Food Consumption Behaviour: the Patterns of Change and Influence of Selected New Zealand Consumers

Abstract

The Marketing concept has been defined as a "customer orientation backed by integrated marketing aimed at generating customer satisfaction as the key to satisfying organisational goals" 1. Philip Kotler, Marketing Management: Analysis, Planning & Control, 2nd Ed (Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall Inc, 1972), p 17. In accordance with this, marketing strategy is becoming increasingly concerned with two major issues - market segmentation and new product development. Both these issues require an understanding of the present nature of consumer behaviour, and also an understanding of innovative consumer behaviour to assess the directions of change. For New Zealand food consumption to the present time, there has been no comprehensive study undertaken and so the primary aim of this research was to fill such a research gap. The specific objectives were: 1) To examine the preference and consumption patterns for food of selected New Zealand food consumers in relation to particular socio-psychological and demographical characteristics. 2). To examine the nature and direction of influence processes in relation to particular socio-psychological and demographic characteristics. 3) To interpret the nature and directions of change in food habits for food marketers, nutritionists, and health educators. These objectives were investigated from data provided by a sample of 286 selected New Zealand consumers 2 This represented a response rate of 63.6 percent. At the individual level, the research was based on a decision-making model of consumer behaviour. Segmentation analysis, considering innovative consumer segments, was used for the aggregated evaluation. A type of "buyer behaviour" segmentation 3 This approach differs from other more traditional approaches to segmentation in that the basic framework is provided by strategic divisions within the dependent variable being considered was used, and consumer segments were identified in terms of socio-psychological and demographic characteristics. The results of the study were interpreted for food marketers, for nutritionists and health educators, as well as for theory.