Summary
The proposed study will focus on developing the most effective marketing strategies for vegan food promotion. In particular, the study will attempt to elicit consumer perceptions of vegan food and veganism in order to establish the potential ways of increasing the attractiveness of vegan food. So far, the research was primarily focused on consumer perceptions of vegan, plant-based, and organic products (Pilař et al., 2018; Possidónio et al., 2021; Raggiotto, Mason and Moretti, 2018, Jallinoja, Vinnari and Niva, 2020). Therefore, the vegan food marketing problem deserves new research to create a bridge between consumer perceptions and the actual marketing strategies that meet consumer expectations. As such, the background of the problem has been provided — the focus will now be shifted to the problem statement.
Problem Statement
It goes without saying that for vegan food companies, the ideal situation presupposes their stable growth and development on the basis of efficient marketing strategies that address customer perceptions of their products and increase their related purchasing intentions. However, in the present day, the promotion of vegan products faces certain misunderstanding, predominantly associated with veganism as an all-or-nothing lifestyle concept. As a result, a meat-eating population that may be attracted by vegan products as an option for a more healthy lifestyle is ignored. At the same time, the assessment of their perceptions of organic products may contribute to the development of more comprehensive end effective marketing strategies for the promotion of vegan food for all population groups, including meat-eaters.
The study intends to develop practical recommendations for business owners based on broad-scale consumer perceptions of vegan food. First of all, this necessity is determined by the global growth of the vegan food market as shown in Figure 1. This data demonstrates its continuous and stable development – thus, business owners should consider efficient market strategies for the attraction of customers. In turn, Figure 2 demonstrates people’s growing interest to veganism and vegan food. In other words, more and more people are searching for information about vegan food, creating companies’ necessity to address their requests efficiently to remain competitive.
So far, scholarly studies mainly focus on analyzing consumer perceptions of vegan food without addressing a broader population. For instance, Ghaffari et al. (2022) explored consumer motivations for adopting a vegan diet. Consumers motivations in relation to the reduction of meat intake and becoming a vegan were also assessed by Mintel, a leading market intelligence agency, and its results are represented in Figure 3. Bryant (2019) examined consumers’ attitudes toward vegetarian and vegan diets. Detailed marketing strategies were proposed for other product types, such as cultured meat (CUME) (Siddiqui et al., 2022). All in all, the majority of studies address the promotion of organic products for a target audience that includes vegans, while other consumers remain non-emphasized. In turn, the investigation of the ways of how man-eaters as well as vegans perceive vegan food allows to adapt marketing strategies and determine the uniqueness of the current research.
In this regard, the problem lies in developing specific marketing strategies for vegan food promotion based on consumer perceptions related to this product type. Given this focus, the study intends to create general knowledge for local business owners in the vegan food segment. The knowledge gap lies in the lack of understanding of local consumers’ perceptions of vegan products, including customers who do not view veganism as their lifestyle, and vegan food is regarded as an option rather than necessity. Meanwhile, a considerable part of existing studies investigates the efficiency of vegan food promotion only from the perspective of people who are less affected by the power of this promotion in this field. By closing this gap, the study will help business owners market vegan products more effectively.
Relevant Background Literature
Background literature offers a wide selection of definitions and theoretical models suitable for the proposed research. Phua, Jin, and Kim (2020a) utilize the concept of vegan motivations — the individual’s reason for following vegan dietary patterns. Pilař, Kvasničková Stanislavská, and Kvasnička (2021) explained veganism via the social network theory, where the consumers’ social environment significantly influences the food selection process and shopping behavior. Beacom, Bogue, and Repar (2021) applied the user segmentation approach to plant-based product (PBP) marketing, which utilized PBP consumption as a behavioral variable. Miguel, Coelho, and Bairrada (2020) based their study on the theory of planned behavior that acknowledges the existence of a positive correlation between motivational factors and the consumers’ attitudes and actions. Several studies examined the impact of product descriptors and visuals, such as labeling and packaging, on consumers’ attitudes toward PBP and vegan products (Sucapane, Roux and Sobol, 2021; Noguerol et al., 2021). These models and concepts provide a solid theoretical foundation for the proposed research, as they help identify two primary dimensions of the study — outside influence on consumers’ perceptions of vegan products and consumers’ internal motivations. In addition, these models support existing marketing strategies for vegan food promotion based on the emphasis of organic products’ benefits for health, lifestyle, and the environment.
In addition, several academic articles offer insight into constructing a convenient, reliable, and accurate research design for revealing consumer perceptions. Some studies utilized content analysis in order to highlight the main themes in consumer perceptions about vegan, plant-based, and organic products (Tosun et al., 2020, Pua, Jin and Kim, 2020b, Cooper et al., 2022). In particular, content analysis will help identify the most important factors in local consumers’ journey, which will provide the necessary empirical basis for marketing strategies. Surveys by Braunsberger and Flamm (2019) and Polleau and Biermann (2021) may serve as fine examples of survey items and interview questions used in determining consumer perceptions. Additionally, seminal articles by Tynan and McKechnie (2009), Karpen, Bove and Lukas (2012), Vargo (2009), and Merz, He and Vargo (2009) propose a Service-Dominant logic of marketing as a promotion strategy for innovative products which views consumer journey as a holistic experience rather than a choice based on product characteristics alone. In addition, the authors view the nature of value creation as a network-with-and-within-network one when customers become active participants in this process (Karpen, Bove and Lukas, 2012; Vargo, 2009). Therefore, the proposed study will attempt to use the perceptions of vegan food in order to set a path toward a satisfying holistic experience for the potential local consumers. Overall, the proposed research will be primarily based on social networks and planned behavior theories in order to determine external and internal factors influencing the consumers’ journey, respectively. The ultimate vegan product marketing strategies will be tailored to the local consumers’ perceptions and experiences related to vegan food, which aligns with the Service-Dominant logic of marketing.
Conceptual Framework
The research paper will utilize the social network theory as the primary conceptual framework. In general, this theory emphasizes the importance of network ties and their impact on people’s actions and decisions (Akar and Dalgic, 2018; Cote, 2019). According to Pilař, Kvasničková Stanislavská, and Kvasnička (2021), the food selection process and dietary decisions are significantly affected by the consumers’ social network, including friends and shopping environment. In this regard, consumer perceptions about vegan food and the vegan dietary pattern will likely be impacted by the social network of the research participants. Hence, the theory will be applied to the study in relation to its methodology. In particular, the semi-structured interview questions will be tailored to elicit as much information on the respondents’ social networks and shopping environments as possible to determine their connection with purchasing decisions. In turn, this information will become instrumental in creating practical marketing strategies for vegan food promotion.
Secondly, the research will rely on the theory of planned behavior. This theory posits that motivational factors impact behaviors and attitudes, directly moderating the amount of effort and resources individuals spend to achieve certain goals or outcomes (Miguel, Coelho and Bairrada, 2020). Moreover, behavior is determined by particular intentions predicted by perceived control over, attitudes toward, and subjective norms related to behavior (Sussman and Gifford, 2019). Multiple studies support the application of this theory for the explanation of consumption decisions and food purchases (Giampietri et al., 2018). Regarding the vegan food subject, consumer behavior may likely be planned by motivational factors related to health and ethics domains. In a broader sense, the consumers’ decision to purchase vegan food or adopt a vegan dietary pattern may likely be guided by two separate sets of factors. The more self-centered factors will likely revolve around personal health benefits, whereas the altruistic factors will probably consider such themes as animal welfare and environmental concerns. The theory will be applied to the structure and content of interviews as well as they will attempt to discover the dominant factors shaping the consumers’ attitudes toward vegan food. On the basis of these factors, marketing strategies will be introduced.
Lastly, the research will be guided by the concept of product descriptors and visuals. In particular, the interviews will elicit information on consumers’ perceptions of healthy products in terms of labeling and packaging, considering their power to affect consumer purchasing decisions (Popovic, Bossink and van der Sijde, 2019; Waheed, Khan and Ahmad, 2018). Such information will become a valuable addition to vegan food marketing strategies, especially in regard to effective product labeling, description, and promotion. Overall, the proposed research will aim to explore the social and behavioral domains of consumers’ psychology and utilize acquired information to construct effective marketing strategies for companies in the vegan food segment. The consumer perceptions, attitudes, and motivations revealed through the interviews will be used to shape the outlines of effective vegan food promotion strategies in the local market.
Main Research Questions and Sub Research Questions
Main research question: What marketing strategies are the most effective for vegan food promotion?
Answering the main research question would require mapping the consumer perceptions of vegan food. According to the conceptual framework explained in the previous section, this task will be accomplished by analyzing the consumers’ answers through the lens of the social network and planned behavior theories. In addition, one must evaluate the role of product descriptors and visuals in order to outline comprehensive marketing strategies and propose the most effective practical solutions for vegan food promotion. As such, finding an answer to the main research question will require answering three sub-questions related to respective parts of the conceptual framework.
Sub research question #1: How strong is the impact of social networks on consumer perceptions of vegan food?
Finding an answer to the first sub research question will make it possible to evaluate the influence of consumers’ social environment on their perceptions of vegan food.
Sub research question #2: Which self-centered and altruistic factors are most powerful in shaping the consumers’ attitudes toward vegan food?
Answering the second sub research question will help determine the influence of self-centered (i.e., personal health benefits and spiritual beliefs) and altruistic (i.e., animal welfare and environment protection) factors on consumers’ attitudes toward vegan food.
Sub research question #3: What is the influence of product descriptors and visuals on consumer perceptions of vegan food?
Finally, answering the third sub research question will help determine the exact importance of descriptors and visuals in shaping the consumers’ perceptions of vegan products. In the end, the information obtained once all three sub research questions are answered will make it possible to set priorities and define the most effective marketing strategies for vegan food promotion. In this regard, answers to three sub research questions will directly contribute to answering the main research question.
Research Objectives
Objective #1. Obtain information on the impact of social networks and the environment on the consumer perceptions of vegan food via semi-structured qualitative interviews;
Objective #2. Determine the self-centered and altruistic factors related to consumers’ attitudes toward vegan food via the semi-structured qualitative interviews and rank them with respect to relative power;
Objective #3. Determine the influence of product descriptors and visuals on the consumers’ perceptions of vegan food via semi-structured qualitative interviews;
Objective #4. Utilize the information obtained after completion of the previous research objectives to outline the most effective marketing strategies for vegan food promotion.
Purpose of the Study
In general, ethnographic marketing research plays an important role for companies as it allows them to understand customers within the framework of their attitudes, perceptions, lifestyle factors, and cultural trends and how they impact purchasing decisions for the development of efficient marketing and promotion strategies. The purpose of this study lies in providing business owners in the vegan food segment with effective, evidence-based marketing strategies. In this regard, the research purpose stretches as far as contributing to the spread of healthier dietary patterns among the general public. The research will utilize the qualitative research method of semi-structured interviews. In terms of research design, this will be a qualitative study dedicated to the analysis of social interactions, beliefs, and perceptions of vegan food within the group of local consumers. The results of the study will be used as a foundation for effective vegan food promotion strategies in the local market. The research sample group will be recruited from the local population. Kilian and Hamm (2021) interviewed 503 customers of German grocery stores in order to elicit national perceptions of vegan food. For the purposes of this local-scale research, a sample of 25-30 consumers will be sufficient. The research sample will include consumers of various dietary patterns. The time framework of this research is one week. Lastly, males and females will be equally represented in the sample. In the end, on the basis of the ethical principles of openness, fairness, non-biasedness, and the reliability of the findings that presuppose its philosophy, the study intends to promote vegan food and healthier dietary patterns by offering evidence-based vegan food marketing strategies to local business owners.
Definitions of Key Terms
Unique selling point: product features, benefits, and general impact that gives the customers a reason to choose it over competitors (Dickons, 2019);
Consumer motivation: a set of reasons motivating the consumer to purchase vegan products and adopt a vegan diet (Ghaffari et al., 2022);
Consumer perception: consumers’ beliefs about the product’s value and utility based on consumers’ self-perceived costs and benefits associated with product consumption (Cooper et al., 2022);
Social network: social environment surrounding the food selection process, which includes the consumer’s family, friends, and typical shopping environment (Pilař, Kvasničková Stanislavská and Kvasnička, 2021)
Marketing strategy: a set of actions aimed at increasing the consistency between vegan product offerings and consumer motivation for consuming vegan food (Ghaffari et al., 2022);
Usage segmentation: the use of behavioral variables for specific market segments construction (Beacom, Bogue and Repar, 2021);
Planned behavior: specific consumer behavior guided by motivational factors and manifested in the consumer’s willingness to spend resources and carry out certain actions (Miguel, Coelho and Bairrada, 2020);
Product descriptor: a marketing cue manifested in verbal or written labeling of a product (Sucapane, Roux and Sobol, 2021);
Product visual: a marketing cue manifested in visual features of the product, such as the color of packaging (Sucapane, Roux and Sobol, 2021);
Research Method and Design
The research will utilize qualitative methods in order to achieve the stated research goal of formulating effective marketing strategies for vegan food. The rationale of this approach’s choice is determined by the collection and analysis of non-numerical data. Moreover, the essence of the study does not presuppose the evaluation of a problem’s scope but its in-depth understanding for the formation of potential solutions. At the same time, although data collected will be not associated with numbers, the evaluation of people’s perceptions presuppose their involvement, thus, sample size and the criteria of participants’ inclusion should be nevertheless considered. The design will be divided into two parts, with the first part dedicated to answering the sub research questions. During the first part, the semi-structured interview design will be deployed to elicit the consumers’ perceptions of vegan food associated with their social networks, behavioral factors, product descriptors, and visuals. The consumers will answer a set of open-ended questions, making it possible to highlight the most important themes and perceptions guiding their attitude toward vegan food. In this regard, the semi-structured interview approach is helpful for eliciting the information pointing to the effective marketing strategies for vegan food promotion in the local market. Once the first part of the research is completed, the second part will utilize the qualitative approach of grounded theory in order to draw a list of effective evidence-based marketing strategies for vegan food promotion.
The information collected via the semi-structured interview will be subjected to content analysis. In particular, the frequency of particular consumer perceptions appearing in answers will indicate the most important aspects of vegan food marketing strategies. Overall, this two-pronged qualitative research design offers the advantage of simplicity, convenience, and reliability. In addition, the semi-structured interview research design makes it possible to gauge the consumer perceptions, thus allowing to craft marketing strategies specifically tailored to local consumer attitudes, motivations, and beliefs.
As stated before, the data will be collected via a series of semi-structured interviews with the consumer group. Participation in the research will be voluntary; the consumers will be assigned a numeric code and sign a form of Informed Consent in order to secure data confidentiality (Appendix A). In addition, all members of the sample group will be allowed to withdraw from the study at any stage without any consequences. The preliminary list of semi-structured interview questions is provided in Appendix B. The research trustworthiness will be enhanced via specific measures, such as pilot testing, transcript review, and audit trail. More detailed information on trustworthiness enhancement procedures is present in a dedicated section of this proposal.
In terms of approach and philosophy, the semi-structured interviews will be conducted in a face-to-face format in order to eliminate the need for complicated technical preparations and receive sincere, unprepared answers. The interview technique was successfully used to gauge consumer perceptions in various food and diet-related studies (Kilian and Hamm, 2021; Noguerol et al., 2021; Raggiotto, Mason and Moretti, 2018). Once an interview is over, the answers will be transcribed and sent to the consumers in order to enhance trustworthiness. Overall, the qualitative semi-structured interview format is well-suited for the conceptual framework described in this proposal. Under this format, the consumers will share rich, detailed information related to their perceptions of vegan food. The research would approximately between two and three months for completion, which means that results should still be relevant for the local vegan food market. In addition, the research design is based on the philosophy of maximum convenience and friendliness to the participants, which should allow to elicit reliable research data. The main disadvantage of this research methodology lies in potential research bias and data distortions on the consumers’ side. However, the strategy of sincerity and openness should assist in mitigating the latter issue, while the former problem can be mitigated via additional trustworthiness checks.
Significance of the Research
The study results may offer value both to business owners in the vegan food segment and the consumers who may be willing to adopt healthier dietary patterns. From the business practice perspective, one can find the positive impact in similar research related to other product types. For instance, Siddiqui et al. (2022) managed to create a list of effective marketing strategies for cultured meat sales. In this regard, the proposed research will assist firms working in the vegan food segment in a similar manner.
From the positive social change perspective, an increase in vegan product sales may lead to wider adoption of healthier dietary patterns. As such, the research may contribute to improvements in public health. In addition, the increasing popularity of vegan food may turn eating into a more sustainable process (Jallinoja, Vinnari and Niva, 2020). Overall, a combination of two potentially positive outcomes makes the research questions worth addressing.
Trustworthiness
The trustworthiness of qualitative research depends on four key elements: credibility, dependability, transferability, and confirmability. Kyngäs, Kääriäinen, and Elo (2020) offered clear definitions of these vital research characteristics.
Credibility: determines whether or not the research results represent a believable interpretation of the original data.
In the proposed research, credibility will be established through the participant transcript review. The consumers will be allowed to check the transcript in order to ensure that the findings are interpreted correctly.
Dependability: a quality assessment of data collection, data analysis, and theory generation processes.
Dependability will be established via a pilot test of the semi-structured interview on a small research population.
Confirmability: a measure of how well the collected information supports the research results.
Confirmability will be established by an audit trail, a practice of taking field notes that prevents the replacement of the participants’ responses with the researcher’s personal thoughts.
Transferability: a measure of research findings’ applicability to other fields and contexts.
Transferability will be ensured through a thick description of the research context and process. As a result, researchers from other fields will be enabled to decide which elements of research design and methodology may be reliably transferred to their projects.
Finally, the trustworthiness of qualitative research is affected by data saturation. According to Kyngäs (2020), data saturation refers to a state when information received from the participants becomes repetitive, and no fresh perspectives are discovered. Therefore, the proposed research will achieve the state of data saturation when the consumers’ perceptions of vegan products cease to add new perspectives related to social, behavioral, and descriptive factors of food selection.
Ethical Considerations
The potential ethical issues will be addressed via the Form of Informed Consent, which will offer the consumers decent protection throughout the semi-structured interviews stage of research. In particular, the consumers will be informed about the voluntary nature of participation and given a right to withdraw their consent at any point. The consumer will be allowed to withdraw from the project within one week of the interview completion. All information the participants may provide will be deleted in case of withdrawal from the study.
Additionally, the members of the research sample may be offered token gifts of appreciation if they agree to participate in the interviews. The participants may receive small monetary gifts for sparing their free time. Furthermore, all data obtained or recorded during the interviews will be handled confidentially in order to protect the participants’ identities. Their names will be replaced with numeric codes and will not be mentioned in the research. Lastly, the participants will be given an opportunity to ask clarification questions at any point of the study. They will also review the interview transcript in order to avoid any potential misunderstanding or distortions stemming from the researcher’s bias.
Timetable for the Research
Assumptions, Limitations, and Delimitations
Assumptions, limitations, and delimitations present certain challenges regarding the proposed research’s validity. Theofanidis and Fountouki (2018) defined the concepts of assumptions, limitations, and delimitations in the research practice.
Assumptions: issues, ideas, and positions taken for granted and viewed as reasonable during the research process.
Regarding the proposed research, the main assumption is the predicted sincerity of consumers’ answers to interview questions. Accusing the voluntary participant of lying cannot be considered a healthy approach. As a result, the researcher will have to assume that the participants speak the truth, giving them the benefit of the doubt, which may potentially harm the reliability of the study.
Limitations: potential weaknesses a researcher cannot address due to the close association with such factors as chosen research design, limited funding, or other constraints.
The proposed research is limited by two factors associated with the design and available resources. Firstly, the semi-structured interview design leaves a significant probability of the researcher’s and participants’ cognitive bias. Secondly, the researcher currently does not have sufficient resources to expand the research scope by recruiting a larger population sample. Both limitations leave significant room for research quality improvement.
Delimitations: the boundaries consciously set by the authors so the research goals may be attained.
In the proposed study, the key delimitation lies in the recruitment method. Familiar participants are expected to give more honest answers during the interviews compared to randomly-selected strangers. While this delimitation positively impacts the research efficiency, the study may likely benefit from a more complex recruitment method that is more suitable for generalization in the future.
Reference List
Akar, E. and Dalgic, T. (2018). ‘Understanding online consumers’ purchase intentions: a contribution from social network theory,’ Behaviour & Information Technology, 37(5), pp. 473- 487.
Beacom, E., Bogue, J. and Repar, L. (2021). ‘Market-oriented development of plant-based food and beverage products: a usage segmentation approach’, Journal of Food Products Marketing, 27(4), pp. 204-222.
Braunsberger, K. and Flamm, R. O. (2019). ‘The case of the ethical vegan: motivations matter when researching dietary and lifestyle choices’, Journal of Managerial Issues, 31(3), 228-245.
Bryant, C. J. (2019). ‘We can’t keep meating like this: attitudes towards vegetarian and vegan diets in the United Kingdom’, Sustainability, 11(23), 6844.
Cooper, K. et al. (2022). ‘Exploring consumer perceptions of the value proposition embedded in vegan food products using text analytics’, Sustainability, 14(4), 2075.
Cote, R. (2019). ‘The evolution of social network theory: perceived impact on developing networking relationships,’ American Journal of Management, 19(3), pp. 19-34.
Dickons, G. (2019). ‘How to identify your unique selling points’, Journal of Aesthetic Nursing, 8(4), pp. 201-202.
Ghaffari, M. et al. (2022). ‘Consumers’ motivations for adopting a vegan diet: a mixed‐methods approach’, International Journal of Consumer Studies, 46(4), pp. 1193-1208.
Giampietri, E. et al. (2018). ‘A Theory of Planned behaviour perspective for investigating the role of trust in consumer purchasing decision related to short food supply chains,’ Food Quality and Preference, 64, 160-166.
Jallinoja, P., Vinnari, M. V. and Niva, M. (2020). ‘Veganism and plant-based eating: analysis of interplay between discursive strategies and lifestyle political consumerism’, in Boström, M.,
Micheletti, M. and Oosterveer, P. (eds.) The Oxford handbook of political consumerism. New York: Oxford University Press, pp. 157-181.
Jones, L. (2020). Veganism: why are vegan diets on the rise?Web.
Karpen, I. O., Bove, L. L. and Lukas, B. A. (2012). ‘Linking service-dominant logic and strategic business practice: a conceptual model of a service-dominant orientation,’ Journal of Service Research, 15(1), pp. 21-38.
Kilian, D. and Hamm, U. (2021). ‘Perceptions of vegan food among organic food consumers following different diets’, Sustainability, 13(17), 9794.
Kyngäs, H. (2020). ‘Qualitative research and content analysis’, in Kyngäs, H., Mikkonen, K. and Kääriäinen, M. (eds.) The application of content analysis in nursing science research. Cham: Springer, pp. 3-11.
Kyngäs, H., Kääriäinen, M. and Elo, S. (2020). ‘The trustworthiness of content analysis’, in Kyngäs, H., Mikkonen, K. and Kääriäinen, M. (eds.) The application of content analysis in nursing science research. Cham: Springer, pp. 41-48.
Merz, M. A., He, Y. and Vargo, S. L. (2009). ‘The evolving brand logic: a service-dominant logic perspective,’ Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 37(3), pp. 328-344.
Miguel, I., Coelho, A. and Bairrada, C. M. (2020). ‘Modelling attitude towards consumption of vegan products’, Sustainability, 13(1), 9.
Noguerol, A. T. et al. (2021). ‘Green or clean? Perception of clean label plant-based products by omnivorous, vegan, vegetarian and flexitarian consumers’, Food Research International, 149, 110652.
Phua, J., Jin, S. V. and Kim, J. (2020a). ‘The roles of celebrity endorsers’ and consumers’ vegan identity in marketing communication about veganism’, Journal of Marketing Communications, 26(8), pp. 813-835.
Phua, J., Jin, S. V. and Kim, J. J. (2020b). ‘Pro-veganism on Instagram: effects of user-generated content (UGC) types and content generator types in Instagram-based health marketing communication about veganism’, Online Information Review, 44(3), pp. 685-704.
Pilař, L. et al. (2018). ‘Customer experience with organic food: global view’, Emirates Journal of Food and Agriculture, 30(11), pp. 918-926.
Pilař, L., Kvasničková Stanislavská, L. and Kvasnička, R. (2021). ‘Healthy food on the Twitter social network: vegan, homemade, and organic food’, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(7), 3815.
Polleau, A. and Biermann, G. (2021). ‘Eat local to save the planet? Contrasting scientific evidence and consumers’ perceptions of healthy and environmentally friendly diets’, Current Research in Environmental Sustainability, 3, 100054.
Popovic, I., Bossink, B. A. and van der Sijde, P. C. (2019). ‘Factors influencing consumers’ decision to purchase food in environmentally friendly packaging: what do we know and where do we go from here?’ Sustainability, 11(24), pp. 1-22.
Possidónio, C. et al. (2021). ‘Consumer perceptions of conventional and alternative protein sources: a mixed-methods approach with meal and product framing’, Appetite, 156, 104860.
Precedence Research. (2022). The global vegan food market size was estimated at USD 26.83 billion in 2021 and it is expected to surpass around USD 65.4 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 10.41% during the forecast period 2022 to 2030. Web.
Raggiotto, F., Mason, M. C. and Moretti, A. (2018). ‘Religiosity, materialism, consumer environmental predisposition. Some insights on vegan purchasing intentions in Italy’, International Journal of Consumer Studies, 42(6), pp. 613-626.
Siddiqui, S. A. et al. (2022). ‘Marketing strategies for cultured meat: a review’, Applied Sciences, 12(17), 8795.
Sucapane, D., Roux, C. and Sobol, K. (2021). ‘Exploring how product descriptors and packaging colors impact consumers’ perceptions of plant-based meat alternative products’, Appetite, 167, 105590.
Sussman, R. and Gifford, R. (2019). ‘Causality in the theory of planned behavior,’ Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 45(6), pp. 920-933.
Theofanidis, D. and Fountouki, A. (2018). ‘Limitations and delimitations in the research process’, Perioperative Nursing-Quarterly Scientific, Online Official Journal of GORNA, 7(3), pp. 155-163.
Tosun, P. et al. (2021). ‘Meat substitutes in sustainability context: a content analysis of consumer attitudes’, Journal of International Food & Agribusiness Marketing, 33(5), 541-563.
Tynan, C. and McKechnie, S. (2009). ‘Experience marketing: a review and reassessment’, Journal of Marketing Management, 25(5-6), 501-517.
Vargo, S. L. (2009). ‘Toward a transcending conceptualization of relationship: a service‐dominant logic perspective,’ Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, 24(5-6), pp. 373-379.
Waheed, S., Khan, M. M. and Ahmad, N. (2018). ‘Product packaging and consumer purchase intentions,’ Market Forces, 13(2), pp. 97-114.
Appendix A. Form of Informed Consent
Semi-Structured Interview: Consumer Perceptions of Vegan Food
- I……………………………………… voluntarily agree to participate in this semi-structured interview.
- I understand that I can withdraw my informed consent at any time or refuse to answer any question without any consequences.
- I understand that I can withdraw a consent to use information acquired from my answers within one week after the interview. The researcher must subsequently delete all acquired information.
- The researcher explained the goals and the nature of the study. I had the opportunity to ask questions about the study before giving informed consent.
- I understand that participation involves answering questions about my shopping behaviors and dietary patterns.
- I am aware that my interview may be audio-recorded for transcription purposes.
- I understand that all information provided for this study will be treated confidentially. The researcher will assign me a numeric code in order to prevent any potential leakages of my data.
- I understand that the researcher will retain a transcript of my interview for two years.
- I understand that I may freely contact the researcher to find further clarification and additional information.
Signature of Research Participant
—————————————– —————-
Signature of Participant Date
Appendix B. Interview Questions
- In your opinion, what are the main unique selling points of vegan food?
- What is the role of your friends, family, or media influencers in the food selection process? Would you purchase vegan products more frequently if they advised you to do that?
- How is your food selection process affected by product descriptors and visuals, such as labeling and packaging color?
- In your opinion, what product descriptors and visuals would make you consider buying vegan products more frequently?
- What is the role of self-centered (i.e., health, spiritual beliefs) and altruistic (i.e., animal welfare, environmental concerns) factors in your food selection process? From your perspective, what factors are more important in vegan food sales?