Literature summary
MCB-30306
Consumer Behaviour: Concepts and Research Methods
Wageningen University
2021
This document includes summaries of the following articles and chapters
Van Trijp, H.C.M. and M.T.G. Meulenberg (1996). Malhotra, N.K. (2010). Marketing research: An
Marketing and consumer behaviour with respect applied orientation (6th ed., pp.316-323, Multiitem
to foods. In: H.L. Meiselman and H.J.H. MacFie scales). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.
(Eds.), Food choice, acceptance, and consumption
(Chapter 7, pp.264-292). London: Blackie. Lilien, G.L., Rangaswamy, A., and De Bruyn, A.
(2013). Positioning. In: Principles of Marketing
Van Kleef, E., H.C.M. van Trijp, and P. Luning Engineering (2nd ed., Chapter 4, pp.97-112.
(2005). Consumer research in the early stages of
new product development: A critical review of Iacobucci, D. and G.A. Churchill, Jr. (2010).
methods and techniques. Food Quality and Marketing research: Methodological foundations
Preference, 16, 181-201.
(10th ed., pp.531-532 Perceptual mapping).
Mason: South West.
Steenkamp, J-.B.E.M. (1990). Conceptual model of
the quality perception process. Journal of Business
Gutman, J. (1982). A means-end chain model
Research, 21, 309-333.
based on consumer categorization processes.
Journal of Marketing, 46 (2), 60-72.
Walker, B.E. and J.C. Olson (1991). Means-end
chains: Connecting products with self. Journal of
Wedel, M. and W.A. Kamakura (1998). Market
Business Research, 22, 111-118.
segmentation: Conceptual and methodological
foundations (pp.1-18). Boston: Kluwer.
Grunert, K.G. and S.C. Grunert (1995). Measuring
subjective meaning structures by the laddering
Grunert, K.G. (2019). International segmentation
method: Theoretical considerations and
in the food domain: Issues and approaches. Food
methodological problems. International Journal of
Research International, 115, 311-318.
Research in Marketing, 12, 209-225.
Aaker, D.A., V. Kumar, and G.S. Day (2007).
Rossiter, J.R. (2002). The C-OAR-SE procedure for
scale development in marketing. International Marketing research (9th ed., pp.574-585 Cluster
Journal of Research in Marketing, 19, 305-335. analysis). New York: Wiley.
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Not included in this document is the literature concerning SPSS.
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Marketing and consumer behavior with respect to foods
Introduction
Marketing concerns the exchange processes between seller (firm) and buyer (consumer). It focusses on
policies and strategies which firms adopt to satisfy the needs and wants of the target groups more effectively
than competitors.
Short history
Beginning 20th century: the production concept is the focus on the product itself and on the efficiency of
production and distribution. There was more demand than supply and there was a general lack of money
among consumers.
1910-1920: key issues within marketing are selling, buying, transporting and storing.
1930-1950: basic needs were satisfied. The selling approach was the idea that any product could be sold
through aggressive and effective selling techniques.
Second half 20th century: the marketing concept evolved. Better conditions for consumers (purchase power
increased), and technological development in agriculture. Customers in the food market became more critical
and demanding. Adjustment of market supply to the needs and wants of consumer has become necessary for
success due to the demanding customers and fierce competition. Because of this, marketing management has
become important. It is the process of planning and executing the conception, pricing, promotion and
distribution of ideas, goods, and services to create exchanges that satisfy individual and organizational
objectives. The four main pillars are:
- Market focus
- Customer orientation
- Coordinated marketing
- Profitability
To optimize marketing strategies, marketing research must be conducted.
Marketing
A well-known definition of marketing is: “marketing is a social and managerial process by which individuals and
groups obtain what they need and want through creating, offering and exchanging products of value with
others.”
Marketing is concerned with the exchange process between two or more parties, in which both have
something of value that the other wants. A company can be seen as a marketing system, consisting of several
subsystems. These subsystems are called Strategic Business Units (SBU). These units can be defined in
different ways and focus on their own marketing goals. These marketing objectives have to be realized within
the marketing environment, which consists of all stakeholders involved.
The marketing system uses marketing instruments to realize the marketing objective. At the individual product
level these are the marketing mix (Price, Product, Place, Promotion). Marketing plans are plans in which the
marketing activities are reflected. The development and implementation of these plans are done at subsystem
level (SBU).
Corporate headquarters are responsible for strategic planning, which is defined as the managerial process of
developing and maintaining a viable fit between the organization’s objectives, skills and resources and its
changing market opportunities. The aim of strategic planning is to shape and reshape the company’s business
and products so that they yield target profits and growths. Issues of the corporate marketing strategies are:
- Definition of the company’s mission
- Identification of the SBUs (all with their own responsibilities)
- Analysis and evaluation of the current portfolio of business
