Факторы, влияющие на приобретение «зеленого» молока

Abstract

The presented study explores the nature of factors that facilitate the purchase of “green milk”, which\xa0serves as the most appropriate term for defining environmental and organic milk of animal and vegetable\xa0origin. Aim . The study aims to identify factors that affect the indicators of disposition towards purchasing\xa0green milk. Tasks . By summarizing previous studies, the authors put together a set of factors influencing green\xa0consumer behavior, conduct an empirical assessment of the impact of these factors, and specify the\xa0criteria for facilitating an environmental perception of food products by the consumer. Methods. This study is based on empirical quantitative-qualitative research. Its qualitative section\xa0involves a series of semi-structured interviews aimed at gaining insights. The quantitative section is\xa0processed in IBM SPSS 23.0 using а regression analysis. Alpha level 10 % is chosen as the p-value.\xa0The respondents are selected using the snowball method with allowance for the niche component. Some\xa0respondents are micro-influencers running their own blogs, active on social media, and managing\xa0digital communities. From the age perspective, the respondents include millenials living in the capital\xa0of the Russian Federation (born in 1982-2000, according to V.V. Radaev) [1]. According to Nielsen,\xa0the consumption of organic products by millenials increased by 14 % in 2018, which makes them the\xa0fastest growing consumer segment in the eco-market. Moscow accounts for 70% of the Russian ecomarket\xa0[2]. Based on the above, the examined group of respondents can be regarded as innovators and\xa0early supporters of the emerging green milk market. Results . Literature analysis reveals factors that could potentially affect green consumer behavior.\xa0The constructed regression model shows health concerns to be the main motive for buying green\xa0products. Despite certain difficulties in distinguishing between the terms “ecological” and “organic”\xa0in the context of the topic, it is established that milk (of vegetable and farm origin) can be\xa0both ecological and organic. The majority of consumers of these products are women. The key factors\xa0that consumers pay attention to when choosing environmental or organic food products are ingredients\xa0and eco-labels. Conclusions . Based on the obtained results, marketers working with green products should focus\xa0on their health benefits. Ingredients and eco-labels are the key criteria for identifying a product as\xa0green. Therefore, it is necessary to provide information about the health benefits of the ingredients\xa0on the packaging, and it also advisable to put an eco-label. The results of the study make it obvious\xa0that consumers cannot tell the difference between official and non-official certification marks on\xa0green products. Thus, such words as green, organic, vegan, eco may not increase sales, but will help\xa0define the product as green. When developing a marketing communication strategy, it is necessary\xa0to keep in mind that women are the target audience in most cases. A potential business opportunity\xa0that deserves attention is organic products for men’s health, which will help to differentiate\xa0a new product.