Browsing by Author "Pereira, Sofia Alexandre Santos"
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- Effectiveness of health vs. sustainability messaging in marketing organic pet foodPublication . Pereira, Sofia Alexandre Santos; Costa, AnaThe organic pet food market is growing at a fast pace because of the humanization of pets as well as changes in consumer behaviour, with pet owners being increasingly likely to buy products claiming health and/or sustainability benefits. This study sought to determine what the most effective marketing communication strategy for organic dry dog food is, in terms of influencing purchase intentions, by comparing the outcomes of health-focused, sustainabilityfocused and dual-benefit (health + sustainability) marketing messages. Following a betweensubjects experimental design, online survey participants (Portuguese dog owners and caregivers) were randomly exposed to mock-ups of product packaging featuring one of these message types, and their perception of message effectiveness, overall product evaluation, purchase intention, socio-demographic characteristics and consumption profile were assessed. Results revealed that exposure to the health-focused message led to higher product liking and purchase intention than to the sustainability-focused message. Meanwhile, exposure to the dual-benefit message improved the perception of message effectiveness but did not outperform health-focused communications in driving buying intentions. Moreover, findings highlight the mediating role of perceived message effectiveness and the moderating influence of a consumer-specific factor: the health needs of pets. These insights provide actionable guidance for marketers aiming to design more effective communication strategies that resonate with diverse consumer values in the organic pet food sector.