5.4.2 Cultural needs and wants in foods

Broad consumer characteristics such as nationality, religion, race, age, sex, education and socioeconomics are the basis for consumer attitudes, motivation and behaviour. The relationship of some basic consumer characteristics with food may change only slowly if at all, for example religious taboos and requirements such as Hindus not eating meat, Jews not eating pork. Other foods can be replaced by new foods quite quickly, for example fried potato chips replacing rice for young people in SE Asia.

With the internationalisation of the food industry, it is important to study these relationships in some depth in introducing new products. There are products that have penetrated the international marketplaces, such as instant coffee, Coca-Cola, Kentucky Fried Chicken and McDonald's hamburgers, which are not related to local foods, but have been very successful introductions. This has been achieved by marketing activities and also by an understanding and use of the market systems to reach the target consumers. Very often new distribution systems have been introduced which may have revolutionised the local food market, in particular bypassing wholesalers and delivering products directly to the retailers, or indeed setting up a new retailer system such as Kentucky Fried Chicken and McDonald's. Some food manufacturing companies with a wide range of products have cooperated in the building of supermarkets and convenience stores, which then have the facilities to accept the companies' new products. This again emphasises that the new product is not just a food but the total product and must be regarded as this in product development.

Acceptance can also be obtained by using a long-established and popular local brand name. But there is still often a need for modification of the products, particularly as regards flavours, and sometimes the packaging and the brand so that the new product agrees with the preferences, attitudes and habits of the new consumers. The size of packaging can be important; for example, the introduction of small pet food packs for the Japanese market where both the houses and the pets are small and the standard can was too large. It can also be a question of price; the pack size can be reduced to a size that is affordable to the target market. New products must relate to the economic level of the target consumers. The culture can also dictate the type of raw materials and processing methods acceptable for the new product. The effects of the culture on product development are summarised in Fig. 5.7 (Bareham, 1995).

Fig. 5.7 Cultural effects in new product development.
(- click to enlarge)

Sometimes, the cultural resistance to new product development is too great. Culture is the foundation that underlies all food choices and people use the rules or habits of their specific cultures, and also ethnic groups, to decide what are acceptable and preferable foods, the amount and combination of foods, and ideal foods and improper foods (Nestle et al., 1998). The growth of ready-to-eat cereals in Thailand was slow because the cereals did not fit into the breakfast eating pattern and also because milk was not generally available at breakfast. Steamed rice, fried rice and rice porridge were common at breakfast, often eaten with pork, fried egg or a savoury sauce. Cold cereals did become accepted as snacks for children between meals. This shows the need to understand consumer behaviour in food eating.

To have a food product accepted by a number of cultures, it can be designed with sensory characteristics that are generally acceptable but not distinctive. This often works but if there is an expectation in a culture for specific sensory properties it can be unacceptable. For example in the introduction of instant noodles into Thailand, noodles with international flavours were very slowly accepted, but when noodles with sachets of Thai sauces and chilli powder followed, sales grew rapidly. When going international there is also a need to understand the geographical situations, climatic conditions and the food industry in the country including processing, marketing and distribution. The local situation must be understood, particularly through cooperation with local people. Raw materials can influence acceptance and there may be a need to replace the foreign raw material with local products. New products need to be seen as superior in some way to the local products, and the marketing has also to be creative. The advertising and promotion needs to be related to the target consumers; for example it may be useful to have cooking demonstrations and video films to show people how to use the product.

The unique functions of the product need to be stressed but also the advertising must fit with the cultural beliefs and practical needs of the consumers. To achieve a 'universal' product, the product must serve a unique but common human need that is seen to improve the life of people in general. Coca-Cola serves a need to have a cheap, safe, refreshing drink, but it is also related to the American life style that is economically higher than in many other nations. So consumers quench their thirst but also hope to raise their living standard to what they see in American films and TV shows. Coca-Cola is adjusted to meet different sensory preferences such as sweetness and acidity in different countries.

Think Break Bring together a group of six to eight people to form a focus group. These people should eat potatoes as part of a meal and also buy potato products sold in the supermarket. Conduct two discussion groups with them: 1. When, how and why do they eat potatoes?     (a) When do they eat potatoes in a meal and as a snack?     (b) How often do they eat potatoes?      (c) Where do they eat potatoes - at home, in a restaurant, as a           takeaway?      (d) What form of potatoes do they eat - boiled, roasted, fried, etc.?     (e) Why do they eat potatoes?      (f) What are their general perceptions of potatoes, their experience          with potatoes, the stereotype of potatoes, their expectations,          their likes/dislikes, good things/bad things about potatoes? 2. When, how and why do they buy potato products in the supermarket?     (a) What potato products do they buy in the supermarket?     (b) For what occasions do they buy potato products?      (c) What are the reasons that they buy them?     (d) What do they like/dislike about the products?     (e) What are the advantages/disadvantages of the products?     (f) What new potato products have they bought?     (g) What kinds of people buy the different products? From these discussions, build up a picture of the buying and eating of potatoes and how this is changing. Clearly identify the consumer needs and wants in buying potatoes and buying potato products, including any cultural factors in potato eating. What directions for potato product development does this indicate?