Branding state-level pride: Exploring values and attitudes of local food product consumption

Rhode Island Branding Program for Local Seafood: Consumer Perceptions, Awareness, and Willingness-to-Pay

“…Seafood is a primary source of high-quality protein and contains a variety of nutrients needed for overall health and disease prevention; thus, increased nomic Research Service [USDA ERS], 2016) propelled by a growing consumer awareness of the benefits of a strong community food system (Dillemuth, 2017;Freedgood & Fydenkevez, 2017;Johnston, Jai, Phelan, & Velikova, 2018). The desire for local food-in part due to the perceptions of improved nutrition and food safety, as well as to support local economies, have fresh and more flavorful food, and produce less environmental impact-has fueled the growing interest in local food (Giovannuci, Barham, & Pirog, 2010).…”

Corporate social responsibility, emotions, and consumer loyalty in the food retail context: Exploring the moderating effect of regional identity

“…Regional identity refers to a consumer's identification with their region (Fernández-Ferrín & Bande-Vilela, 2013). It has elements in common with other similar concepts recently raised in the literature on place attachment such as regional belonging (Lombart, Labbé-Pinlon, Filser, Antéblian, & Louis, 2018), state-level pride (Johnston et al, 2018) or home-state attachment (Thakor et al, 2018). Most studies that have been interested in measuring these closely related concepts do not hesitate to assert the relationship between greater sub-national identity and a greater preference for products made in the region (Fernández-Ferrín & Bande-Vilela, 2013) and greater loyalty to local business (Thakor et al, 2018).…”

“…Regional identity is another form of sub‐national identity and, in addition, a collective identity “not characterized by personal relationships among group members…but concentrated on relationships in a symbolic group” (Johnston et al, 2018). Regional identity refers to a consumer's identification with their region (Fernández‐Ferrín & Bande‐Vilela, 2013).…”

“…Research on the importance of origin and its association with consumer purchasing behavior has heavily focused on the concept of the country‐of‐origin effect (Balabanis & Siamagka, 2017); however, for Papadopoulos et al (2018, p. 736) place “does not begin or end at the country/nation level, but rather refers to everything from a seat at a dinner table to a room and onwards to the universe…place is not just a spot on the map; it encompasses and reflects the identities, memories, heritage, experiences and characteristics that are associated with it and the meanings ascribed to it.” These authors review different theories that explain consumer behavior and conclude that they all propose that consumers tend to respond more favorably to stimuli that are consistent with their identity and reject stimuli that are inconsistent with it. More specifically, Johnston, Jai, Phelan, and Velikova (2018) refer to favorable actions toward brands that reinforce consumers' cultural identity and to negative actions toward brands which threaten that identity.…”

“…These authors review different theories that explain consumer behavior and conclude that they all propose that consumers tend to respond more favorably to stimuli that are consistent with their identity and reject stimuli that are inconsistent with it. More specifically, Johnston, Jai, Phelan, and Velikova (2018) refer to favorable actions toward brands that reinforce consumers' cultural identity and to negative actions toward brands which threaten that identity.…”