Table Of ContentGesunde Ernahrung
Schriftenreihe der Dr. Rainer Wild-Stiftung
Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg GmbH
Karin Bergmann
Dealing with consumer
uncertainty
Public Relations in the Food Sector
With 15 Charts, 64 Tables,
and 20 Graphs
Springer
Dr. Karin Bergmann
Food Relations
Geisenhausenerstr. 18
81379 Miinchen
Germany
ISBN 978-3-642-07638-1 ISBN 978-3-662-04833-7 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-3-662-04833-7
Die Deutsche Bibliothek - CIP-Einheitsaufnahme
Bergmann, Karin:
Dealing with consumer uncertainty: public relations in the food sector /
Karin Bergmann. - Berlin; Heidelberg; New York; Barcelona; Hong Kong;
London; Milan; Paris; Tokyo: Springer, 2002
(Gesunde Ernahrung)
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Author's Preface
My studies on the "uncertain consumer" began with a research project con-
ducted by the Dr. Rainer Wild-Stiftung - Foundation for healthy nutrition - on
the negative image of processed food. Ever since then I have been asked
whether or not growing consumer uncertainty is linked to information poli-
cies of the food sector and if so, how. Intensive three-year research showed that
industrial methods of food production are predestined to result in wayward
fears and worry over its healthiness. This is due to the fact that during the
process of industrialisation, we gradually passed responsibility for the quality
of food into the producers' hands. This, in turn, has resulted in information
gaps that we, as the addressees of diverse, often overwhelming and contradic-
tory information supplied by varying sources, feel today. We exchanged the
daily search for food for the daily search for information long ago. Conse-
quently, a practical concept for public relations stands at the end of my re-
search into the uncertain consumer. It accounts for uncertainty regarding
processed food as a point of reference for public relations targeted towards
various groups. Public relations oriented towards the future calls for the
sharing of expert information with all interested consumers. It is the goal of
businesses to actively build up trust among the consumers in order to be
prepared for new causes for uncertainty appearing periodically. To this day the
issue of consumer uncertainty has not lost its topicality. The European BSE
crisis unsettled the traditional behaviour of producers and consumers and
will now bring forth a new kind of communication between the producers and
consumers of food.
As a result of the translation, generously funded by the Stiftung zur F6rderung
der Deutschen Gesellschaft fUr Ernahrung e. V. (Foundation for the Promotion
of the German Nutrition Society), by the Nestle Deutschland AG and by the
Nestle Suisse S. A., this book can - within an international readership - effec-
tively contribute to the success of this new approach. I am very grateful to
those three sponsors for their interest in my work.
I would like to specially thank all those who made this work possible. With the
help of intensive financial and organisational support from the Dr. Rainer
Wild-Stiftung from 1994 to 1997, the present results were originally turned in
v
as a doctoral thesis at the Justus Liebig University in GieBen, Germany. Prof
Dr Ingrid-Ute Leonhauser of the Department for Consumer Behaviour and
Nutrition Counselling supervised the dissertation. Those years of working
under such excellent conditions continues to allow me to work with the aware-
ness of being able to rely on a treasure of ideas and knowledge that will serve
for a long time to come.
I am also grateful to the employees of the Dr. Rainer Wild -Stiftung who patiently
supported this book and contributed much to its success, especially to Gesa
Schonberger, Dr Uwe Spiekermann, Michaelc;t Schneider and Friederike Busse.
The translation was carried out professionally and very close to the original
book, entitled "Der verunsicherte Verbraucher - Neue Ansatze zur unter-
nehmerischen Informationsstrategie in der Lebensmittelbranche", by Karina
Gorner of Dresden, Germany. I would like to personally thank her.
Every book has its very own evolution which, amongst other things, is
influenced by the people around the author. For me, those people were Frank
Malorny, Dr Uta Werner and Dr Nicola Becker. I dedicate this book to those
three people, with whom - today more than ever before - I have an enriching
interchange on professional challenges and personal concepts of life.
October 2001 Dr Karin Bergmann
VI
Foreword
This study conducted by Karin Bergmann aims to develop target-group ori-
ented public relations and information policies for the food industry.
Food-related consumer uncertainty is a major topic of public discussion in
Germany. This uncertainty appears most often in connection with new food
products as well as with food processing, food technologies and food scares
such as BSE. According to representatives of consumer organisations, indus-
trially produced food distributed on a global market provides a basis for con-
sumer uncertainty. These foods are thought to affect the health and well-being
of the consumers. Consumers react by refraining from buying these foods or
by buying unprocessed foods directly from regional producers. Experts state
that the underlying reasons for consumer uncertainty are subjective and, thus,
do not meet the requirements of objective and scientifically-based criteria for
influencing the state of health. As systematically conducted studies and data
regarding this topic are lacking, the author's intention is to explore empirically
the phenomenon of consumer uncertainty using the example of convenience
food.
As a result of a number of food scandals, most European countries have
acknowledged the need for more information on determinants of consumer
behaviour and for better protection in consumption. This study makes an im-
portant contribution to solving the problems mentioned.
The research project was accepted as a PhD thesis by the department of
Nutritional Sciences and Home Economics at the Justus Liebig University in
Giessen, Germany.
Prof Dr Ingrid-Ute Leonhiiuser
VII
Contents
Charts XIII
Tables XV
Graphs XIX
1 Introduction 1
1.1 Information in the Food Sector - A Parameter
of Consumer Uncertainty? 1
1.2 Goal and Structure of the Book . . . . . . 3
2 Uncertainty and Diet in Industrial Society 5
2.1 "Security" and "Uncertainty" in the Context
of the Development of Industrial Society . . 5
2.1.1 The Term "Security" According to Kaufmann 5
2.1.2 Uncertainty and Hierarchy of Values 6
2·1.3 Uncertainty and Perception of Risks 8
2·1.4 Summary ............. . 10
2.2 Consumer Uncertainty in the Food Sector 10
2.2.1 The Term "Diet-Related Consumer Uncertainty" 10
2.2.2 Diet-Related Uncertainty as Subjective Diet Problem 11
2.2·3 Differences to Consumer Distrust . . . . . . . 12
2.2·4 The Negative Image of Food as a Consequence
of Diet -Related Uncertainty . . . . . . . 14
2.2·5 Reasons and Influencing Factors 16
2.2·5·1 Market Diversity and Information Needs 16
2.2.5.2 Appreciation of Food Products .... . 20
2.2·5·3 Evaluation of Nutritional Risks .... . 22
2.2·5·4 Attitude towards Health and Risk Behaviour 23
Nutrition Information in and Economic Interests
2.2·5·5
of the Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
2.2.5.6 Food Scandals . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
2.2.5.7 Information Overload of Consumers 27
IX
2.2·5.8 Information Needs of the Consumer 29
2.2·5·9 Communication Behaviour of Businesses . . . . . . . 35
2.2.6 Dimensions and Effects of Diet -Related Uncertainty -
A Model .................... . 38
2.2·7 Summary ................... . 45
2·3 Public Relations and Business Communications
for Building Trust ............... . 46
2·3·1 Basics ..................... . 46
2.3.2 Public Relations as a Means for Influencing Image 50
2·3·3 Peculiarities of the Social Marketing Approach 51
2·3·4 Target Group Formation in Public Relations 53
2·3·5 Summary ................. . 54
3 Diet-Related Uncertainty: Empirical Results 57
3-l The Expert Discussion .......... . 57
3·2 The Representative Poll .......... . 63
3·2.1 Goals and Methodological Design of the Study 63
3.2.2 Conception of the Questionnaire 64
3·2·3 Polling ................ . 68
3·2·4 Results of the Representative Poll . . . 71
3.2.4.1 Explanation of the Evaluation Methods 71
3·2-4-2 Description of the Sample . . . . . . . 73
3·2·4·3 Consumer Uncertainty in the Self-Assessment 74
3·2·4·4 Attitude Analysis and Group Formation 80
3·2·4·5 The Connection Between Attitude and Uncertainty 87
3·2·4·6 Sociodemography . . . 89
3·2-4-7 Practical Consequences 94
3.2.4·8 Eating Enjoyment . . . 103
3·2·4·9 Information Needs 107
3.2.4.10 Evaluation of Available Information 115
3.2.5 Selected Results from Participants Working
in the Food and Health Sectors ...... . 133
3·2.6 Summary and Critical Evaluation of the Poll Results 144
4 Recommendations for the Organisation
ofTarget Group Work within the Framework
of Business Information Policy . . . 157
Image as a Criterion of Segmentation . . 157
Explanations on Method ....... . 158
Description of the Target Group Profiles 161
x
4·3·1 The Negative Segment . 164
4·3·2 The Indifferent Segment 165
4·3·3 The Positive Segment . 166
4·3·4 Food-Related and Health-Related Occupational Fields 166
4·4 Goals of Public Relations 167
4·5 Informational Content 171
4·6 Means of Information 175
4·7 Summary 179
5 Summary and Outlook 181
Literature . . . 185
Appendix . .. 203
Subject Index 215
XI
