Food Sensory Information and Differentiation : Structuring Causal Sensory Information for Differentiation Strategy = 식품 감각속성 정보와 차별화

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This study addresses the structural challenges of food commoditization, where consumers often fail to recognize sensory differences between products, leading to diminished product differentiation and reduced engagement. To respond to this issue, the study proposes a theoretical and practical strategy to enhance perceived uniqueness and decision confidence through the structured presentation of differentiation-based causal sensory information. The research first conceptualizes the Fresh Food Sensory Differentiation Framework, which organizes the intrinsic sources of sensory variation into four dimensions: variety, growing environment, cultivation method, and post-harvest treatment. Drawing on this framework, the study examines how consumers interpret structured differentiation-based causal sensory information, and how this influences cognitive responses such as involvement, sophistication, and perceived expertise. The empirical findings demonstrate that structured information design significantly enhances consumers’ confidence in decision-making and their recognition of product differentiation. Building on this foundation, the study develops a retail-based intervention called the Category Discovery Box, which integrates curated product experiences with structured information delivery. A field study using real retail sales data shows that this intervention increases both product-level and category-level demand by transforming passive consumption into informed, meaningful choice. Overall, this research provides empirical support for a structured communication strategy that makes intrinsic product attributes more interpretable to consumers. By aligning product information with consumers’ cognitive processing, the Fresh Food Sensory Differentiation Framework offers a new approach to food differentiation that supports more engaged and sustainability-oriented consumption.

국문 초록 (Abstract)

본 연구는 신선식품 시장의 일상재화로 인해 소비자가 제품 간 감각적 차이를 인식하지 못하고, 그 결과 제품 차별성과 소비자 관여도가 약화되는 구조적 문제를 진단한다. 이에 대응하기 위해, 본 연구는 원인 기반 감각정보의 구조화된 제시를 통해 소비자가 지각하는 고유성, 관여도, 선택 자신감을 향상시키는 이론적·실천적 전략을 제안한다. 우선, 감각 차이의 내재적 원인을 네 가지 차원—품종, 생육환경, 생육방식, 수확 후 처리—으로 구조화한 신선식품 감각속성 차별화 프레임워크(Fresh Food Sensory Differentiation Framework)를 개념화하고, 이를 기반으로 소비자가 구조화된 원인 기반 감각정보를 어떻게 해석하는지, 그리고 그 해석이 관여도, 세련됨, 전문성 인식과 같은 인지적 반응에 어떤 영향을 미치는지를 분석하였다. 실증 결과에 따르면, 구조화된 정보 설계는 제품 차별성 인식과 선택 자신감을 유의하게 향상시키는 것으로 나타났다. 이러한 기반 위에서, 본 연구는 실제 리테일 환경에서 적용 가능한 실천 전략인 ‘카테고리 디스커버리 박스(Category Discovery Box)’를 설계하였다. 이는 엄선된 제품 체험과 구조화된 정보 제공을 결합한 개입으로, 소비자의 수동적 소비를 정보 기반의 의미 있는 선택으로 전환시킨다. 실제 리테일 매출 데이터를 활용한 현장 연구를 통해, 이 전략이 제품 수준뿐 아니라 카테고리 수준의 수요도 유의하게 증가시키는 효과가 있음을 확인하였다. 종합적으로, 본 연구는 소비자가 내재적 제품 속성을 더 쉽게 해석할 수 있도록 돕는 구조적 커뮤니케이션 전략의 효과를 실증적으로 제시한다. 소비자의 인지적 정보처리 방식에 맞추어 정보를 설계함으로써, 원인 기반 감각정보 프레임은 차별화된 식품 소비를 유도하고, 보다 높은 관여도와 지속가능한 소비로의 전환을 지원하는 새로운 접근을 제시한다.

목차 (Table of Contents)

• Ⅰ. Essay 1: A Framework for the Communication of Sensory Differentiation in Fresh Food
• 1. Introduction 1
• 2. Framework Development 8
• 2.1. Conceptual Foundation 8
• 2.2. Variety 12
• 2.3. Growing Environment 13
• 2.4. Cultivation Method 15
• 2.5. Post-harvest Treatment 17
• 2.6. Fresh Food Sensory Differentiation Framework 19
• 3. Validity Test 1: Expert Evaluation 20
• 3.1. Objective and Rationale 20
• 3.2. Method 21
• 3.3. Results 24
• 3.4. Discussion 29
• 4. Validity Test 2: Consumer Perception of Differentiated Attributes 31
• 4.1. Objectives and Hypotheses 31
• 4.2. Method 33
• 4.3. Results 45
• 4.4. Discussion 52
• 5. Discussion 55
• 5.1. Summary of Findings 55
• 5.2. Theoretical Implications 56
• 5.3. Practical Implications 58
• 5.4. Limitations and Future Research 60
• 6. Conclusion 62
• Ⅱ. Essay 2: Structuring Sensory Information to Enable Differentiation-Based Consumer Choice in Fresh Food Categories
• 1. Introduction 64
• 2. Literature Review and Theoretical Background 69
• 2.1. Designing Information Structure and Diagnosticity 69
• 2.2. Diagnostic Information and Decision Confidence 72
• 2.3. Cognitive mechanisms of information interpretation: involvement, sophistication, and expertise 73
• 2.4. Hypotheses Development 78
• 3. Method 82
• 3.1. Overview of Studies 82
• 3.2. Preliminary Studies 84
• 3.2.1. Pre-study 1 84
• 3.2.2. Pre-study 2 86
• 3.2.3. Summary of Pre-studies 87
• 3.3. Main Study 89
• 4. Results 96
• 4.1. Manipulation Checks 96
• 4.2. Descriptive Statistics 98
• 4.3 Main Effect Analysis 100
• 4.4. Mediation Analysis 102
• 5. Discussion 105
• 5.1. Summary of Findings 105
• 5.2. Theoretical Implications 107
• 5.3. Practical Implications 109
• 5.4. Limitations and Future Research 111
• 6. Conclusion 113
• Ⅲ. Essay 3: Implementing a Retail Marketing Practice: Structuring Causal Sensory Information for Differentiation in Food Retail
• 1. Introduction 115
• 2. Literature Review 119
• 2.1. Consumer Involvement and Food Choice 119
• 2.2. Consumer Involvement and Market Transitions 121
• 3. Development of a Retail-Based Marketing Practice 128
• 3.1. Integrated Information and Experience Design 129
• 3.2. Structured Information for Product Differentiation 131
• 3.2.1. Structured Comparison and Consumer Learning 132
• 3.2.2. Attribute Framing and Deep Processing 133
• 4. Method 134
• 4.1. Research Setting and Design 134
• 4.2. Category Discovery Box Design 136
• 4.3. Implementation of the Marketing Practice 139
• 4.4. Data Collection and Variables 144
• 4.5. Analytical Approach 147
• 4.6. Hypotheses 149
• 5. Results 151
• 5.1. Product-Level Analysis 151
• 5.2. Category-Level Analysis 153
• 6. Discussion 154
• 6.1. Summary of Findings 154
• 6.2. Theoretical Implications 155
• 6.3. Practical Implications 157
• 6.4. Limitations and Future Research 158
• 7. Conclusion 161
• References 163
• Appendix A. Survey Questionnaires (Essay 1) 180
• Appendix B. Survey Questionnaires (Essay 2) 196
• Appendix C. Measurement Item Translation and Back-Translation (English–Korean) (Essay 2) 205
• Appendix D1. White Bread Category — Supplementary Analyses (Essay 3) 208
• Appendix D2. Coffee bean Category — Supplementary Analyses (Essay 3) 209
• Abstract in Korean 210