When Utilitarian Claims Backfire: Advertising Content and the Uptake of Insects as Food

Area of Science:

• Consumer Psychology
• Environmental Psychology
• Food Science

Background:

• Western societies heavily rely on conventional meat, contributing to high climate costs.
• Insects are proposed by the UN (FAO) as a sustainable alternative protein source.
• Insects have not gained mainstream acceptance in Western diets.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effectiveness of different promotional strategies for insect consumption.
• To examine the psychological factors influencing consumer acceptance of insects as food.
• To challenge the current promotional approach focusing on utilitarian benefits.

Main Methods:

• A consumer research study with 180 participants in Germany.
• Experimental manipulation of promotional claims (utilitarian vs. hedonic).
• Analysis of consumption intentions and mediating psychological processes.

Main Results:

• Claims focusing on distant benefits (e.g., health, environment) counterintuitively decreased consumption.
• Claims emphasizing immediate, hedonic aspects (e.g., taste) were more effective.
• Pretrial expectations induced by claims mediated the effect on consumption.

Conclusions:

• Current promotional strategies for insect consumption are ineffective.
• Hedonic appeals are more successful than utilitarian appeals in promoting insect-based foods.
• Understanding psychological mediators is crucial for developing effective insect food marketing.