Aligning Alternative Proteins with Consumer Values in Germany: A Values-Centric Communication Framework

The transition to sustainable food systems requires communication strategies that resonate with consumers’ values, not only technological innovation. This study examines how values-centric communication can shape German consumers’ responses to alternative proteins, focusing on insect-based snacks. A desk-based synthesis of 28 studies, guided by Schwartz’s value theory, identified Tradition and Security as dominant drivers of food choice and yielded five communication requirements: Cultural familiarity, Emotional safety, Simplicity and clarity, Trust and credibility, and Routine integration. These were operationalised into communication guidelines and short on-pack claims, which were applied to a refined packaging prototype. An exploratory focus group (N = 7) then compared reactions to the original versus the refined packaging, analysed using McGuire’s communication–persuasion stages. Findings indicate that familiar formats, a reassuring tone, clear visual hierarchy, and salient trust cues were associated with movement from immediate aversion toward consideration, whereas information overload, claim–image incongruence, value-incongruent brand naming, and delayed recognition of insect content impeded acceptance. The study contributes an integrative analytic lens combining Schwartz’s value theory with McGuire’s model and a set of testable guidelines for value-aligned food communication. Given the exploratory design (small student sample, fixed presentation order, bundled manipulations, and hypothetical intentions), results should be interpreted cautiously; future research should employ counterbalanced factorial designs with behavioural outcomes.