Consumers' perceptions of stakeholder credibility: who has it and who perceives it

Based on the case of US consumer choice of beef steak brands, this study investigates how individual perceptions of information source credibility influence food brand choices. In particular, it tackles the questions: which stakeholders inside or outside the food chain are perceived as credible information sources in promoting food quality? Which consumer segments perceive different stakeholders as credible? What is the relationship between consumers' perceptions of stakeholder credibility and their brand choices? Data are collected from a representative sample of 460 US citizens through an online survey in November 2009 and analyzed through a set of path models. Results provide evidence that: perceptions of stakeholder credibility overall influence their beef brand choices; consumer perceptions that a stakeholder is knowledgeable and has no vested interests are negatively associated; government and family & friends are the stakeholders that mostly influence consumer beef brand choice, although differences across consumer segments are substantial; age, gender, and education are factors that significantly influence consumer perceptions of stakeholder credibility. Marketing managers, policy-makers and their stakeholders in the food sector can use results and methods from this study to design both generic and brand promotion campaigns, especially to influence consumers' perceptions on intangible yet valuable attributes of food, such as locally grown, ‘fair trade’, or sustainable.