Consumer Perceptions on Food Production Companies’ Brand Strategy and Customer Experience Alignment

Sharon Candy Manguerra-Mahusay; Guanwei Liu

doi:10.18535/sshj.v8i07.1209

Abstract

This study explores consumer views on the alignment between brand strategy and customer experiences in food producing enterprises in Chinese setting. The research aims to analyze the complex dynamics that influence customer attitudes by examining familiarity, personal experience, components of interaction that align with the brand's identity, and instances of uncertainty or conflict.

By conducting in-depth interviews, a wide range of consumer groups were actively involved to obtain detailed and subtle observations. The study focused on collecting the many aspects of customer experiences, analyzing their interactions and experiences with food manufacturing firms.

Consumers showed different levels of perceptual alignment. Positive alignment impressions were highly impacted by familiarity with brand message and personal experiences. Factors such as clear and open communication, environmentally friendly methods, and constant high quality consistently have a favorable impact. Nevertheless, instances of misalignment were detected, namely in situations when promoted values contradicted actual experiences.

The findings emphasize the crucial importance of communication, sustainability, quality, and technology in promoting a strong brand affinity. The main focus of consumer ideas for development were around improving communication, adopting transparent processes, and ensuring that organizations really reflect their brand claims.

This research highlights the significance of matching brand strategy with concrete consumer experiences in the food manufacturing industry. Customer insights provide practical suggestions, highlighting the need of clear communication, environmentally-friendly methods, and reliable quality to close the gap between brand objectives and customer encounters.

Keywords

PerceptionBideshIn-out MigrationMigrant-WorkersMigration-CultureBad-Jobs

References

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[refR-1] Armstrong, G., Kotler, P., Opresnik, M. O. (2019). Marketing: An Introduction. United Kingdom: Pearson.Google Scholar ↗

[refR-2] Bhandari, P. (2023). What Is Qualitative Research? | Methods & Examples. Scribbr. https://www.scribbr.com/methodology/qualitative-research/.Google Scholar ↗

[refR-3] Barijan, D., Ariningsih, E. P., & Rahmawati, F. (2021). The influence of brand trust, brand familiarity, and brand experience on brand attachments. Journal of Digital Marketing and Halal Industry, 3(1), 73-84.Google Scholar ↗

[refR-4] Braun, V. & Clarke, V. (2021). Thematic Analysis: A Practical Guide. United Kingdom: SAGE Publications.Google Scholar ↗

[refR-5] Chacko, A. (2023, June). Brand experience: Why it matters and how to build one that works. Sprout Social. https://sproutsocial.com/insights/brand-experience/.Google Scholar ↗

[refR-6] Čivić, B., & Ćilimković, D. (2022). Key Features Of Brand Management And Customer Behavior In The Market Of Food Products In Bosnia And Herzegovina. Ekonomske Ideje I Praksa, (45).Google Scholar ↗

[refR-7] Clark, S. (2020). Does Your Brand Experience Align With Your Customer Experience? CMSWire. https://www.cmswire.com/customer-experience/does-your-brand-experience-align-with-your-customer-experience/.Google Scholar ↗

[refR-8] Clatworthy, S. D. (2019). The Experience-Centric Organization: How To Win Through Customer Experience. O'Reilly Media.Google Scholar ↗

[refR-9] Dang, D. (2023). Brand Image: Brand image effects on customer experience: Itsudemo Company. LAB University of Applied Sciences, Finland.Google Scholar ↗

[refR-10] Dewoody, A. (2020, December). Creating a Brand Identity That Competes and Compels. Entrepreneur. https://www.entrepreneur.com/starting-a-business/creating-a-brand-identity-that-competes-and-compels/358856.Google Scholar ↗

[refR-11] Eriksson, N. (2022). How to build a brand: Evoking the right emotions in audience perception. Sweden: Umeå UniversityGoogle Scholar ↗

[refR-12] Ernst & Young (2021). The Seven Faces of Chinese Consumers. Ernst & Young Global Limited, China. https://assets.ey.com/content/dam/ey-sites/ey-com/en_cn/topics/consumer-products/ey-report-the-seven-faces-of-chinas-consumer-en.pdf?download.Google Scholar ↗

[refR-13] Eskiev, M.A. (2023). The Meaning and Role of the Positioning Process in Brand Management. SHS Web of Conferences 172, 05008. https://doi.org/10.1051/shsconf/202317205008DOI ↗Google Scholar ↗

[refR-14] Frey, B. (2018). The SAGE Encyclopedia of Educational Research, Measurement, and Evaluation. United States: SAGE Publications.Google Scholar ↗

[refR-15] Kapooria, P. J., & Karnik, P. (2019). Customer obsession: A key to incredible customer experience. Prestige International Journal of Management and Research, 127.Google Scholar ↗

[refR-16] Kotler, P., Armstrong, G., Opresnik, M. O. (2020). Principles of Marketing.Google Scholar ↗

[refR-17] Netherlands: Pearson.Google Scholar ↗

[refR-18] Kotler, P., Keller, K. L. (2021). Marketing Management, Global Edition. United Kingdom: Pearson Education.Google Scholar ↗

[refR-19] Law, M. (2020). Official guide to brand storytelling in China. Daxue Consulting. https://daxueconsulting.com/brand-storytelling-in-china/.Google Scholar ↗

[refR-20] Martinho, V. J. P. D. (2020). Food marketing as a special ingredient in consumer choices: the main insights from existing literature. Foods, 9(11), 1651.Google Scholar ↗

[refR-21] McDade, S. (2022, August). The Connection Between Brand & Customer Experience. Aespire. https://www.aespire.com/blog/connection-between-brand-customer-experience.Google Scholar ↗

[refR-22] Merriam, S. B., & Grenier, R. S. (Eds.). (2019). Qualitative Research in Practice: Examples for Discussion and Analysis. John Wiley & Sons.Google Scholar ↗

[refR-23] Mishra, O. (2020). Communicating a company's higher purpose to conscious consumers through online behavioural advertising. The Marketing Review, 20(1-2), 93-108.Google Scholar ↗

[refR-24] Morgan, B. (2019, June). 100 Of The Most Customer-Centric Companies. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/blakemorgan/2019/06/30/100-of-the-most-customer-centric-companies/?sh=5d7ec9da63c3.Google Scholar ↗

[refR-25] Motta-Filho, M. A. (2021). Brand experience manual: bridging the gap between brand strategy and customer experience. Review of Managerial Science, 15(5), 1173-1204.Google Scholar ↗

[refR-26] Mu, J., & Zhu, Q. (2023). Social co-governance for sustainable brand in food industry: dynamic evolutionary game among multiple stakeholders. Journal of Industrial & Management Optimization, 19(10).Google Scholar ↗

[refR-27] Patton, M. Q. (2023). Qualitative Research & Evaluation Methods: Integrating Theory and Practice. United States: SAGE Publications.Google Scholar ↗

[refR-28] Pavlou, C. (2022, January). What’s the importance of building customer relationships? TalentLMS. https://www.talentlms.com/blog/building-strong-relationship-with-customers/.Google Scholar ↗

[refR-29] Van de Sand, F., Frison, A., Zotz, P., Riener, A., Holl, K. (2019). User Experience Is Brand Experience: The Psychology Behind Successful Digital Products and Services. Germany: Springer International Publishing.Google Scholar ↗

[refR-30] Walker, R. (2023, April). Why Customer Service is the Backbone of a Successful Brand Strategy. LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-customer-service-backbone-successful-brand-strategy-walker.Google Scholar ↗

[refR-31] Wang, N., & Mohammad Shah, K. A. (2023). The impact of ecological innovation on the food production quality: mediating role of environmental awareness. Economic Research-Ekonomska Istraživanja, 36(3), 2163682.Google Scholar ↗

[refR-32] Wheeler, A. (2018). Designing Brand Identity: An Essential Guide for the Whole Branding Team. John Wiley & Sons.Google Scholar ↗

[refR-33] Xu, J., Zhang, Z., Zhang, X., et al. (2020). Green food development in China: Experiences and challenges. Agriculture, 10(12), 614.Google Scholar ↗

[refR-34] Yao, W. & Zhu, Y. (2022, April). Brand Strategy Contributes to CHANEL’s High Brand Loyalty. In 2022 7th International Conference on Social Sciences and Economic Development (ICSSED 2022) (pp. 1539-1545). Atlantis Press.Google Scholar ↗

[refR-35] Zhang, S., Qian, J., Wu, C., He, D., Zhang, W., Yan, J., & He, X. (2022). Tasting More Than Just Food: Effect of Aesthetic Appeal of Plate Patterns on Food Perception. Foods. 11(7):931. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11070931.DOI ↗Google Scholar ↗

[refR-36] Zhao, G., Ding, Y., Wen, C., & Cao, S. (2022). Research on Marketing Strategy Based on Consumer Behavior—Taking S Company as an Example. International Journal of Business and Economics Research. 11(2): 75-80.Google Scholar ↗