susceptibility to rancidity, can be obtained throughextensive pig feeding with roughage and the addition of acorns.

FACTORS DETERMINING BRAND RESONANCE OF APPLE IPHONE

Building brand resonance in a competitive market can play an active role in the modern marketing arena. It is now widely acknowledged by companies and business enterprises that strong brand resonance will create a competitive advantage in the marketplace that will enhance their overall reputation and credibility.Brand resonance depends on a systematic understanding of the company’s consumers, competitors, and marketing environment. Brand resonance is based on appropriate identity that needs to reflect the marketing strategy and the firm’s willingness to invest in the programs needed for the brand to live up to its promise as well as commitment to consumers. Strong brands take pleasure in consumer loyalty, the possibility to charge premium prices, and extensive brand power to hold up new product and service launches. Companies and business enterprises need to have careful as well as systematic understanding of consumer beliefs, behaviors, product or service characteristics as well as attributes and rivals.The continuous technological innovation creates a competitive scenario where brand loyalty is nullified with the uninterrupted inflow of competitive product varieties and models and the brand resonance effect in terms of relationship that a consumer has with the product and the extent to which consumers feel that they are in „sync‟ with the brand gets alleviated. Brand resonance refers to the nature of heightened brand-centric relationships and is characterized by intense psychological attachment with a brand as well as active, volitional behavior directed toward the brand's benefit.Mobile Users are very interested and eager to purchase Applei phone. This research is analysed the customer perception towards applei phone.

Seeding the Herd: Pricing and Welfare Effects of Social Learning Manipulation

This paper is motivated by the recent emergence of various interference tactics employed by sellers attempting to manipulate social learning. We revisit the classic model of observational social learning and extend it to allow for (i) asymmetric information on product value between the seller and the consumers and (ii) the ability of the seller to “seed” the observational learning process with a fake purchase, in an attempt to manipulate consumer beliefs. We examine the interaction between social learning manipulation and equilibrium market outcomes as well as the impact of antimanipulation measures aimed at detecting and punishing misconduct. The analysis yields three main insights. First, we show that increasing the intensity of antimanipulation measures can have unintended consequences, often inducing higher levels of manipulation as well as higher equilibrium prices. Second, we find that although measures of high intensity can completely deter misconduct, such measures do not lead to any improvement in either seller or consumer payoffs, relative to the case where no measures are present. Third, we demonstrate that in many cases, measures of intermediate intensity can leverage seller manipulation to simultaneously improve both seller and consumer payoffs. This paper was accepted by Jayashankar Swaminathan, operations management.

Dilemma of quality information disclosure in technology licensing

This study investigates the technology licensing decision of an incumbent patentor with quality-improving technology in duopoly model with heterogenous consumers, and quality information disclosure strategies of the patentor and the licensee that compete in quantity. A patentor is faced with a dilemma whether to disclose product quality information to consumers when technology licensing occurs and whether to encourage the licensee to disclose its quality information. While few scholars study the quality information disclosure in the background of technology licensing, these problems are of importance for the technology licensing because the disclosure decision can significantly influence the consumer belief about product quality and generate different effects on patentor's profitability. We find that the patentor can benefit from choosing information disclosure strategies. Under per-unit royalty licensing, we show that the patentor may choose not to disclose its quality information but encourage the licensee to disclose quality information. However, we find, under fixed fee licensing, when the disclosure cost is sufficiently low and quality difference is not large, only a large prior probability of the product being of high-quality can motivate the choice that the patentor disclose information and require the licensee to disclose. Interestingly, our results also suggest that per-unit royalty licensing leads to more information disclosure and higher profits than fixed-fee licensing. Our work identifies the optimal conditions under which the patentor can deal with the dilemma in quality information disclosure, proposes decision support tools in evaluating the values of quality information disclosure, and provides new management insights in quality disclosure strategy under technology licensing.

What do Australian health consumers believe about commercial advertisements and testimonials? a survey on health service advertising

BackgroundThere has been little examination of consumer attitudes towards the commercial advertising of healthcare services in Australia and how marketing is used by consumers in their health decision-making. In this research, we examined how consumers reported commercial advertising helped them to understand the health services available to them and the influence that marketing had upon their choices.MethodsA survey instrument using a Likert scale to indicate agreement or disagreement with 21 questions was developed using qualitative interviews before being distributed online within Australia. Sampling of participants was stratified by age, gender and location. The results were subjected to statistical analysis with Spearman Rank Correlation test being used for bivariate analysis.ResultsOne thousand five hundred sixty-four complete surveys were collected. The results revealed certain consumer beliefs, for example; the title of ‘Dr’ was believed to indicate skill and high levels of training (81.0%), with 80.3% agreeing incorrectly that use of the title was strictly regulated. Participants reported to have a higher confidence in their own abilities (71.2%) than the public (52.8%) in assessing health advertising. The level of self-confidence increased with higher education level and decreased by age (p < 0.05). Testimonials were reported to be lacking in reliability (67.7%) and that they should not be used in healthcare in the same manner as they are used in other industries. Only 44.8% of participants reported that they felt confident to spot a review that was not written by a genuine user of a service.ConclusionsThe data demonstrated that many health consumers felt that while commercial health advertising was helpful, it was also confusing, with many participants also holding mistaken beliefs around other elements of commercial health advertising. While the advertising of healthcare services might have educational effects and be superficially empowering, advertising is primarily intended to sell, not educate. This research demonstrates that there is significant potential for healthcare advertising to mislead. Future developments in regulatory health advertising policy, and the related ethical frameworks developed by professional healthcare associations, need to consider how the consumers of healthcare services might be better protected from misleading and predatory advertising practices.

Is Sustainability a Liability? Green Marketing and Consumer Beliefs about Eco-Friendly Products

Is Sustainability a Liability? Green Marketing and Consumer Beliefs about Eco-Friendly Products

A study on Emerging Trends of Salvaging Green Marketing

Purpose: In the present scenario, marketers are concerned about the environment which has been highlighted in many areas of life. The influence of elements of the green marketing mix using tools like eco-label, eco-brand, green pricing and environmental advertisement which raise awareness and encourage positive change in consumption behaviour have been analysed. Design/methodology/approach: This descriptive research has been conducted with the help of data collected from research articles, annual reports, various books, journals and periodicals etc. Findings: Because it is still in its infancy, the concept of green marketing needs to evolve. Various eco-studies have been conducted in order to improve customer behaviour and decision-making. This document recommends a number of improvements that can be implemented in the future. Contribution: The study will make theoretical contributions, such as a consumer perception definition and green marketing. It will offer some conceptual underpinning for the current situation while also introducing new elements. It will also point to a new horizon for environmental awareness. Practical implications: This study emphasises the crucial importance of changing one's mentality while designing consumer awareness programmes and identifying opportunities for customers to be directly involved in the process. Importantly It also provides a direction that marketers may utilise as a foundation for subsequent improvement. It also suggests that having clear objectives in terms of customer knowledge and the influence of green marketing on decision-making is beneficial. Originality/value: The study analyzes the existing literature &amp; research on the customer behaviour &amp; decision-making process and provides a research-based road map for improving further. Key words: Green Marketing, Green Product, Consumer Beliefs, Environmental Advertisement, Eco-brand

Assessment of the Public Acceptance and Utilization of Renewable Energy in Pakistan

The acceptance of renewable energy technologies is a complicated and multifaceted process influenced by a broad range of factors. Therefore, this study aims to examine the factors influencing consumer intention to utilize renewable energy (RE). Moreover, the current research highlights the factors that encourage or discourage consumers from utilizing RE by expanding the structural context of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) by integrating three new considerations (the perception of self-effectiveness, beliefs about the benefits of RE, and perception about neighbor participation). The data used for analysis were collected from 351 households in four large cities, including Rawalpindi, Lahore, Gujranwala, and Faisalabad, in Pakistan. We utilized the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) approach to check the relationship between constructs and latent variables. The results reveal that the driving factors, i.e., the perception of self- effectiveness, awareness, and perception about neighbor participation have significant and positive effects on consumer intention to utilize RE. However, consumer beliefs related to the cost of RE utilization have a negative effect on their intention to utilize RE. More interestingly, it was observed that beliefs about the benefits of RE and environmental concern have insignificant effects. The outcomes of this study can assist policy makers, experts and consumers in understanding renewable energy consumption and gaining awareness about environmental problems while simultaneously improving environmental sustainability practices.

The Role of Consumer Uncertainty in Trademark Law: An Experimental and Theoretical Investigation

Nearly every important issue in trademark litigation turns on the question of what consumers in the marketplace subjectively believe to be true. To address this question, litigants frequently present consumer survey evidence, which can play a decisive role in driving the outcomes of disputes. But trademark survey evidence has proven to be highly controversial, not least because it is notoriously prone to expert manipulation. In this Article, we identify and present empirical evidence of a related, but more fundamental problem with trademark survey evidence: while all the leading survey formats in trademark law test for whether consumers hold a particular belief, they do not test for the strength or the varying degrees of certainty with which consumers hold that belief. In short, by treating the question of consumer beliefs as essentially binary, the formats do not test for belief strength. Yet as the social science literature has long recognized, the strength with which consumers hold particular beliefs shapes their behavior in the marketplace, and thus it should also shape, we believe, how trademark disputes play out in the courtroom. Through a series of experiments using the three leading trademark survey formats (the so-called Teflon, Eveready, and Squirt formats), we show the remarkable degree to which these formats as conventionally designed overlook—or suppress—crucial information about consumer uncertainty. We further demonstrate how a low-cost, easily-administered, and relatively simple modification in these formats can reveal that information. We discuss both the practical and theoretical implications of our findings. As a practical matter, trademark survey evidence that shows only weakly-held beliefs (or that does not even test for belief strength) should not, without more, satisfy a litigant’s burden of persuasion on the issue addressed by the survey. Furthermore, in line with courts’ growing efforts in intellectual property cases to tailor injunctive relief, survey evidence showing only weakly-held mistaken beliefs may provide courts with the opportunity to fashion more limited forms of relief short of an outright injunction. As a theoretical matter, we explain how trademark survey formats that reveal the true extent of consumer uncertainty in the marketplace may finally force trademark law and policy to confront normative questions it has long left unanswered going to exactly what kind of harm trademark law is meant to forestall.

Low-calorie sweeteners in the human diet: scientific evidence, recommendations, challenges and future needs. A symposium report from the FENS 2019 conference.

Abstract