Background: The current unsustainable situation of the seafood industry requires innovative solutions and there is an opportunity for companies to provide consumers with plant-based options which would enable them to eat seafood without harming the oceans. However, there are still several barriers keeping consumers from choosing plant-based products, such as limited knowledge, social norms, and cultural settings. Previous studies regarding how a cultural context and storytelling might be used to influence people towards more plant-based eating, especially relating to plant-based seafood are limited. Therefore, it is interesting to examine how companies offering plant-based foods can use culture and certain narratives held by consumers in their branding to integrate them into the Swedish culture and influence consumers towards a more sustainable consumption. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate what narratives influence consumers, and how companies offering plant-based food can use these narratives to drive a change towards more sustainable consumption among people in Sweden. Method: Using a semi-structured approach, two focus groups were conducted and two different companies offering plant-based food were interviewed. Furthermore, this qualitative research uses an inductive approach, and the gathered data was later analyzed under a thematic analysis which was the foundation for the conceptual framework. Conclusion: The myths and narrative towards plant-based substitutes are a noteworthy barrier to adoption, and cultural branding seems to be a favorable strategy for brands offering plant-based food. The findings suggest that culture and childhood experiences have a substantial influence on consumer demand for different types of foods, and that a change in dietary patterns requires a change in the surrounding cultural norms. Brands offering plant-based products need to understand the cultural norms of their target customers and leverage cultural contradictions to offer products that align with personal values.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:hj-60858 |
| Date | January 2023 |
| Creators | Emanuelsson, Alice, Gustafsson, Lisa, Jacobsson, Märta |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
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