<p>Sicilian Wine’s Effect on Consumers’ Identity-Behavioral Intentions: The Mediation Effect of Subjective Norms and Social Activity</p>

Abstract

Wine has a purely symbolic connotation in the eyes of consumers and the market. Therefore, it could lead to a different consideration and perception of buying local wine which could be sensed as a social experience rather than an automatic action. The research aim is to highlight the bond between customers and the product (Sicilian DOC wine) by overcoming the utilitarian limit and showing the social one. This study has the purpose of understanding in depth how individual behavior and social relationships are able to influence people's behavioral intentions which lead to an increase in wine consumption. Methods: The sample was characterized by 302 consumers of Sicilian DOC wine who gave their consent to participate to the research to verify how the social aspects may lead to the behavioral Intentions of purchase. The cross-sectional research has been conducted using an online survey which was available to be filled in by participants from May 2019 to December 2019. Data were analyzed using SPSS. Results: The results show how subjective norms and social activity constitute two crucial dimensions for consumption behavior through mediating the effect of individuals identification with people that tend to choose and consume Sicilian DOC wine (social identity) on the behavioral intention of that product to fulfill their desire. Both indirect effects of social identity on behavioral intentions (IE = 0.04; C.I. = 0.01-0.05; IE = 0.02; C.I. = 0.005-0.03) are significant and mediated by subjective norms and social activity. Conclusion: Social activities and subjective norms influence people's intention to purchase a Sicilian DOC wine for purely social and symbolic purposes.

An Extended Model of the Theory of Planned Behaviour to Predict Local Wine Consumption Intention and Behaviour

“…Subjective norms has also turned out to be a factor that has an influence on local wine consumption intention, coinciding with the findings of the majority of studies that looked into this dimension, such as the work of Capitello et al [30]; St James and Christodoulidou [50], Thompson and Vourvachis [51], van Zanten [52] and Scuderi et al [26].…”

“…In a context related to the purchase of local foods, Shin and Hancer [ 14 ] confirmed how subjective norms are significant predictors of the formation of attitudes towards them, which in turn have an indirect influence on intention to buy. Furthermore, Scuderi et al [ 26 ] studied intention to buy wine on the island of Sicily and confirmed that subjective norms correlate positively with perceived behavioural control. Therefore, in this study on local wine, it is proposed that there is an indirect relationship between subjective norms and local wine consumption intention through attitude towards them and perceived behavioural control.…”

“…The research work carried out in Italy by Scuderi et al [ 26 ] shows how subjective norms are a crucial dimension in consumption behaviour as they measure how individuals identifying with people who tend to choose and consume Sicilian wine affects behavioural intention to consume this beverage. Therefore, it is supposed that if subjective norms relating to wine determine an individual’s consumption intention, they will also do so with local wine, and so the following hypothesis has been made:…”

“…This theory continues to be one of the most popular socio-psychological models used to understand and predict human behaviour [28] and has been successfully applied to behavioural studies of local product consumption [14,29], wine consumption [30,31] and local wine consumption [25,26].…”

“…According to Hollebeek, Jaeger, Brodie and Balemi [ 20 ], Jaeger, Mielby, Heymann, Jia and Frost [ 21 ] and Yang and Paladino [ 22 ], where the wine comes from is among the most important selection criteria, which is why this work has focused on wine as a local product. It has been verified that research has been carried out in this area in different parts of the world based on the TPB or variables thereof, in order to study the intention to purchase and consume local wine [ 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 ].…”