What Turns a Product into a Traditional One?

Abstract

Consumer interest in traditional food products (TFPs) has increased in recent decades. The concept of TFPs is made up of seven dimensions. However, it is not yet clear what the contributions of these dimensions are to the perception of the traditional image of a specific product. In addition, the effects of constructs such as habit, product involvement and objective and subjective knowledge on the traditional character of a product have not been explored either. The aims of this work were to evaluate the influence of the dimensions of the traditional food concept on the perception of mezcal and tequila and to understand consumer’s perception of the traditional character of the beverages through their segmentation characteristics. Eight hundred consumers were surveyed in four Mexican cities. A questionnaire was designed to assess the constructs, TFPs’ dimensions, sociodemographic information and consumption patterns. Results showed that the dimensions of the traditional concept allowed a better understanding of the traditional character of the product, as well as their individual relevance showing that frequent consumption is not always linked to the traditional character of a product. Three clusters were obtained for both products based on the assessed dimensions of the traditional concept. The presence of the segments showed variations in the contribution of the different dimensions to the concept of “traditional”. Geographic location, special dates and sensory dimensions are determinant in the traditional perception of both beverages, which is useful to design effective strategies to promote rational and responsible consumption.

Conceptualizing a Product with the Food-Related Lifestyle Instrument

“…Four hundred consumers from four different Mexican cities participated in this study. The selected cities were Mexico City, because it represents the largest mezcal consumption market in Mexico [ 16 ]; Guadalajara, which is in western Mexico where Mezcal consumption is incipient; the southern city of Oaxaca, because it represents the area with the highest production of mezcal in the country; and finally, Puebla, as a mezcal production zone that recently obtained the protected designation of origin seal [ 16 ]. In each city, 100 consumers were surveyed face-to-face using convenience sampling.…”

“…Thus, the level of knowledge that a consumer has about a product also influences their attitude, purchase intention, and expectations [ 14 , 15 ]. As a construct, the level of consumer knowledge can be evaluated based on the objective and subjective knowledge they have about a product of interest [ 16 ]. Objective knowledge refers to the information stored in memory and how it is organized, which represents what a consumer really knows about the product in question.…”

“…Mezcal is a traditional beverage with cultural and economic importance. Its consumption has grown significantly in recent years [ 16 ], especially since it acquired protected designation of origin status in different Mexican regions, which provides a sensory identity linked to production sites. Since 2015, Mezcal production has increased up to 147%, due to its growing number of producers, its diversity, and recent diffusion.…”

La influencia de los valores humanos en el consumo del queso Seco Encerado del Istmo de Tehuantepec, Oaxaca, y sus significados: el efecto mediador de los atributos tangibles

“…Peri (2006) define la calidad de un alimento como el requisito necesario que debe tener un producto para satisfacer las necesidades y expectativas de los consumidores, describiendo al producto como objeto comercial y como alimento. En esta última categoría se incluyen requisitos psicológicos, así como algunos relacionados a la ética y al contexto de producción, los cuales están ligados con el interés de los consumidores hacia los productos sustentables, amigables con el ambiente, éticos con los procesos de producción, respetuosos con el bienestar animal e identificados por su origen geográfico (García-Barrón et al, 2021).…”

Sensory Complexity: From Sensory Measurement to Consumption Behavior

“…This is the question raised in the study "What Turns a Product into a Traditional One?" [9] The concept of a Traditional Food Product (TFP) is made up of seven dimensions. However, it is not yet clear what the contributions of these dimensions are to the perception of the traditional image of a specific product.…”