Marketing and food consumption: Nurturing new possibilities

Introduction

According to the United Nations, the world’s population is projected to reach 9.6 billion by 2050. Questioning food practices and their impact on the economy, society, and the environment is essential to build a healthy, sustainable food system. Indeed, the convergence toward a “Western diet” (favoring animal protein sources over plant proteins) on a global scale increased obesity, a health issue that tripled between 1975 and 2016, in both rich and poor countries (Le et al., 2023). Furthermore, food consumption accounts for more than a third of greenhouse gas emissions attributable to human activities (Crippa et al., 2021). Thus, in today’s food landscape, food consumption is no longer considered simply from a health or nutritional point of view but is also becoming a reflection of individuals’ convictions and commitment to environmental and/or societal issues.

More specifically, European consumers are looking for more environmentally-friendly foods (Aschemann-Witzel et al., 2021) and are tending to reduce their meat consumption (Cheah et al., 2020), limit waste, and use products from the circular economy (Shevchenko et al., 2023). Some consumers rely on labels to make food choices that favor local production (Chen et al., 2023). The majority of consumers also inform themselves about food through social media (Abell and Biswas, 2023) and can follow the advice of numerous influencers who are both a source of information and inspiration (Chetioui et al., 2023). However, despite these recent changes in preoccupations with food, taste remains THE key motivation for food consumption (Chandon et al., 2022), and it is often difficult to reconcile it with all the current injunctions.

Thus, the question of taste and the sensory qualities of food, but also several factors such as price or familiarity, can hinder decisions in favor of sustainable food (Faber et al., 2024). Political action is therefore sometimes essential, with instruments based on information and incentives, powerful vectors of sustainable food choices (Ammann et al., 2023).

Governed by the principle of incorporation, according to which we become what we eat (Rozin, 1994), food is a source of pleasure and conviviality (Fischler and Masson, 2008; Flandrin, 2007; Rozin, 2005; Rozin et al., 2006). But for 70% of French people today, eating well (Fischler and Masson, 2008) also means reconciling multiple motivations such as eating healthily AND with good taste, thanks to a varied diet (Les Echos, 2020), while considering the consequences of their diet (Dyen et al., 2021), particularly in terms of the environment (Dekhili, 2021) and animal welfare (Bertrandias et al., 2021). The first articles on marketing and food were published in RAM in the 90s (e.g. Sirieix, 1999). They showed the influence of marketing on food consumption, by deciphering the effect of the actions of the agri-food industry and distributors on price, communication, or sales promotion. Today, various cognitive, motivational and contextual factors influencing consumers’ food decisions have been studied by marketing research, especially abroad (e.g., Chandon and Ordabayeva, 2009; Chernev and Gal, 2010; Dhar and Simonson, 1999; Haws et al., 2017; Shiv and Fedorikhin, 1999), but also in France (e.g., Bouillé et al., 2014; Gallen et al., 2019; Laporte et al., 2015; Merle et al., 2016; Werle et al., 2012).

Despite the large amount of research being carried out, the subject is constantly updated because of changes in food-related issues and in the practices of consumers, producers, the industry, and distributors, sometimes as a result of regulations. Food is at the heart of today’s sustainability issues, while being strongly influenced by health and/or economic crises.

The recent GIEC report (Pörtner et al., 2022) emphasizes the role of food in the development of greenhouse gases (GHGs) and proposes various solutions to limit its deleterious consequences. The consumption of animal products is responsible for between 14.5% and 20% of global GHG emissions (Xu et al., 2021) and requires solutions. Consumers are therefore turning to new diets, with a strong preference for local products, which is having an impact on the supply logic of retailers and restaurant operators. As for food waste, it represents in France 10 million tons of products per year, a commercial value estimated at 16 billion euros according to the French Ministry of Ecological Transition (https://www.ecologie.gouv.fr/gaspillage-alimentaire-0), and generates 3% of all national GHG emissions. Marketing has a major role to play in the fight against waste, by raising awareness of this practice and fighting it on an individual and collective scale, via applications such as Too Good to Go or Frigo Magic, for example. Food consumption also influences the onset and development of numerous chronic diseases (type 2 diabetes, obesity, hypercholesterolemia), but consumers, especially the most vulnerable populations (https://www.inserm.fr/dossier/nutrition-et-sante/), have difficulty in knowing and understanding what constitutes a healthy, balanced and diversified diet. Initiatives such as Vivons en forme (https://vivonsenforme.org) aim to promote healthy eating and physical activity to enhance well-being, using social marketing techniques and nudges. Finally, new technologies enable consumers to access information on food products directly at the point of sale, via QR codes or apps, which, paradoxically, does not always facilitate decision-making (Werle et al., 2022).

The RAM 2024 Special Issue was proposed to report on and stimulate new scientific advances in food and marketing, exploring sometimes opposing concerns linked to food consumption and the new practices of players. The idea was to better understand, for example, the role of new technologies used during food purchases but also in post-purchase situations through the representation of experiences via social media (David et al., 2024). Emphasis has also been placed on taking the environmental dimension into account during food consumption, whether upstream (Mourre et al., 2024), at the moment of food choice (in supermarkets or restaurants; Garcia et al., 2024), or during the management and prevention of food waste (Hanan et al., 2024). Well-being in consumer food decisions was also an important theme, exploring not only the balance between health and pleasure, but also the way consumers balance different activities and injunctions (Dupont Le Priol and Schmitt, 2024). The marketing practices of food retailers and their impact on purchasing behavior (Hanan et al., 2024) and the dynamics of supply systems (Mourre et al., 2024) were also topics considered in the call for articles for this issue. Finally, the last article (Garcia et al., 2024) aims to understand the food accessibility of a relatively under-researched population – college students living away from their parents’ homes – based on their food and urban literacy. This study employs an original approach that complements existing geographical methods by incorporating individual experiences.

This Special Issue received a total of 19 submissions and, following the review process, five articles were selected. These articles deal with a variety of themes that address many of the issues raised in the call for papers. The process of editing this special issue was an opportunity to exchange with members of the French marketing academic community who are interested in food as a research theme, and demonstrated the vitality of this field. We were able to count on the dedicated work of 51 reviewers who evaluated the manuscripts in a very constructive and rigorous manner. Our warmest thanks to them. The editing responsibilities for the Special Issue were divided among the co-coordinators to avoid any conflicts of interest. The articles were distributed in a way that ensured none of the co-coordinators had to manage the review process of a submission authored by individuals with whom they had academic (e.g., co-authorship, supervision) or personal connections. We present below the selected articles and their main theoretical contributions.

Special issue articles

The article “Do Youtubers lead the way of healthy eating? A practice-based approach” co-authored by Maxime David, Margot Dyen and Pascale Ezan, uses a netnographic approach to study the practices of 98 influencers promoting healthy eating on social networks. An analysis of YouTube videos titled “une journée dans mon assiette” (“a day on my plate”) identified the materials, meanings, and skills mentioned. Influencer practices are based, for example, on food totems such as chia seeds, coconut oil, and tofu, which, as superfoods, embody healthy eating. The influencers also associate healthy eating with pleasure, notably through the aesthetic presentation of dishes. The meanings echo the concerns of their audience, such as plant-based eating and time optimization. Influencers put their skills at the service of simplicity and effectiveness using relational proximity and exemplarity (particularly physical) as key persuasive elements. The body is the vehicle of this exemplarity and appears as a “proof” of the effectiveness of the practices adopted. This article uses practice theory to document the material, meanings, and skills associated with online influence mechanisms via social networks. The findings complement previous research using this approach (e.g., Dyen et al., 2021) by identifying categories that encompass skills, materials, and particular meanings. For example, influencers use their bodies to demonstrate their knowledge of healthy eating and to symbolize their success in achieving fitness. This contribution to the mixed characterization of elements goes beyond the classic categorization of practices (Gram-Hanssen, 2021) and integrates the staging of practices documented thanks to the netnographic approach. This article also expands our understanding of the influencing factors of this type of communication platform. Relational proximity and exemplarity in the pursuit of health goals are identified as elements enabling the transfer of practices beyond demonstration (Sahakian and Wilhite, 2014). Finally, this research paves the way for future studies, particularly those exploring lay beliefs (Luchs et al., 2010; Raghunathan et al., 2006) that underlie the documented practices. For example, the totem foods identified in this article could be examined through the lens of naïve beliefs, as they are perceived as magical foods and may have a halo effect on consumers.

The article “Can local food become an inclusive practice in urban areas? A community provisioning systems approach” co-authored by Marie-Laure Mourre, Christine Gonzalez, and Amina Djedidi looks at the influence of provisioning systems (“a network and assemblage of economic and social exchanges that blend exchange systems” Layton et al., 2022) on the adoption of local food in cities. The article combines geographical data (maps presenting the portrait and socio-demographic evolution of the study area and a geographical study of the location of shops and inhabitants), ethnographic data (daily online exchanges over a 2-week period to document the food consumption pathways of 43 community members) and documentary data to study at different levels (micro, meso, and macro) the dynamics of supply systems in a city in the Paris region. The results show that the organization of space and the supply system have a strong influence on consumers’ food choices. This influences consumers’ ability to eat local foods, which may be less accessible from a financial, geographical, relational, and cognitive point of view. Even if individuals wish to favor local foods, they are constrained by the geographical, cognitive, and financial dimensions of their community’s supply systems.

This article makes an important theoretical contribution, as it treats food in a systemic way and not according to an individual approach that is often used in the marketing literature, particularly in consumer behavior. It shows that consumers’ individual food decisions are not enough to ensure the consumption of local products, as they depend on other market elements, such as the supply systems available nearby. These results reinforce the role of self-efficacy often highlighted as a determinant of food consumption (e.g., Strachan and Brawley, 2009). Self-efficacy appears here as a multifactorial variable, individual, and certainly influenced by consumer beliefs, but also collective and practically determined by the availability of nearby supply.

The article entitled “Towards a solution to retailer food waste? Influences of ordinary transgression on symbolic associations and the relationship with the brand,” co-authored by Audrey Hanan, Jean-Louis Moulins, and Pierre Valette-Florence, looks at retailers’ self-transgression (i.e., the failure or deconstruction, by supermarkets, of the food supply standards they themselves have enacted) and its consequences on the various dimensions of their relationship with consumers (attachment, trust, identification, and commitment). The research is based on a quantitative survey using a “before-after” experimental method to study variations in the model’s variables after exposure to transgression. First, it reveals the negative effects of transgression on relational variables. Second, it clarifies the ambivalent role of transgression on symbolic associations: a negative effect on the perception of legitimacy (relationship with tradition) and a positive effect on the perception of enterprising character (relationship with innovation).

This research contributes to our understanding of the ambivalent reactions of consumers toward a retailer’s transgression of food supply standards. It also examines consumers’ responses to sustainability initiatives implemented by retailers. Using the case study of retailers offering “ugly fruit,” this research reveals that, despite customers’ generally expressed concern about waste (Le Borgne et al., 2021), they are not yet prepared to embrace non-standard products. Although the segmentation results indicate that negative reactions are primarily associated with the most frequent customers – while those less engaged with the retailer are more receptive to sustainability initiatives – this research highlights the discrepancy between values and actual behaviors regarding sustainability, a gap referred to as the “green gap” by White et al. (2019).

The article “Consumer Reconnection through the Practice of Mindful Eating,” co-authored by Marion Dupont Le Priol and Julien Schmitt, also addresses the issue of sustainable and responsible consumption. Existing literature highlights the connection between mindful consumption and the adoption of responsible consumption behaviors. The authors explore how consumers reconnect with their own consumption practices, defining this reconnection as the meaningful experience gained through heightened awareness of consumption acts. Specifically, they investigate this process through the lens of mindful eating – an approach that involves eating with a focus on one’s internal sensations without judgment, thereby fostering greater awareness of both personal motivations and the environmental impact of consumption.

Based on a qualitative study involving 15 in-depth interviews and an interpretative approach, this research demonstrates that the process of reconnection involves aligning oneself with personal values, nature, and society. It also reveals tensions arising from both the social environment (such as societal organization, the pace of life, and the social acceptance of unconventional behaviors) and individual factors (such as overly rigid rules). Furthermore, the study identifies strategies consumers use to navigate these tensions, particularly by incorporating greater flexibility into their practices. The article also offers recommendations for public authorities to raise awareness and facilitate mindful eating practices, encouraging individuals to reconnect with their consumption habits.

Finally, the article “Food accessibility: A lived experience perspective of college students living away from parents’ home,” co-authored by Karine Garcia, Angélique Rodhain, Andréa Gourmelen and Josselin Masson, seeks to understand how students living away from their parents’ home during their studies perceive and experience food accessibility in their city, both from an objective and subjective perspective.

Through a qualitative study involving 24 student interviews, discussions with local and CROUS (a French public organization that provides social assistance to college students and manages university restaurants) professionals, and field observations, the authors emphasize the significant role of perceived accessibility. The study reveals how the urban environment impacts students’ food procurement strategies. Furthermore, discrepancies between objective and perceived accessibility intensify their beliefs and amplify conflicts that students work to navigate. The first conflict arises from the trade-off between physical accessibility and affordability: since local supermarkets are perceived as more expensive than hypermarkets located farther away, students limit their range of consideration to distant supermarkets. The second conflict highlights the contrast between the accessibility of healthy food and the general availability of food. Students often perceive the nearest restaurant options as the least healthy. The food choices in student neighborhoods are frequently viewed as inadequate, as students tend to gravitate toward these options due to financial, temporal, and spatial constraints. The authors suggest that students’ commitment to healthy eating and their awareness of healthy food distribution channels could be enhanced through targeted territorial strategies or communication campaigns. Such initiatives could strengthen both food literacy and urban literacy.

Discussion

The articles in this Special Issue provide food for thought and open promising avenues for marketing research. First, they confirm the existence of multiple dimensions of food, characterizing what Mauss (1950) defined as a total social fact. One element that seems interesting to study concerns the dimension of group presence and transformation that Mauss associated with total social facts (“these are clearly morphological phenomena. Everything happens during assemblies, fairs and markets, or at least of festivals that take their place”; Mauss, 1950: 275). The articles presented here reveal that sharing has expanded beyond physical interactions to include virtual experiences. They highlight a trend where individualistic attitudes toward food coexist with a desire to share. This duality is evident in how social media influencers on platforms like YouTube stage their cooking and eating experiences. While sharing these experiences with their followers is central to their content, the videos often depict a solitary approach to food, showcasing both their personal, individualistic perspectives and functional views on cooking and eating. This coexistence is also evident in mindful eating, which, while fundamentally a solitary practice, is perceived by those who practice it as a means to reconnect with others. The Mauss’ notion of sharing is no longer just the physical sharing of the act of eating, it can be also virtual sharing, or even sharing perceived solely by an individual.

The question of the individual and social nature of food raises the issue of the time perception: is the act of eating associated with a chosen time, devoted fully to the act itself, or a time constrained by social norms and other temporalities? Examining the individual and social aspects of eating also prompts a consideration of behaviors that diverge from established norms, such as marketing standards related to the aesthetics or size of fruits and vegetables in supermarkets, or social norms that conflict with mindful eating practices. An intriguing area of research involves exploring how “non-standard” practices might gradually become new norms. Practices like mindful eating and waste avoidance, for instance, can be associated with heightened awareness of sustainability issues. This raises the question of how these practices can be disseminated and made accessible, both financially and socially. The accessibility dimension of food sustainability is an area of research that has yet to be fully explored. Overall, understanding the accessibility of food and the value placed on food products and eating practices is crucial, yet current research in this area is still limited.

In addition, reinforcing the appeal of healthy eating through soft incentives is an interesting avenue. Exposure to nature (Langlois and Chandon, 2024) may act as a nudge for food consumption. For example, individuals exposed to images of nature are more inclined to choose healthy foods than those exposed to urban environments. Enabling consumers to distinguish healthy food offers through contextual elements is therefore a promising avenue for improving objective accessibility and influencing food choices.

The articles in this Special Issue also open interesting avenues from a public policy perspective. Statement 90 from the National Food Council in France (CNA2022) outlines recommendations to align food practices with sustainable food systems. These proposals resonate with several research findings presented in this Special Issue. Specifically, the statement advocates for a systemic approach that considers how the environment influences consumer eating behavior. The discussion in this Special Issue regarding local food highlights that an individual’s choice to consume local products is largely influenced by the supply system within their community. In addition, the statement suggests evaluating production and logistics methods to align with societal expectations for sustainability and food waste reduction. However, reducing food waste is not straightforward, as consumer acceptance of non-standard products, such as “ugly” fruit, remains limited. Finally, it is crucial to examine the role of social networks in disseminating nutritional information and their impact on changing eating habits among young adults, as proposed by the CNA (proposition E.II).

In conclusion, this Special Issue is part of an approach aimed at integrating Anthropocene issues (i.e., a period when man becomes a force for change on Earth affecting, among other things, rising temperatures, pollution, and biodiversity; Acquier et al., 2024; Carton and Valiorgue, 2023; Ergene et al., 2021) rarely present in so-called “mainstream” research in management (Nyberg and Wright, 2022) and more specifically in marketing (Rémy et al., 2024). The Special Issue highlights the need for a paradigm shift in marketing research, urging scholars to address social and political challenges to develop solutions with societal impact (Ozanne et al., 2024). Such impactful research demands collaboration among various stakeholders – including institutions, civil society, businesses, and governments – and requires the adoption of new practices and ongoing efforts from researchers (Chandon, 2024; Moorman, 2024). The research presented in this issue, by focusing on enhancing food education, reducing food waste, improving access to healthy and sustainable food, and raising awareness of the value of food, is already part of this new paradigm and proposes a transformative research agenda on consumption and marketing.