A study of factors influencing the purchase of high-sugar-content beverages at tea-and-coffee stores in Thailand

This project is a contemporary topic in applied marketing that focuses on a health issue that is important to Thailand. The purpose of this research is to identify the characteristically differences among three segments who prefer different sweetness level in beverage, to identify the critical factors on purchase intention of high-sugar-content beverage in tea-and-coffee stores, and to determine the appropriate marketing strategies to boost healthier diet by reducing the level of sugar consumption.This proposed topic is important to Thailand because the provision on a better understanding of the consumer insight based on their demographic factors, attitudes, purchase intention, behaviors and external influences would benefit the stakeholders in the beverage industry and public sectors to make more effective impact to alter the consumer’s decision on sugary consumption which would lead to a declining risk in obesity and diabetes. As for the marketing managers, they could use consumer insight obtained from this study to predict the future healthy trends and be prompted for the coming change in consumer mindset. Results show that the majority of population prefers the less sweet beverage. This group is heavily influenced by the external factors and highly aware of solutions to overcome the consumption of sugary beverage. The second largest segment prefers the standard sweet beverage. This group is moderately influenced by the external factors and unlikely to cope with negative health impacts. The smallest segment prefers the nearly non-sweet beverage. This group is lightly influenced by the external factors and highly aware of health issues and solutions to overcome the consumption of sugary beverage. Results also show that three critical factors that influences the consumption of high-sugar-content beverage are (1) News & Coping Method Conscious (2) Peers & News Influences and (3) Health Conscious.

本项目属于应用营销学前沿研究议题，聚焦泰国境内一项具有重要公共健康意义的问题。本研究旨在明确三类偏好不同饮品甜度的消费群体的特征差异，识别茶饮与咖啡店渠道中高糖饮品购买意向的关键影响因素，并制定适配的营销策略，以通过降低糖摄入量推广健康饮食模式。
本研究议题对泰国具有重要价值：通过基于消费者人口统计特征、态度、购买意向、消费行为及外部影响因素深入挖掘消费者洞察，可为饮品行业与公共部门的利益相关方提供支撑，助力其更高效地引导消费者调整含糖饮品消费决策，进而降低肥胖与糖尿病的发病风险。对于营销管理者而言，可借助本研究获取的消费者洞察预判未来健康饮食趋势，及时应对消费者消费观念的转变。
研究结果显示，多数群体偏好低糖饮品。该群体受外部因素影响显著，且对控制含糖饮品摄入的解决方案具备高度认知。第二大消费群体偏好标准甜度饮品，该群体受外部因素影响程度中等，且未采取措施应对含糖饮品带来的健康负面影响。占比最小的消费群体偏好近乎无糖饮品，该群体受外部因素影响轻微，且对健康问题及控制含糖饮品摄入的解决方案具备高度认知。研究同时识别出影响高糖饮品消费的三大关键因素：(1) 信息与应对方法认知（News & Coping Method Conscious）、(2) 同伴与信息影响（Peers & News Influences）以及(3) 健康认知（Health Conscious）。