“Natural” labeling and consumers’ sentimental pastoral notion

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1108/JPBM-03-2014-0516
Published date18 August 2014
Pages268-281
Date18 August 2014
AuthorClinton Amos,Iryna Pentina,Timothy G. Hawkins,Natalie Davis
Subject MatterMarketing,Product management,Brand management/equity
“Natural” labeling and consumers’
sentimental pastoral notion
Clinton Amos
Goddard School of Business, Weber State University, Ogden, Utah, USA
Iryna Pentina
Department of Marketing and International Business, University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio, USA
Timothy G. Hawkins
Department of Marketing, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA, and
Natalie Davis
Department of Psychology, Georgia Regents University, Augusta, Georgia, USA
Abstract
Purpose – This study aims to investigate the appeal of “natural” labeling and builds on past research which suggests that people may have a naïve
pastoral view of nature and natural entities. “Natural” labeling is pervasive in supermarkets across the USA.
Design/methodology/approach – This paper employs a multi-method approach to examine consumer perceptions and beliefs about products
labeled “natural”. Qualitative responses are solicited to examine the images and feelings that come to mind when consumers see “natural” labeling
on a food product. Two experiments are conducted to examine consumers’ evaluations of “natural” labeling on both food and supplement products.
Findings – The results of three studies suggest that “natural” labeling evokes positive feelings and sentimental imagery associated with a pastoral
view of nature. These perceptions reinforce beliefs that food and supplement products labeled “natural” possess positive instrumental benefits such
as health advantages, lack of contamination and safety.
Social implications – Consumers are under pressure to make better choices regarding what they put into their bodies due to pervasive concern
over the prevalence of obesity and diabetes. This study provides insight into why consumers perceive food and supplement products labeled
“natural” as better alternatives.
Originality/value – This paper is one of the first studies to investigate the underlying perceptual forces accounting for the effectiveness of “natural”
food and supplement labeling.
Keywords Packaging, Agro-food marketing, Organic and alternative foods
Paper type Research paper
An executive summary for managers and executive
readers can be found at the end of this issue.
Widespread proliferation of chronic diseases, combined with
increased healthcare costs for the aging US workforce, heightens
the strategic significance of population health. Among
health-threatening conditions, obesity represents a major
concern. According to the Center for Disease Control (2014),
the US obesity rate has doubled since 1980, reaching 36 per cent
of the adult population. One way to address this issue is by
promoting healthy food choices. However, government
requirements of nutritional information transparency and
voluntary actions by companies may not be sufficient to change
food consumption behaviors and their health consequences.
Marketing research shows that consumer decision-making
frequently relies on habitual heuristics (Hoyer and Brown,
1990), imagery-based emotions (Moore and Lee, 2012) and
subconscious impulses (Harmancioglu et al., 2009;Martin and
Morich, 2011). Therefore, “nudging” can help people to
overcome their “intention versus action gap” in choosing
healthier alternatives by affecting their emotions, feelings and
pre-existing associative mental schemas (Thaler and Sunstein,
2008).
In postmodern societies, the pervasive labeling of credence
attributes, such as “organic”, “natural” or “healthy”, makes
food choices more complex and multifarious (Nocella et al.,
2012), necessitating research in consumer perceptions. Within
the past three decades, organic food production, certification
and labeling have developed into a mainstream multi-billion
dollar industry (Thompson and Coskuner-Balli, 2007), with
sales growing from $3.6 billion in 1997 (Dimitri and
Oberholtzer, 2009) to more than $26 billion in 2010 (Organic
Trade Association, 2012). Consequently, interest in and
research pertaining to the marketing of organic foods
proliferated, mainly focused on:
attitudes toward organic foods (Brennan et al., 2003;Loo
et al., 2010);
consumer motivations to purchase organic foods (Baker
et al., 2004;Hughner et al., 2007;Paul and Rana, 2012);
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/1061-0421.htm
Journal of Product & Brand Management
23/4/5 (2014) 268–281
© Emerald Group Publishing Limited [ISSN 1061-0421]
[DOI 10.1108/JPBM-03-2014-0516]
268

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