Disconfirmation of Taste as a Measure of Trust in Brands: An Experimental Study on Mineral Water

The underlying factors of the purchase decision process of bottled mineral water have been a less studied area. The typically related attributes of consumer judgement in the case of low involvement can vary widely, ranging from price sensitivity to habits. However, assessing the role of brand reputa...

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Main Authors: Elena Kokthi, Ledia Thoma, Reka Saary, Aniko Kelemen-Erdos
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2022-04-01
Series:Foods
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/11/9/1276
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author Elena Kokthi
Ledia Thoma
Reka Saary
Aniko Kelemen-Erdos
author_facet Elena Kokthi
Ledia Thoma
Reka Saary
Aniko Kelemen-Erdos
author_sort Elena Kokthi
collection DOAJ
description The underlying factors of the purchase decision process of bottled mineral water have been a less studied area. The typically related attributes of consumer judgement in the case of low involvement can vary widely, ranging from price sensitivity to habits. However, assessing the role of brand reputation and trust from a sensory perception perspective is not a common approach. This paper examines the impact of trust on consumer value judgements for a frequently consumed beverage such as mineral water. Combining trust and sensory attributes with the Expectation–Disconfirmation Theory (EDT) framework provides insights into the weight of taste, trust and reputation in product evaluation. A tasting experiment was carried out using a representative systematic random sampling method. A mixed method was applied; EDT was used to analyze quantitative data and grounded theory methodology was performed in the case of qualitative data. Results indicate complete assimilation for the most preferred brand and negative contrast for less well-known brands. It can be stated that the applied methodology is suitable as a certain kind of trust measurement and also can function particularly well as a reinforcement and complement to other methodologies (e.g., neuromarketing methods). This study suggests that brand names positively influence value judgment. Origin bounded brands compared to imported brands can help companies mitigate trust issues in developing countries as they convey a particular reputation, which helps reinforce trust.
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spelling doaj.art-752b3e4b3dc84d9db2188b255a063c6a2023-11-23T08:13:12ZengMDPI AGFoods2304-81582022-04-01119127610.3390/foods11091276Disconfirmation of Taste as a Measure of Trust in Brands: An Experimental Study on Mineral WaterElena Kokthi0Ledia Thoma1Reka Saary2Aniko Kelemen-Erdos3Faculty of Biotechnology and Food, Agriculture University of Tirana, P.C. 1000 Tirana, AlbaniaFaculty of Economics and Agribusiness, Agriculture University of Tirana, P.C. 1000 Tirana, AlbaniaKeleti Károly Faculty of Business and Management, Óbuda University, P.C. 1084 Budapest, HungaryKeleti Károly Faculty of Business and Management, Óbuda University, P.C. 1084 Budapest, HungaryThe underlying factors of the purchase decision process of bottled mineral water have been a less studied area. The typically related attributes of consumer judgement in the case of low involvement can vary widely, ranging from price sensitivity to habits. However, assessing the role of brand reputation and trust from a sensory perception perspective is not a common approach. This paper examines the impact of trust on consumer value judgements for a frequently consumed beverage such as mineral water. Combining trust and sensory attributes with the Expectation–Disconfirmation Theory (EDT) framework provides insights into the weight of taste, trust and reputation in product evaluation. A tasting experiment was carried out using a representative systematic random sampling method. A mixed method was applied; EDT was used to analyze quantitative data and grounded theory methodology was performed in the case of qualitative data. Results indicate complete assimilation for the most preferred brand and negative contrast for less well-known brands. It can be stated that the applied methodology is suitable as a certain kind of trust measurement and also can function particularly well as a reinforcement and complement to other methodologies (e.g., neuromarketing methods). This study suggests that brand names positively influence value judgment. Origin bounded brands compared to imported brands can help companies mitigate trust issues in developing countries as they convey a particular reputation, which helps reinforce trust.https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/11/9/1276brand equitybrand managementExpectation–Disconfirmation Theorygrounded theoryasymmetric disconfirmationbottled mineral water
spellingShingle Elena Kokthi
Ledia Thoma
Reka Saary
Aniko Kelemen-Erdos
Disconfirmation of Taste as a Measure of Trust in Brands: An Experimental Study on Mineral Water
Foods
brand equity
brand management
Expectation–Disconfirmation Theory
grounded theory
asymmetric disconfirmation
bottled mineral water
title Disconfirmation of Taste as a Measure of Trust in Brands: An Experimental Study on Mineral Water
title_full Disconfirmation of Taste as a Measure of Trust in Brands: An Experimental Study on Mineral Water
title_fullStr Disconfirmation of Taste as a Measure of Trust in Brands: An Experimental Study on Mineral Water
title_full_unstemmed Disconfirmation of Taste as a Measure of Trust in Brands: An Experimental Study on Mineral Water
title_short Disconfirmation of Taste as a Measure of Trust in Brands: An Experimental Study on Mineral Water
title_sort disconfirmation of taste as a measure of trust in brands an experimental study on mineral water
topic brand equity
brand management
Expectation–Disconfirmation Theory
grounded theory
asymmetric disconfirmation
bottled mineral water
url https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/11/9/1276
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AT rekasaary disconfirmationoftasteasameasureoftrustinbrandsanexperimentalstudyonmineralwater
AT anikokelemenerdos disconfirmationoftasteasameasureoftrustinbrandsanexperimentalstudyonmineralwater