Conference paper, poster, etc. #40631

Summary

Purpose: A cross-cultural study with large representative samples analyses to what degree Schwartz’s personal values and environmental concerns are related to consumers’ choices of wine with sustainable characteristics. Methodology: Across seven countries, the attribute importance and willingness to pay of consumer segments resulting from choice experiments are related to Schwartz’s personal value dimensions and environmental attitudes. Findings: Personal values were only weakly related to revealed differences in choice behaviours. Choice segments differed slightly stronger in environmental concern; nevertheless the effect size is small, on average only explaining five percent of variance. The valuation of sustainable attributes was positively related to consumers’ environmental concern and to their personal values Conservatism (tradition, conformity) and Self-enhancement (power, achievement). Environmental concerns were more strongly related to willingness to pay and importance of sustainable attributes in product chance, than Schwartz’s personal values. Our findings deviate in two directions from previous research: First, contrary to existing studies, values related to Self-enhancement and Conservatism were stronger predictors for consumer choice and willingness to pay for sustainable attributes than Self-transcendence values (universalism, benevolence). Second, Self-enhancement was positively linked to consumer choice and willingness to pay for sustainable attributes. Practical implications: These results yield marketing recommendations for stimulating sustainable wine consumption. Communication efforts should focus on environmental concerns and not on general universalist values. For wine, communication efforts should be based on social status and power related to self-enhancement personal values, showing how drinking sustainable and more precisely organic wine enhances the person drinking it and fulfils personal health benefits.