Suchita Jha*
| Manisha Palliwal | Shruti Sengupta
© 2023 IIETA. This article is published by IIETA and is licensed under the CC BY 4.0 license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
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Recently, many FMCG marketers, due to the increased interest of consumers towards health and sustainability, started focusing on their product packaging with an association of cause-related packaging. Snacking product purchase is highest among high culture consumers, so this category was chosen for study. This research aims to understand the reason for purchasing a snacking product associated with any cause. Whether consumers are purchasing the product because of functional, emotional, hedonic, conditional, epistemic, or social values. The questionnaire was framed using a validated scale of consumption value theory. Cluster analysis was done using SPSS is an attempt to segregate the respondents into different consumer types. The study clustered the groups into three distinct groups. Social and emotional values and epistemic drive the first cluster, whereas the second cluster is purchasing the product because of hedonic value, and the last cluster is purchasing the product because of its functional value, and they are bothered about any cause association.
cause-related packaging, high cultural capital, purchase intention, snacking category
In recent times awareness of consumers towards sustainability has forced FMCG companies to focus on cause-related packaging. In this concept, the brand focuses on any environmental, health, or social cause in its packaging [1]. Bourdieu defined cultural capital as ‘familiarity with the legitimate culture within a society; what we might call ‘high culture’ [2]. High culture consumers (economically better placed in the community, have a good education, and show good intellect) are considered for the study.
It is noted that snacking waste is a global concern, and here the role of packaging plays a significant role in reducing waste. According to the 2010 Cone Cause Evolution Study report, "85 percent of consumers have a more positive image of a product or company when it supports a cause they care about" [3]. Packaging plays an essential role as a point-of-purchase component, boosting the purchase intention of consumers [4]. Packaging also serves as a critical communication channel. Cause packaging attracts consumers who are conscious towards the environment.
Brands increasingly turn to package design to stimulate consumers’ and shoppers’ response towards purchase. Special edition packaging is one approach to help cause-related marketing by demonstrating how seriously the organization takes social responsibility, boosting its brand image, and making buyers feel like they are contributing to the cause. This not only helps to create awareness for a specific cause but it also helps develop loyal customers.
Brands inform customers about the packaging material or any cause association [5]. This can help establish brand loyalty, especially if the target audience is already passionate about the topic. A cause-related package's design will assist consumers in understanding and remembering what they are doing to benefit the more significant cause of society.
Packaging information can affect consumers' attitudes and intentions toward products [6].
81 percent of Indians claim to substitute at least one meal daily with snacks (in between or instead of meals). However, consumers are also becoming more aware of portion management and labelling.
Most research on high culture capital consumer consumption is related to thrift shopping and clothing purchases, but none focused on the snacking industry. As snacking is one of the major categories in waste creation, it is essential to understand the behavior pattern of a rising population of high-culture consumers consumption habits [7]. So, the present research will address the gap andstudy the cause related packaging on high-culture consumers' purchase intention towards snacking products. Research on the purchase intention of high-culture consumers can provide valuable insights into the behavior and attitudes of this consumer group. Understanding their planned behavior can help companies in the snacking industry develop products and marketing strategies that resonate with this group and increase sales [8].
Previous research have looked at how consumers react to cause signals and found that including a health reason on a food, box enhances product health perceptions, as well as product attitude and purchase intentions (i.e., the cause cue effect) [9]. For those who reported higher degrees of devotion to the featured cause, a cause campaign was observed to have a beneficial impact on product attitudes, taste ratings, and willingness to pay [10].
Furthermore, the health-related cause promotion had a beneficial impact on people's perceptions of the product's health advantages. Health-relevant causes may influence consumers' perceptions of a product's healthfulness [11]. Moreover, when given the limited knowledge of a food product and forced to make an opinion quickly, those passionate about a cause are more likely to rate a product with that cause on its package favorably [12].
Individual-level characteristics (i.e., personal moral norms, attitudes, positive predicted emotions, and frequency of previous behavior) are essential influencing elements when buying cause-related products [13]. Millennials worldwide have shown an affinity towards cause-related packaging. As responsible young consumers, they want to support the cause which saves the environment or promotes sustainable living [14].
Furthermore, altruism substantially moderated perceived cause-related motives [15]. Several studies have shown that high-culture consumers have unique preferences and behaviors regarding snacking products. These consumers tend to be more health-conscious, socially aware, and value-driven than other consumer groups. As a result, they may be more selective in their purchasing decisions and more likely to seek products that align with their values.
Consumer Value Theory
Consumer consumption values are driven by choice behavior. Consumer value theory comprises five different consumption values that explain consumer choice behavior: functional, emotional, social, epistemic, and conditional [16]. Functional value is defined as “the perceived utility acquired from an alternative’s capacity for functional, utilitarian, or physical performance.” Emotional value is defined as “the perceived utility acquired from an alternative’s capacity to arouse feelings or affective states.” Social value is defined as “the perceived utility acquired from an alternative’s association with one or more specific social groups.” Epistemic value is defined as “the perceived utility acquired from an alternative’s capacity to arouse curiosity, provide novelty, and satisfy a desire for knowledge,” and conditional value is defined as “the perceived utility acquired by an alternative as the result of the specific situation or set of circumstances facing the choice maker” [16, 17].
Prior research has found that consumers use products because of the functionality of the packaging. As responsible consumers, young consumers make choices that align with sustainability. Peers' influence is also a notable factor [18].
The present research explores the influence of cause-related packaging on high culture capital consumers’ purchase intention towards snacking products.
This present quantitative research is conducted through a survey designed to collect responses through online forms. The scale has been derived from the theory of consumption values [16]. This paper uses the K-means algorithm to understand the purchase intention of high culture capital individuals towards snacking on products. The survey questionnaire scale has been derived from the theory of consumption values [16], which stipulates five consumption values: social value, emotional value, functional value, epistemic value, and consumption value. In addition to these, the aspect of moral identity has also been incorporated into the questionnaire. A sample size of 140 based on convenience and purposive sampling was sufficient to capture the variability in the population and provide meaningful insight. 140 potential respondents were approached, out of which 101 responses proved viable for further analysis. So, the current sample size stands at 101. The Kaiser-Meyer Olkin Measure of Sampling Adequacy stands at 0.84, demonstrating that the sample size satisfies the necessary and sufficient criteria for the research analysis.
Urban and semi-urban high cultural capital inhabitants belonging to the GenY and GenZ generations, i.e., millennials and centennials, have been surveyed as the target sample for this study. These individuals have acquired a post-graduate degree, engage in various activities, harbor varied interests, and show a propensity for engaging in intellectual conversations. Therefore, they are considered to be possessors of high culture capital.
Table 1 exhibits the number of iterations and the changes in the cluster centers. The iteration history shows the process of redistribution of the units. In the 9th iteration, the process of redistribution of the units stops because there is no change in the cluster centers. The K-means clustering model stabilized after 9 iterations (Table 1).
Table 1. Iteration historya
|
Iteration |
Change in Cluster Centers |
|||
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
||
|
d |
1 |
4.895 |
5.753 |
5.659 |
|
2 |
.209 |
.380 |
.584 |
|
|
3 |
.109 |
.260 |
.468 |
|
|
4 |
.156 |
.311 |
.485 |
|
|
5 |
.140 |
.177 |
.340 |
|
|
6 |
.174 |
.358 |
.371 |
|
|
7 |
.053 |
.112 |
.140 |
|
|
8 |
.000 |
.136 |
.141 |
|
|
9 |
.000 |
.000 |
.000 |
|
|
a. Convergence achieved due to no or small change in cluster centers. The maximum absolute coordinate change for any center is .000. The current iteration is 9. The minimum distance between initial centers is 10.863. |
||||
Table 2 presents the data for the number of units in each cluster and their total number and missing units (if there are any). A total of three clusters are formed of a total of 101 respondents. There are 48, 27, and 26 cases (respondents) in clusters 1, 2, and 3, respectively.
Table 2. Number of cases in each cluster
|
Cluster |
1 |
48.000 |
|
2 |
27.000 |
|
|
3 |
26.000 |
|
|
Valid |
101.000 |
|
|
Missing |
.000 |
|
Table 3. ANOVA analysis
|
|
Cluster |
Error |
F |
Sig. |
||
|
Mean Square |
df |
Mean Square |
df |
|||
|
SV1 |
24.756 |
2 |
.774 |
98 |
32.001 |
.000 |
|
SV2 |
10.287 |
2 |
.846 |
98 |
12.159 |
.000 |
|
SV3 |
9.940 |
2 |
.716 |
98 |
13.880 |
.000 |
|
SV4 |
23.353 |
2 |
.672 |
98 |
34.744 |
.000 |
|
EMV1 |
9.558 |
2 |
.403 |
98 |
23.701 |
.000 |
|
EMV2 |
9.476 |
2 |
.508 |
98 |
18.646 |
.000 |
|
EMV3 |
5.231 |
2 |
.450 |
98 |
11.620 |
.000 |
|
EMV4 |
12.580 |
2 |
.750 |
98 |
16.769 |
.000 |
|
FV1 |
7.237 |
2 |
.445 |
98 |
16.273 |
.000 |
|
FV2 |
10.572 |
2 |
.634 |
98 |
16.682 |
.000 |
|
FV3 |
8.569 |
2 |
.589 |
98 |
14.546 |
.000 |
|
FV4 |
5.557 |
2 |
.520 |
98 |
10.688 |
.000 |
|
EPV1 |
9.936 |
2 |
.642 |
98 |
15.466 |
.000 |
|
EPV2 |
15.566 |
2 |
.531 |
98 |
29.316 |
.000 |
|
EPV3 |
7.845 |
2 |
.598 |
98 |
13.118 |
.000 |
|
EPV4 |
29.195 |
2 |
.717 |
98 |
40.708 |
.000 |
|
CV1 |
5.138 |
2 |
.582 |
98 |
8.829 |
.000 |
|
CV2 |
3.733 |
2 |
.753 |
98 |
4.954 |
.009 |
|
CV3 |
7.240 |
2 |
.508 |
98 |
14.259 |
.000 |
|
CV4 |
8.051 |
2 |
.461 |
98 |
17.476 |
.000 |
|
MI1 |
8.932 |
2 |
.481 |
98 |
18.567 |
.000 |
|
MI2 |
6.777 |
2 |
.627 |
98 |
10.808 |
.000 |
|
MI3 |
7.785 |
2 |
.453 |
98 |
17.186 |
.000 |
|
The F tests should be used only for descriptive purposes because the clusters have been chosen to maximize the differences among cases in different clusters. The observed significance levels are not corrected for this and thus cannot be interpreted as tests of the hypothesis that the cluster means are equal. |
||||||
The ANOVA test determines which variables contributed the most to the cluster solution, the variables with substantial F values providing the most significant separation between the clusters. According to the data presented in the ANOVA table (Table 3), all the statements are substantial at 0.05 percent, meaning that all the statements are significantly different from each other and have the most significant influence in forming the clusters. Hence, all the variables have been taken for the final model.
Figure 1. Clustering based on complete linkages
According to Table 4, three clusters were identified based on the purchase intention of high culture capital individuals towards snacking on products with cause-related packaging: the Champions, the Impassive, and the On-the-Fencers. Within the first cluster, the maximum number of respondents agreed with all the statements; in the second cluster, the maximum number of respondents responded to all the statements. In the third cluster, most respondents agreed and were neutral with all the statements. The Complete linkages amongst the clusters and final cluster centres are presented in Figure 1 and Figure 2 respectively.
With Cluster analysis, distinct clusters have been observed, which we are categorizing as follows:
Table 4. Final cluster centers
|
|
Cluster |
||
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
|
|
SV1 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
|
SV2 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
|
SV3 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
|
SV4 |
4 |
2 |
2 |
|
EMV1 |
4 |
3 |
4 |
|
EMV2 |
4 |
3 |
4 |
|
EMV3 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
|
EMV4 |
4 |
3 |
4 |
|
FV1 |
4 |
3 |
4 |
|
FV2 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
|
FV3 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
|
FV4 |
4 |
3 |
4 |
|
EPV1 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
|
EPV2 |
4 |
3 |
4 |
|
EPV3 |
4 |
3 |
4 |
|
EPV4 |
4 |
2 |
4 |
|
CV1 |
4 |
3 |
4 |
|
CV2 |
4 |
3 |
4 |
|
CV3 |
4 |
3 |
4 |
|
CV4 |
4 |
3 |
4 |
|
MI1 |
4 |
3 |
4 |
|
MI2 |
4 |
3 |
4 |
|
MI3 |
4 |
3 |
4 |
Figure 2. Final cluster centers
Cluster analysis done on the acquired response dataset has yielded the following results:
Distinct clusters have been observed, which we are categorizing as follows:
4.1 The champions
This category comprises males and females aged between 20-30 and forms the biggest group in the study with respect to headcount, including 48 individuals out of a total of 101. They are conscious that their lifestyle choices impact their peers and the society they live in. Therefore, their purchase intention of snacking products having CRP is somewhat motivated by how their peers would perceive them for that act of purchasing. They also are inclined towards giving back to society, and given that their frequency of purchase of snacking products is once weekly, which is fairly high, their probability of actively making a choice of CRP packaged products over standard packaging is also high. In addition to that, they are also willing to pay a premium charge for cause-related packaged snack items. They are driven mainly by emotional and social values and epistemic values.
4.2 The impassive
This category has a similar demographic range as category one but differs in characteristics and has a lesser headcount of 27. This category is extremely. They are highly neutral to each of the consumption values when it comes to snacking items having cause-related packaging, and in all probability, purchasing a snacking item is a plain low-involvement purchase decision for them. Pleasure is the only motive influencing them, so they are only driven by hedonic motives.
4.3 The on-the-fencers
Yet again, sharing a similar demographic and having 26 respondents, this category is not concerned much about their image and impact on the minds of the people in the society relating to their purchase decisions. However, they are actively conscious of the environmental and social impact that their purchase choices would have. Therefore, their purchase intention of CRP snacking products more revolve around their concern for the causes associated with the consequences. One noticeable hindrance to their purchase would be the product's higher price than standardized packaged products since they have opined that they are unwilling to pay a price premium for the cause-related product packaging. Also, they would not actively look for CRP alternatives while out shopping for snacking items. This group is more focused on the functional values of the product.
Based on the theory of consumption values, the purchase intention of individuals with high cultural capital was investigated about snacking on products with cause-related packaging. We used quantitative methods for this study, Likert scale-based questionnaire items, and Cluster Analysis in SPSS. The findings of this study shed light on the unexplored Indian market of Cause Related Marketing. The results confirm what has been found in other countries, including the West. However, they also highlight the lack of awareness among the Indian population about the relevance and benefits of Cause Related Marketing. Focusing on individuals with high cultural capital, who have the highest intellectual resources within society, this study's findings highlight the market gap in terms of CRM and CRP. Almost half of the respondents positively respond to the prospect of snacking products with cause-related packaging. These findings of this study tally with previous studies on cause-related marketing and packaging, which stated that CRM and CRP positively influence customers' purchase intention. Since the study has been conducted on high culture capital individuals, it shows that the extent of cultural capital leads to better awareness and consciousness, which leads to this enhanced purchase intention for such products.
However, cause-related packaging is a relatively novel concept, especially in India, and requires much more propaganda than it is currently getting [19]. This is why a majority of the respondents, 53.46%, were either skeptical about investing in the same or did not care enough about the cause and its effect. This finding calls for increased investment in promoting cause-related packaged snacking products in India.
Further insights can be gained from qualitative studies about underlying factors that motivate or discourage individuals from purchasing cause-related snacking products.
6.1 Theoretical implication
This study is the first conducted on Indian high culture capital consumers. Although literature exists for other countries worldwide regarding cause-related marketing and cause-related packaging, this study is the pioneer in exploring the purchase intention of Indian consumers, specifically high culture capital individuals, regarding snacking products with CRP.
The Indian market is relatively unexplored regarding cause-related packaging, and more so in the case of specifically snacking products. This study and its findings shall lay the foundation for further research incorporating these dimensions.
6.2 Practical implication
The study's findings result in the segmentation of the Indian consumer crowd into three classes regarding snacking products with cause-related packaging. The snacking product industry in India is vast and is steadily growing with innovation over existing products and the introduction of newer ones. Marketers can exploit the findings of this research study to segment their target market and streamline their promotional endeavors and product design. This study shall help marketers to identify the correct target audience for products they wish to launch with cause-related packaging and structure their promotional activities and pricing techniques accordingly.
Though the study has looked at various prospective cause-related packaging, it still needs to be expanded. The present study is restricted in population size so that future research can look into the cross-cultural perspective of cause-related packaging in snacking industry. Moreover, a higher sample size would help cover a more significant portion of the population and therefore help refine the clusters further.
As purchase intentions are often driven by the inner aspect of personality, a qualitative insight study helps understand consumer insight.
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