Impact of Emotional Stability and Attitude on Consumption Decisions Under Risk: The Coca-Cola Crisis in Belgium

Abstract

This article focuses on consumer reactions during and after the Coca-Cola crisis of June 1999 in Belgium. The research tests for associations between the personality trait "emotional stability," attitude toward the brand, and self-reported behavior. Cross-sectional data are collected from a sample of Coca-Cola drinkers between 19 and 22 years old. The data are analyzed through the specification and estimation of a structural equation model and ANOVA. A direct and positive effect of attitude toward the brand on the behavioral response is found. No direct effect of emotional stability on behavior is revealed. However, indirect effects of personality mediated by attitude are discovered. Further, emotional stability is found to correlate negatively with importance attached to information during the crisis. Fast and transparent communication with specific attention to lower emotional stability groups, as well as the inclusion of personality and attitude measurements in future health and food safety studies, are recommended.