"Expert persuasion" can decrease willingness to pay for sugar-containing food

Area of Science:

• Behavioral Economics
• Consumer Psychology
• Public Health Interventions

Background:

• Existing eating nudges often target individual choices, not underlying perceptions of unhealthy foods.
• Consumer perception significantly influences food choices and purchasing behavior.
• Understanding how to shift perception is crucial for effective public health strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of a health expert's narrative on consumers' willingness to pay (WTP) for sugar-containing and sugar-free foods.
• To determine if a narrative emphasizing health risks influences the perceived value of unhealthy food options.
• To explore novel marketing strategies for promoting healthier eating habits.

Main Methods:

• Participants engaged in a bidding task to determine their WTP for sugar-free and sugar-containing sweets.
• An experimental design was employed, with participants exposed to either a health expert's narrative on sugar risks or a control narrative.
• Willingness to pay was measured before and after the narrative intervention.

Main Results:

• The health expert's narrative significantly decreased participants' WTP for sugar-containing food products.
• No significant change in WTP was observed for sugar-free food products following the narrative.
• Consumers devalued unhealthy food options in response to health-focused messaging.

Conclusions:

• Health expert narratives can effectively reduce the perceived value of unhealthy foods.
• Shifting consumer perception by devaluing unhealthy options is a viable strategy for promoting healthier eating.
• Findings support the development of innovative marketing approaches to guide consumer food choices.