What Turns a Product into a Traditional One?

Area of Science:

• Consumer behavior
• Food science
• Sensory analysis

Background:

• Growing consumer interest in traditional food products (TFPs) necessitates understanding their perceived traditional image.
• The seven dimensions of TFPs and their contribution to product perception remain unclear.
• The influence of habit, product involvement, and knowledge on perceived traditional character is unexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate how traditional food concept dimensions influence mezcal and tequila perception.
• To segment consumers based on their perception of traditional character in these beverages.

Main Methods:

• Survey of 800 consumers across four Mexican cities.
• Questionnaire assessing traditional food concept dimensions, habit, involvement, knowledge, and consumption patterns.
• Cluster analysis to segment consumers based on traditional character perception.

Main Results:

• Traditional concept dimensions enhance understanding of product traditional character.
• Frequent consumption does not always correlate with perceived traditional character.
• Three consumer segments were identified for both mezcal and tequila.
• Geographic location, special dates, and sensory attributes are key determinants of traditional perception.

Conclusions:

• The study clarifies the contribution of traditional food concept dimensions to product perception.
• Consumer segmentation reveals variations in the importance of traditional dimensions.
• Findings support targeted strategies for promoting responsible consumption of traditional beverages.