Effect of Religious and Cultural Information of Olive Oil on Consumer Behavior: Evidence from Japan
1
Alliance for Research on the Mediterranean and North Africa, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577, Japan
2
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Alliance for Research on the Mediterranean and North Africa, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577, Japan
3
Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, Alliance for Research on the Mediterranean and North Africa, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577, Japan
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Sustainability 2020, 12(3), 810; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12030810
Received: 18 December 2019 / Revised: 17 January 2020 / Accepted: 19 January 2020 / Published: 22 January 2020
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Tourism Innovations, Consumer Behavior, and Sustainable Development)
The olive tree and oil are iconic in the Mediterranean culture and religions, and producers incorporate those associations into the packaging of olive oil products they distribute regionally. This study examines the impact of religious and cultural information about olive oil on consumer behavior. A choice experiment was conducted to survey Japanese consumers’ willingness to pay for olive oil products. Results show that consumers respond with varying degrees of favor to the characteristic of “produced in pilgrimage destination,” but if cultural and religious information related to olive is provided, their willingness to pay increases 6.7 times. Measurements of cross-effects show that consumers that are more educated respond favorably to cultural and religious imagery, whereas older consumers and those with more children respond less favorably. Empirical results imply those regional religious and cultural allusions could be used to differentiate and promote olive oil products in a culturally distinct market.
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Keywords:
olive oil; religious and cultural attributes; country of origin; choice experiment; willingness to pay
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MDPI and ACS Style
Kitagawa, T.; Kashiwagi, K.; Isoda, H. Effect of Religious and Cultural Information of Olive Oil on Consumer Behavior: Evidence from Japan. Sustainability 2020, 12, 810. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12030810
AMA Style
Kitagawa T, Kashiwagi K, Isoda H. Effect of Religious and Cultural Information of Olive Oil on Consumer Behavior: Evidence from Japan. Sustainability. 2020; 12(3):810. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12030810
Chicago/Turabian StyleKitagawa, Tamaki; Kashiwagi, Kenichi; Isoda, Hiroko. 2020. "Effect of Religious and Cultural Information of Olive Oil on Consumer Behavior: Evidence from Japan" Sustainability 12, no. 3: 810. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12030810
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