Polymeros Chrysochou

Generation Y Preferences for Wine: An Exploratory Study of the US Market Applying the Best-Worst Scaling

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore differences in wine preferences between Generation Y and older cohorts in the USA.Design/methodology/approach – A total of 260 US consumers participated in a web‐based survey that took place in April 2010. The best‐worst scaling method was applied measuring the level of importance given by participants to a list of most common attributes used in choice of wine. Independent sample t‐tests were applied to compare the best‐worst scores between Generation Y and older cohorts.Findings – Differences were found in the level of importance that Generation Y gives to wine attributes in comparison to older cohorts. Generation Y was found to attach more importance to attributes such as “Someone recommended it”, “Attractive front label” and “Promotional display in‐store”, whereas older cohorts gave more importance to attributes such as “I read about it” and “Grape variety”. This suggests that Generation Y preferences for wine are driven by marketing added‐value activit...

Health claims as communication tools that enhance brand loyalty: The case of low-fat claims within the dairy food category

During the last decade a strong consumer interest has emerged for food products with health protecting or enhancing properties. In this connection, health claims are used as communication tools conveying the health message of a product and further constituting the means of a brands differentiation strategy. Brands carrying a health claim are thus expected to have an advantage over their counterparts. In this study, we aim to investigate whether health claims, with emphasis on the low-fat claims, can act as a means to improve the performance of brands and further enhance their loyalty levels. Based on stated preference data using a purchase intention scale (i.e. Juster Scale), a set of Brand Performance Measures (BPMs) are empirically estimated to describe the market structure of two dairy product categories and their respective sub-categories that were defined according to health-related attributes: (a) fat content; (b) enrichment; and (c) way of processing. Then, the Dirichlet models fit to the empirical data is examined, leading to the theoretical estimation of loyalty measures. Findings suggest that, on average, brands with a low-fat claim perform better in the market compared with their high-fat counterparts. Moreover, in comparison with other health-related attributes the fat content attribute exhibits slightly higher loyalty, signifying the importance of the ‘low-fat’ claim as a means of communication.

An exploration of loyalty determinants in Greek wine varieties

Purpose – This paper aims to provide a deeper understanding of the market structure of Greek red and white wine varieties and to measure the loyalty behaviour of frequent wine buyers in Greece.Design/methodology/approach – The study measures brand performance and loyalty of four different Greek wine varieties. Based on stated preference data, basic brand performance measures are estimated through Juster purchase probabilities of brand choice. To measure loyalty behaviour, the polarisation index φ (phi) is used as a measure to model both loyalty to the brand name and specific wine attributes and their levels.Findings – The findings of the present study point to the conclusion that each one of the four Greek wine varieties under examination exhibits its own market structure and loyalty profile, whereas price, quality certification and winemakers size seem to function as loyalty stimulators more effectively for white wines. Moreover, it is also clear that the (Greek) origin or type of the wine variety per s...

What Drives Greek Consumer Preferences for Cask Wine

Purpose – Cask wine (bag‐in‐box, soft pack) has not received considerable attention in wine marketing research, but interest among winemakers and consumers has been increasing steadily. However, little is known about what drives consumer preferences for cask wine and, furthermore, what the profile of the cask wine consumer is. This study aims at filling this gap.Design/methodology/approach – Based on a web‐based survey, the best‐worst scaling (BWS) method was applied to measure the importance of attributes that Greek consumers assign when choosing cask wine. Then, a latent class clustering analysis based on the importance ratings of the attributes was applied in order to segment the Greek cask wine market.Findings – The most important attributes were found to be price, quality and convenience packaging, whereas brand, grape variety and origin were found to be the least important ones. In relation to structure, the Greek cask wine market was found to consist of four distinct segments that were labelled as ...

Consumer involvement and knowledge influence on wine choice cue utilisation

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the utilisation of product choice cues in a retail environment and the impact of consumer involvement on this utilisation. It further investigates the impact of product knowledge on product choice cue utilisation and its moderating role on the impact of consumer involvement. Design/methodology/approach The case of wine as an exemplary product category is considered, given the importance and variability of choice cues that have been found to affect product choice. Analysis is conducted on survey data from a sample of wine consumers in Ontario, Canada. Product choice cues are grouped into extrinsic, intrinsic and marketing mix. The importance of how these cues are influenced from different dimensions of consumer involvement is illustrated. Findings The results show that product knowledge has a positive impact on intrinsic product cue utilisation and further moderates this relationship improving the predictability of the hypothesised model. Implications for theory and practice are also discussed. Practical implications From an industry viewpoint, the focus in the past has mostly been on using packaging to attract attention/create awareness, create an image of desirability, etc., but not nearly as much on the functionality aspects thereof; for example alternative smaller packaging sizes to the standard 750 ml wine bottle. Originality/value The study uses a multi-dimensional approach to measure the impact of enduring involvement on utilisation of product choice cues.

The impact of product innovation attributes on brand equity

Purpose – This paper aims to examine the impact of product innovation attributes (complexity, relative advantage, compatibility, trialability and observability) on brand equity, and whether these attributes exert a different effect on low- versus high-equity brands. The moderating role of consumer innovativeness in this relationship is investigated further. Design/methodology/approach – The study is based on survey data from users of two brands of digital audio players of different brand equity levels. Findings – Overall, it was found that innovation attributes have an effect on brand equity, and this effect differs between low- and high-equity brands, with a low-equity brand being benefited more than a high-equity brand from perceptions towards a product’s innovation attributes. Additionally, it was found that the impact of complexity and relative advantage on brand equity increases when consumer innovativeness increases in the case of a high-equity brand. However, no significant difference was found bet...

A Retrospective View on Designation of Origin Labeled Foods in Europe

ABSTRACT In the emergence of ethically conscious consumer segments across Europe, the expectation was that foods with a designation of origin–label (DOL) would make a production system of similar logic. Past analysis of the registration history of DOLs showed that the take-up of this European Union (EU) food quality scheme was concentrated in the south, which was attributed to specific food supply-and-demand conditions prevalent in that part of Europe. The authors shed light on DOL product distribution and examine its evolution during a 14-year period (2001–2014). DOLs remain a quality differentiation scheme predominantly for the southern EU agrifood industry. However, the less restrictive requirements for protected geographical indication certification make it a much more popular DOL in northern EU. To promote its food quality policy, the EU must approach the two DOL types differently, as they have a different growth potential among EU countries. DOLs’ specialization in categories with expertise accumulated in specific EU areas can become a DOL promoter across all of Europe.

The impact of product assortment size and attribute quantity on information searches

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the impact of assortment size and attribute quantity on the depth and content of consumer information searches. Design/methodology/approach For a computer-aided experiment using an information display board, participants (n = 393) were placed in a simulated shopping situation that involved choosing a product among three sets of frequently purchased, low-involvement, FMCG alternatives. Findings The findings show that when the assortment size increases, consumers acquire information from more products and cues but sacrifice product attributes. In particular, this sacrifice comes at the expense of secondary product attributes (e.g. nutrition information, country of origin), whereas primary product attributes (e.g. brand name, price) remain constant. Attribute quantity does not have a significant effect on information search. Practical implications Provided that several strategies rely on providing more information to consumers with the aim of making more deliberate and better choices, the findings suggest that they may have a limited effect in product categories in which the assortment size is wide. The authors discuss the implications for category management and public policy. Originality/value Information searches are measured by means of three different variables (searched cues, searched products and searched attributes), which enable a more complex exploration of the consumer information search process.

Consumer Behavior Research Methods

This chapter starts by distinguishing consumer behavior research methods based on the type of data used, being either secondary or primary. Most consumer behavior research studies phenomena that require researchers to enter the field and collect data on their own, and therefore the chapter emphasizes the discussion of primary research methods. Based on the nature of the data primary research methods are further distinguished into qualitative and quantitative. The chapter describes the most important and popular qualitative and quantitative methods. It concludes with an overall evaluation of the methods and how to improve quality in consumer behavior research methods.

Much too new to eat it? Customer value and its impact on consumer-product relationship in the context of novel food products

Purpose The paper aims to address the issue of how customer value is created in the context of novel food products and how customer value influences product evaluation. Design/methodology/approach The study proposes a model formed by a series of causal relations among value (i.e. functional, social, hedonic, altruistic values) and cost perceptions (i.e. price, effort, evaluation costs, performance and product safety), their trade-offs (i.e. overall customer value) and product evaluation outcomes (i.e. satisfaction, trust). Findings Despite doubts about certain search (information), credence (safety) and experience (taste) attributes, perceptions about product quality, likeability and ethical image predominantly formulate customer value, indicating novel products’ potential to be evaluated positively by consumers. Research limitations/implications The proposed model advances knowledge in the context of product innovation. Contrary to past research that focuses on consumer attitudes towards a manufacturing technology and individual technology-specific risks and benefits, the customer value approach refers to novel product-related consumer attitudes conceptualized as overall customer value; the latter results from product-related value-cost trade-offs, leading towards specific consumer–product evaluations. Practical implications The customer value approach refers to the value from the adoption of a new product that underlies a relevant set of product attributes (e.g. quality, image, sustainability, price, convenience, taste, safety, etc.) Focusing on product attributes that generate gain – loss perceptions impactful on consumer – product evaluations is highly relevant for product managers concerned with new product development. Originality/value The originality of this work lies in the successful contextualization and testing of an inclusive model that comprises both emotional and rational components, operational at the product level, to generate substantial insights on the widely unexplored interplay between consumer – perceived customer value and the generation of consumer – product evaluation outcomes.