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It’s only natural: the mediating impact of consumers’ attribute inferences on the relationships between product claims, perceived product healthfulness, and purchase intentions

Author

Listed:
  • Christopher Berry

    (Colorado State University)

  • Scot Burton

    (University of Arkansas)

  • Elizabeth Howlett

    (Washington State University)

Abstract

Foods positioned as natural, all-natural, and 100% natural can be found across a wide variety of product categories. However, the FDA has not provided a formal definition of the term “natural,” and this has resulted in a surge in class action lawsuits filed against manufacturers due to the potentially misleading use of natural claims. Activation theory and the inferential processing literature serve as the conceptual foundation for three studies that examine the effects of natural claims on consumers’ attribute inferences and product evaluations. Results suggest that natural claims affect consumers’ attribute inferences, which in turn influence product evaluations. Furthermore, findings show that the provision of objective information regarding the ambiguity of natural claims moderates the effects of these claims on consumers’ attribute inferences and product evaluations. The implications for marketing management, those involved in litigation driven by potentially deceptive natural claims, and the policy community are discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Christopher Berry & Scot Burton & Elizabeth Howlett, 2017. "It’s only natural: the mediating impact of consumers’ attribute inferences on the relationships between product claims, perceived product healthfulness, and purchase intentions," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 45(5), pages 698-719, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:joamsc:v:45:y:2017:i:5:d:10.1007_s11747-016-0511-8
    DOI: 10.1007/s11747-016-0511-8
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Wilson, Lacey & Lusk, Jayson L., 2020. "Consumer willingness to pay for redundant food labels," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 97(C).
    2. Abhishek Borah & Francesca Bonetti & Angelito Calma & José Martí-Parreño, 2023. "The Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science at 50: A historical analysis," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 51(1), pages 222-243, January.
    3. Rybak, Garrett & Burton, Scot & Johnson, Alicia M. & Berry, Christopher, 2021. "Promoted claims on food product packaging: Comparing direct and indirect effects of processing and nutrient content claims," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 135(C), pages 464-479.
    4. Jingwen Liu & Peng Zou & Yu Ma, 2022. "The Effect of Air Pollution on Food Preferences," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 50(2), pages 410-423, March.
    5. Agnieszka Dudziak & Anna Kocira, 2022. "Preference-Based Determinants of Consumer Choice on the Polish Organic Food Market," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(17), pages 1-18, September.
    6. Christopher L. Newman & Scot Burton & J. Craig Andrews & Richard G. Netemeyer & Jeremy Kees, 2018. "Marketers’ use of alternative front-of-package nutrition symbols: An examination of effects on product evaluations," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 46(3), pages 453-476, May.
    7. Jacob Suher & Courtney Szocs & Koert Ittersum, 2021. "When imperfect is preferred: the differential effect of aesthetic imperfections on choice of processed and unprocessed foods," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 49(5), pages 903-924, September.
    8. Amaradri Mukherjee & Ronn J. Smith & Scot Burton, 2023. "The effect of positive anticipatory utility on product pre‑order evaluations and choices," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 51(3), pages 551-569, May.
    9. Giuseppina Migliore & Massimiliano Borrello & Alessia Lombardi & Giorgio Schifani, 2018. "Consumers’ willingness to pay for natural food: evidence from an artefactual field experiment," Agricultural and Food Economics, Springer;Italian Society of Agricultural Economics (SIDEA), vol. 6(1), pages 1-10, December.
    10. Dipayan Biswas & Kaisa Lund & Courtney Szocs, 2019. "Sounds like a healthy retail atmospheric strategy: Effects of ambient music and background noise on food sales," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 47(1), pages 37-55, January.
    11. Bauner, Christoph & Lavoie, Nathalie, 2024. "Are "Clean" Foods "Healthy"?," 2024 Annual Meeting, July 28-30, New Orleans, LA 343779, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    12. Septianto, Felix & Sung, Billy & Duong, Chien & Conroy, Denise, 2023. "Are two reasons better than one? How natural and ethical appeals influence consumer preferences for clean meat," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    13. Cao, Zixia & Yan, Ruiliang, 2021. "Product nutrition, innovation, advertising, and firm’s financial gains," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 133(C), pages 13-22.
    14. Rybak, Garrett & Burton, Scot & Berry, Christopher, 2024. "Reducing the negative impact of ultra-processed foods: Consumer response to natural claims, organic claims, and processing level disclosures," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 177(C).
    15. María Teresa García-Nieto & Juan Enrique Gonzálvez-Vallés & Mónica Viñarás-Abad, 2021. "Social Responsibility and Misleading Advertising of Health Products on the Radio. The Opinion of the Professionals," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(13), pages 1-15, June.
    16. Rosanna K. Smith & Elham Yazdani & Pengyuan Wang & Saber Soleymani & Lan Anh N. Ton, 2022. "The cost of looking natural: Why the no-makeup movement may fail to discourage cosmetic use," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 50(2), pages 324-337, March.
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    18. Robert Mai & Stefan Hoffmann & Ingo Balderjahn, 2021. "When drivers become inhibitors of organic consumption: the need for a multistage view," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 49(6), pages 1151-1174, November.

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