Attributes of insect food acceptance: Identifying key factors with consumer market segmentation

Lee, Jinha; Bae, Se Jeong

doi:10.1016/j.ijgfs.2023.100702

Cited by 7 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…Food and food service industries can tailor their marketing efforts to better meet the specific needs of different consumer segments, taking into account these sociodemographic characteristics, which allows companies to develop strategies to achieve EI consumer development and adapt pricing and promotion [48].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Edible Insects: Perceptions of Marketing, Economic, and Social Aspects among Citizens of Different Countries

Guiné,

Florença,

Costa

et al. 2023

Foods

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Because edible insects (EI) have been, in recent years, recommended as a nutritious animal protein food with enormous environmental advantages over other sources of animal protein for human consumption, studies aimed at investigating the consumer perspective have become more prominent. Hence, this study intended to examine the perceptions of participants from different countries about the commercialization and economic and social impacts of edible insects. The study was made using a questionnaire survey, and data were collected in Brazil, Croatia, Greece, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Mexico, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, and Turkey. The final number of received answers was 7222 participants. For the treatment of the results, different statistical techniques were used: factor analysis, internal reliability by Cronbach’s alpha, cluster analysis, ANOVA to test differences between groups, and Chi-square tests. The results obtained confirmed the validity of the scale, constituted by 12 out of the 14 items initially considered, distributed by 4 factors: the first related to the economic impact of EIs, the second related to the motivation for consumption of EIs, the third related to the places of purchase of EIs, and the fourth corresponding to a question presented to the participants as a false statement. A cluster analysis allowed identifying three clusters, with significant differences between them according to all the sociodemographic variables tested. Also, it was found that the participants expressed an exceptionally high level of agreement with aspects such as the difficulty in finding EIs on sale, knowledge acting as a strong motivator for EI consumption, and the role of personalities and influencers in increasing the will to consume EIs. Finally, practically all sociodemographic variables were found to be significantly associated with perceptions (country, sex, education, living environment, and income), but not age. In conclusion, the perceptions about EI commercialization were investigated and revealed differences among samples originating from different countries. Moreover, the sociodemographic characteristics of the participants were found to be strongly associated with their perceptions.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Edible Insects: Perceptions of Marketing, Economic, and Social Aspects among Citizens of Different Countries

Guiné,

Florença,

Costa

et al. 2023

Foods

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“…In this sense, segmentation analysis serves as a basis to recognize the heterogeneous array of gastronomy tourists and enable tailored marketing strategies and customized experiences (Lee and Bae, 2023). Uncovering behavioral patterns and distinguishing consumer segments not only simplifies targeting but also highlights the need to align marketing efforts with actual consumer behavior (Franco Lucas et al , 2023; Hsu et al , 2023).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding the gastronomy tourists’ characteristics and perceptions: a cluster analysis of visitors to a creative city of gastronomy

Soonsan,

Thongmun,

Phakdee-auksorn

2024

CBTH

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Purpose The purpose of this study is to identify and understand distinct tourist segments in Phuket, focusing on their characteristics, attitudes and perceptions as visitors to a creative gastronomic destination. Design/methodology/approach In this study, cluster analysis is used to identify tourist segments in Phuket, a well-known United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) gastronomic city. The analysis is based on data collected from 525 domestic Thai tourists. Findings Cluster analysis revealed three distinct tourist segments: gastronomy enthusiasts, taste discoverers and gourmet wanderers. These segments exhibit significant differences in their characteristics and perceptions of Phuket’s gastronomic offerings. Research limitations/implications This study is limited to domestic Thai tourists in Phuket and does not include international visitors. In addition, the findings are specific to the context of Phuket and may not be entirely generalizable to other gastronomic destinations. Practical implications The identified tourist segments provide valuable guidance for tourism professionals to tailor their marketing efforts, develop targeted products and meet the preferences of different gastronomically oriented tourists, contributing to the successful management of a gastronomic city. Originality/value This study contributes to the fields of destination management and gastronomy tourism by providing valuable insights for practitioners seeking to enhance their offerings and consider the preferences of different gastronomically oriented tourist segments. Identifying these segments enriches the understanding of visitor behavior in creative gastronomy cities.

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“…Thus, 31 answers provided us with 34 entries. The calculated percentages showed that above 41% of the respondents said that the cultural norms of the society are crucial when it comes to eating insects (example: Asian countries) [53,54]. Another 20% said that curiosity as a personality trait is very important.…”

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confidence: 99%

Entomophagy—Acceptance or Hesitancy in Romania

Zamfirache

2023

Sustainability

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This study analyzes the attitudes and perceptions of Romanian individuals regarding entomophagy, which is the practice of eating insects, with the explicit purpose of finding out the factors that influence acceptance and hesitancy using a questionnaire with 470 respondents. The study tackles various issues related to insect consumption, current eating habits, shopping habits, culture and tradition, the willingness and curiosity to try new foods, nutritional aspects, environment, knowledge about current events, and sustainability. The acceptance of insects as food, although studied more and more in the last few years, still has more questions than answers. Neophobia is part of the explanation, but so are the cultural determinants. The people who make the decisions could be an important matter, so targeting the decision makers with specific campaigns could make them more open to try new foods. Out of the factors that influence food choices, the top three answers were: taste, whether the food is perceived as healthy or not, and the price, so palatability is the most important aspect. Knowledge is another key factor that has to be improved, as most respondents do not have proper information about the benefits or the positive aspects of eating insects.

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Attributes of insect food acceptance: Identifying key factors with consumer market segmentation

Cited by 7 publications

References 44 publications

Edible Insects: Perceptions of Marketing, Economic, and Social Aspects among Citizens of Different Countries

Edible Insects: Perceptions of Marketing, Economic, and Social Aspects among Citizens of Different Countries

Understanding the gastronomy tourists’ characteristics and perceptions: a cluster analysis of visitors to a creative city of gastronomy

Entomophagy—Acceptance or Hesitancy in Romania

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