Anna M. Turri

Twenty Years of Country-of-Origin Food Labeling Research A Review of the Literature and Implications for Food Marketing Systems

Recent legislation by the United States and European Union governments now mandates the provision of country-of-origin (COO) information at the point of purchase for a variety of meats, fruits, vegetables, and other assorted food products. To better understand the significance of these regulatory changes, two decades of existing COO food labeling research are synthesized, reviewed, and discussed. The implications for two primary sets of actors within aggregate marketing systems, consumers and practitioners, are then discussed from a macromarketing perspective. Based on the reviewed literature, the authors conclude that little generalizable knowledge about COO food labeling effects exists, and further identify a lack of sufficient theoretical application and development as a primary reason. Consequently, the exact impact of mandatory (and voluntary) COO labeling initiatives for consumers and practitioners still remains unclear and highly debatable. Thus, as these initiatives continue to make country-of-origin labeling more commonplace around the world, it is crucial that additional theory-driven research be conducted, especially from a macromarketing perspective, to foster more generalizable knowledge about the complex role of COO information in aggregate food marketing systems.

Determinants of Intentions to Purchase Unhealthy Food and Beverage Options: A Dual-Process Theoretical Perspective

Research evinces that both cognitions and emotions illuminate consumer decision-making processes; however, quantitative examination of such factors concomitantly as antecedents (i.e., dual-process theory) of unhealthy food and beverage purchases is deficient. To address this research fissure, survey data from undergraduate business students (N = 268) at a southwest U.S. university were collected during regularly scheduled classes to help explain corn-fed beef and soft drink purchase processes. Specifically, self-expression via food consumption, organic food brand tribalism, nutrition seeking, attitude toward the corn sweetener industry, and emotional response toward ranchers that raise their cattle on a corn diet, among others, were modeled as determinants of intentions to purchase corn-fed beef and soft drinks. Data collected for this model support dual-process theory in a food and beverage consumption context; mediating factors are also uncovered. Implications and future research directions are offered.

Unhealthy Food and Beverage Consumption: An Investigative Model

Regardless of benefactor—marketer or policy maker—understanding purchase processes of unhealthy food and beverage options would be of value. Yet, quantitative investigation into this domain is not complete; to address this research lacuna, data were collected to help explicate purchase processes for corn-fed beef and soft drinks made with artificial sugar. Specifically, nutrition information usage, organic food brand tribalism, self-esteem, and feelings about shopping smart for healthy food were modeled as chronological determinants of intentions to purchase corn-fed beef and soft drinks. The data collected support this sequential model. Managerial implications and future research directions are discussed.

Consumer perceptions of carbon labeling in print advertising: Hype or effective communication strategy?

Eco-labels are being used more frequently in the marketplace. Recently, carbon-neutral labels have emerged on product packaging and advertisements as a popular form of eco-label. How consumers view these specific labels is of both conceptual and practical interest. Therefore, in a mixed-experimental design building on congruity theory and Deightons two-step model of advertising effectiveness, the authors examine how consumers view the credibility and environmental concern of companies who use these labels, as well as their resulting purchase intentions. A 2(product) × 2(label) × 3(information) mixed design was used to examine consumer perceptions and behavior intentions. Product category (environmentally neutral vs. environmentally harmful) was a within-subjects factor; the presence/absence of the carbon-neutral label and information (positive/negative/control) was both manipulated between-subjects factors. Results show that the presence of a carbon-neutral label in an advertisement, regardless of the type of product, leads to more favorable perceptions of company environmental concern. However, there is a more pronounced increase in consumer perceptions of company environmental concern for an environmentally harmful product than for an environmentally neutral product.

Nostalgia and Astrometry as Precursors of Superstitious Beliefs: An Abstract

Many people espouse superstition, whether individually (e.g., wearing a lucky charm) or collectively (e.g., applying feng shui to the home) as a means for generating favorable life outcomes. Although psychologists acknowledge the value of studying superstition at the personal level (Marques, Leite, & Benvenuti, 2012), marketing scholars have yet to account fully for the antecedents of consumers’ superstitious attitudes and concomitant behaviors (e.g., Fluke, Webster, & Saucier, 2014); this inchoate understanding compromises the efforts of marketing theoreticians, marketing practitioners, and public-policy makers.

Superstition, Astrometry, and Suspension of Disbelief: An Explanatory Model of Risk-Seeking Tendencies—An Abstract

Many people espouse superstition, whether individually (e.g., wearing a lucky charm) or collectively (e.g., applying feng shui to the workplace) as a mechanism for garnering preferred life outcomes. Psychologists acknowledge the value of studying superstition at the personal level; yet our understanding of how superstitious beliefs influence risk-seeking tendencies is incomplete (e.g., Kramer and Block 2008). Drawing from prior research on superstition, astrometry, suspension of disbelief, and risk-seeking, this study applies the experiential consumption theory and ‘magical thinking’ literatures to test a model of risk-seeking tendencies. Because superstition is a joy-filled experiential consumptive practice for many consumers, it influences their behaviors meaningfully (Holbrook et al. 1986).

An Investigative Model to Explain Unhealthy Food and Beverage Purchase Intentions

The competitive food marketing industry is fueled by demands of consumer constituencies to include processed or, alternatively, organic foods and beverages in their diet. Portrayals in the media further distinguish these two views. Linked to the processed food and beverage adherent and particular to our research, corn-fed beef and soft drinks made with artificial sugar offer consumers paltry health benefits. As both corn-fed beef and soft drinks are copiously offered in the food and beverage industry, we use these unhealthy food and beverage options as outcome variables in our proposed model.

Probing Determinants of Intentions to Purchase Processed Foods and Soft Drinks: Explanation Through Mediation

Research shows that both cognitions and emotions illuminate consumer decision-making processes; however, quantitative examination of such factors concomitantly as antecedents (i.e., dual-process theory) of food and beverage purchases is deficient. To address this research fissure, data were collected to help explain processed food and soft drink consumption. Data collected for this model support dual-process theory in a food and beverage consumption context; mediating factors are also uncovered.