How can consumer involvement be changed through communication campaigns? An information content choice model applied to the olive oil case

Abstract

PurposeInvolvement has been one of the most studied variables in the field of marketing due to its determinant role in consumer behaviour, but always as a contextual or mediating variable. Taking its relationship with knowledge as the starting point, in this work, the purpose of this paper is to examine how to use the choice of information content in communication campaigns to drive up the level of involvement. A new method based on Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) models is applied to the case of olive oil.Design/methodology/approachQuantitative research has been used for the proposed objectives of this work. Specifically, a computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI) has been conducted in several Spanish provinces using a structured questionnaire. Data obtained from 829 consumers are used.FindingsThe results support that consumer involvement with the product is related to objective knowledge about the product and its demand. Moreover, involvement can be modified through objective knowledge or information. Specifically, consumer involvement can be increased by the choice and communication of an optimal combination of five specific pieces of information (SPIs)Originality/valueIn this paper, involvement is considered as a result variable, i.e. a variable that can be modified or increased. This greater involvement can be achieved by improving the level of objective knowledge about a product. In addition, a new model is used and its viability is demonstrated and its ease of application to agri-food context.