Comportamento do consumidor de frutas, legumes e verduras em feiras locais: valores pessoais e segurança alimentar como determinantes de estratégias de comunicação de marketing

Abstract

Consumption of fruits and vegetables (FV) is essential for maintaining a healthy life. Amid environmental challenges, issues of health and food safety, the demand for healthier, natural, sustainably produced, and traceable foods has been growing. Consumers have demonstrated increased consciousness and attentiveness in their food purchasing decisions, guided, among other factors, by their personal values. Identifying these values is relevant as it provides insights for marketing processes, communication, and policy formulation that significantly impact consumption patterns. As a general objective, this work aims to identify attributes, consequences, and personal values, as well as aspects related to food safety, guiding the buying behavior of FVG consumers in local markets and, based on this understanding, to develop and evaluate a communication framework capable of delivering effective messages to the consuming public. To fulfill the general objective, three specific objectives were proposed, each achieved through the development of a scientific article. The first article concerns an integrative review, which analyzes international scientific production regarding the topic of personal values as guides to behavior concerning food safety. The study presents an integrative framework that synthesizes the main findings in the literature regarding the research topic, while also providing a research agenda for future investigations. The second article deals with the empirical application of the Means-End Chain Theory (MEC) to determine the cognitive structure motivating the behavior of local market FV consumers, as well as aspects related to food safety observed by consumers. For this purpose, a qualitative research employing the laddering interview technique was conducted. It was observed that consumers seek both individual benefits, such as satisfaction and health, and social benefits, such as support for the local economy. When addressing food safety, interviewees highlighted concerns related to hygiene, organization, display, and handling of products at the market. Finally, the third article aimed to develop and assess the effectiveness of a communication model based on a framework that includes the elements of the means-end chain. Methodologically, a comparison was made among the consuming public between a model developed based on the Means-End Components Conceptualization of Advertising Strategy (MECCAS model) and another conventionally developed. Furthermore, the model was analyzed from a managerial perspective, identifying the benefits and potential limitations of its practical application. The piece created following the guidelines of the MECCAS model, considering different levels of abstraction, demonstrated greater effectiveness in achieving communication objectives. The work presents a distinct approach by employing the MECCAS methodology in creating a communication strategy focused on food safety. The results of this thesis fill a gap in the literature by addressing an in- depth understanding of the interconnection between consumers' personal values, the search for food safety, and the effectiveness of communication strategies at local fruit and vegetable markets.