What Determines the Consumers' Attitudes Toward a New Product

Abstract

In this research, the Psycho-Functional Theory and the Multivariate Structural Equation model (SEM) are used to enter into the consumers' attitudes for a new beverage obtained from “Olivello” a wild plant growing in many regions of Europe. The first part is dedicated to the description of the psycho-functional approach to go indepth into the relations between the product attributes and perceptions of benefits and values. The second part is dedicated to the empirical analysis of the “Olivello” beverage carried out in the Friuli VG a region of Italy. The results suggest the complexity of the consumers' experience, perceived through sensorial and experience cues from the product attributes. The results confirm the validity of the psycho-functional approach; the information is suitable in order to (1) improve the effectiveness of marketing strategies dedicated to the communication; (2) suggest the attribute changes according to the consumers' preferences; and (3) more in general, go deeper into the consumer theory by integrating the psychological variables in the attitudinal models to predict more accurately the consumer behaviour.

Key Words:

• Consumer attitudes
• specialty food products
• mean-end chain
• SEM method
• perceptions