Transformative service research approaches for visitor experiences in major sporting events

PurposeThis research conceptualises the hallmark event, Melbourne Cup in Australia, as a major sporting brand experience. While numerous studies have explored consumer engagement and experiences in major sporting events, few research studies highlight the negative issues, such as alcoholism, gambling and violence, that may affect consumer engagement and experience. This article addresses the challenges and opportunities of providing immersive and transformative experiences through transformative service research (TSR) approaches when such negative issues are swirling around.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is conceptual. It uses the example of Melbourne Cup to illuminate aspects of the conceptual framework.FindingsThe article unpacks a myriad of positive and negative immersive brand experiences and contributes a conceptual framework to understand the sporting brand experience phenomenon and shows how authentically responsible marketing approaches can improve the sport spectator experience.Research limitations/implicationsInsights from the extended TSR framework presents implications for various organisations that are involved with strategic destination marketing approaches. It guides key stakeholders to engage in dialogue and collaborate in order to improve the attendee transformative experience. Inviting collaborators will facilitate the exchange of ideas that will improve event organisation. Consistent approaches among hospitality service providers would improve alcohol service and create a safe environment for attendees. The TSR framework guides players of the experience to engage in meaningful dialogue with a common goal to improve consumer wellbeing. Education and training therefore are key elements in the consumer sporting brand experience.Practical implicationsThe adapted TSR framework offers insights to destination marketers such as sporting agencies, tour operators and sporting organisations/clubs. Marketers may promote bigger sporting events and organise tours via travel agencies and ignore key elements that may influence attendee decision. Destination marketing organisations (DMOs) can use the framework to promote effective planning and the key initiatives that the iconic event is involved with. The framework can be used as a guide to manage similar international events. Events of major or mega size and international reputation need specific frameworks that address crowd behaviours of similar sizes.Originality/valueAn extended transformative service approach is being conceptualised for major sporting brand experiences. Practical implications are also highlighted for DMOs when raising the profile of city brands.

Consumer attitudes and sociodemographic profiles in purchasing organic food products: evidence from a Greek and Swedish survey

PurposeThis study explores Greek and Swedish consumers' attitude towards organic food consumption in order to demonstrate possible differences that can be identified based on health and ecological consciousness beliefs rather than demographic factors. The examination of an emerging and a more mature market allow the authors to provide more targeted marketing strategies that possibly increase organic food consumption in both countries.Design/methodology/approachThe authors adopt an econometric approach to the analysis of consumer behavior in relation to organic food consumption in Sweden and Greece. More specifically, the authors examine the motivations and postexperiences of organic food consumers of different socioeconomic profiles in these two countries, one in northern and one in southern Europe. The authors apply an ordered logistic regression analysis model to map out the interaction between consumer attitudes and sociodemographic variables.FindingsThe authors results show that consumers in Sweden more frequently purchase organic foods than consumers in Greece. Environmental protection and ethical values increase the odds for Swedish organic food consumers to buy organic food products. Health consciousness and family well-being are perceived as factors that increase the odds for Greek organic food consumers to buy organic foods. Sociodemographic factors do not play a pivotal role for consumer behavior in relation to organic food in both countries.Originality/valueThis study distinguishes between organic food consumers in two countries with different levels of organic food production and export activity, size of organic market, national organic labeling system and legal definition and standards of organic food. Within these differences, the organic food industry could align its marketing efforts better rather focus on simplistic demographics. The current view unfolds the fact that there are limited studies comparing two European markets at different stages of development and the factors that influence organic food consumer behavior.

Consumption values, anxiety and organic food purchasing behaviour considering the moderating role of sustainable consumption attitude

PurposeThis study aims to identify and describe the relationships among different consumption values, anxiety and organic food purchase behaviour considering the moderating role of sustainable consumption attitude from the viewpoint of the theory of consumption values.Design/methodology/approachData were collected using a structured questionnaire survey in first-tier cities in China. A total of 344 consumers of organic foods participated in the study. Structural equation modelling and hierarchical regression analysis were employed for data analysis.FindingsThe results indicated the significant association of functional value-price, emotional value, social value and epistemic value with purchase behaviour. Anxiety had a positively significant influence on functional (quality), functional (price), emotional, social, conditional and epistemic values. In addition, the results indicated that functional (price), emotional, social and epistemic values played mediating effects in the relationships between anxiety and purchase behaviour. Moreover, sustainable consumption attitude had a positive moderating effect on functional value-price and purchase behaviour.Practical implicationsThe research not only provides novel and original insights for understanding organic consumption but also provides a reference for organic retailers to develop sales strategies and policymakers to formulate policies to guide organic consumption that are conducive to promoting sustainable consumption.Originality/valueFor the first time, this research attempts to explore the relationships among different consumption values, anxiety and purchase behaviour. It may improve the gap of inconsistency in attitude and behaviour in organic consumption, and provide a new perspective for the study of organic consumption.

Sinking Mink: An Argument for Ending the Mink Industry in Nova Scotia

Some Canadian farms produce fox or chinchilla fur, but their numbers are dwarfed by the number of mink farms.2 In a similar vein, trapping is a fur-gathering practice that continues to exist in Canada to some extent, but it predominantly occurs in other areas of the country and is not discussed in this paper.3 Second, this paper does not explore the animal rights theory that it is inherently unethical for humans to use animals as resources. Enterprising farmers began to move with greater frequency into Canada's burgeoning fur farming sector.9 A group of mink farmers established themselves in Nova Scotia's Digby County during the 1930s.10 The availability of fish and eels made this a logical location to capture, breed, and raise the carnivorous and semi-aquatic mammals.11 The Nova Scotia Mink Breeders' Association formed in 1938,12 and its farmers reaped high profits as mink became the fur en vogue in the years following the Second World War.13 The Digby farmers followed in the footsteps of the Prince Edward Island ranchers who developed so many fox farming techniques. In practice, only one Canadian fur farmer has been convicted of violating this provision.20 The Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Farmed Mink (the "Code") is a publication offering a detailed set of guidelines for the proper treatment of mink.21 However, animal law scholars have criticized this Code, along with others crafted by the National Farm Animal Care Council, for being of indeterminate legal force.22 These Codes are also flawed because they are written by farm operators rather than independent third parties.23 Nova Scotia has enacted more legislation that applies to fur farming than any other province. The Fur Industry Regulations focus on the adverse environmental impacts of mink farming.30 The Regulations address topics like feces and carcass disposal and soil tests.

Housing and Environmental Enrichment of the Domestic Ferret: A Multi-Sector Survey

Simple SummaryHow ferrets across sectors are housed and the environmental enrichment provided (e.g., toys, beds, exploration of new sights and smells) can directly impact their health and wellbeing. Through an online questionnaire reaching ferret caretakers from pet owner, laboratory, zoo, rescue, and working (e.g., pest control) sectors, we describe how ferrets are housed, the enrichment they receive, enrichment types that ferrets most enjoy and those which may be harmful or problematic. Of 754 responses, 82.4% were from pet owners. Most ferrets were housed with at least one other ferret, and the type of housing varied across sectors from single-level cages to free-ranging housing. Environmental enrichments most commonly reported were hammocks, tunnels and human interaction, with ferrets reported to most enjoy digging, tunnels, human interaction and exploration. Scent trails were also reported to be among the most enjoyable enrichments but were rarely provided, suggesting that they could be used more. Problematic enrichment included rubber items, such as Kongs®, which could be chewed and swallowed, narrow tunnels trapping ferrets, and fabrics catching claws. These items should therefore be avoided. Our results suggest that all sectors have room to improve both housing and enrichment to better ferret welfare.Ferrets (Mustela putorius furo) are kept and used in multiple sectors of society, but little is known about how they are housed and what environmental enrichment (EE) they may benefit from. We aimed to help guide caretakers about what housing and EE can be provided for ferrets. Through an online questionnaire of ferret caretakers, including pet, laboratory, zoological collection, rescue and working animal sectors internationally, we described ferret housing, opportunities for exploration, EE provision and caretaker opinions on ferrets’ preferred EE types, and problematic EE. In total, 754 valid responses from 17 countries were analysed, with most (82.4%) coming from pet owners. Most ferrets were housed socially, with housing varying across sectors from single-level cages to free-range housing in a room or outdoor enclosure;pet owners mostly used multi-level cages. The most commonly reported EE included hammocks, tunnels and tactile interaction with caretakers. Respondents reported that ferrets particularly enjoyed digging substrates, tunnels, human interaction and exploration. The most frequently reported problems were that ingestion of unsuitable chew toys and rubber items could cause internal blockages, narrow tunnels could trap ferrets, and certain fabrics that could catch claws. This suggests a need for increased awareness of the risks of these EE types and for more commercially available safety-tested ferret EE. Scent trails were relatively rarely provided but were reported to be enjoyed and harmless, so we recommend that these should be provided more commonly. Our results suggest that there is scope to improve ferret housing and EE provision to benefit ferret welfare across all sectors.

Can Regionalized Livestock Production and Meat Packing Meet the Food Needs of Today’s Consumers?

Meat shortages in many of the largest retail chains during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic affected millions of U.S. consumers. In addition, wait times for custom slaughter of meat animals increased from days to weeks to upwards of 14 mon. Interruptions in livestock slaughter and meat supplies have renewed the emphasis on medium, small, and very small meat slaughters/processors. Numerous states are investing in slaughter/processing plant construction, renovation of existing plants, and establishing or reestablishing state inspection programs. It is conceivable that this reinvestment may alleviate some of the meat supply limitations;yet, there are a number of factors these plants need to address for economic sustainability, including (but are not limited to): consistency of local and regional livestock supply;availability of trained, experienced workforce;plant holding pens and slaughter floor design;pre-slaughter animal welfare training and compliance;development and implementation of food safety programs;fresh and frozen storage capacities;local and regional marketing channels and modes of distribution;and by-products markets and offal disposal. Regardless of plant size, the ultimate goal of all meat packers/processors is the production of consistent, readily available and affordable, high-quality meat and meat products;however, the traditional driving forces of price and taste are being slowly supplanted by consumers’ concerns about production practices and animal management, perceived nutritional benefits, animal welfare concerns, food locality, and conveniences. This presentation will attempt to amalgamate the challenges facing medium, small, and very small meat processors with consumers’ preferences in relation to the sustainability of these revitalized segments of the livestock and meats industry.

Mao's Bestiary: Medicinal Animals and Modern China By Liz P. Y. Chee,. Durham, N.C.: Duke University Press, 2021. 288 pp. ISBN: 9781478014041 (paper)

The tension between the belief in the efficacy of animal drugs, which supposedly have more vitality than plants, and the concern for biodiversity, which is threatened by the use of charismatic body parts, such as rhino horns, tiger paws, or shark fins, is the motor of a dynamic quest of substitutes. The practice of wild animal farming, applied to bees, seahorses, and geckos during the same period, relied on the idea that animal body parts or animal products become renewable once the animal is trapped and raised. While the tension between multispecies ethics, public health, and techno-scientific innovation is at the heart of this fascinating and accurate investigation, it also raises ontological questions about the borders between humans and nonhumans or between wild and domestic animals, as pathogenic emergences show that these borders are constantly crossed and blurred by human practices, particularly in Asian contexts whose historicity must be documented. frederic.keck@college-de-france.fr

Meat Me Halfway: Sydney Meat-Loving Men’s Restaurant Experience with Alternative Plant-Based Proteins

Within the theoretical framework of psychological reactance and impression management, this study conducted in Sydney, Australia, in 2020–2021, explores the acceptance by men of alternatives to animal-based foods. Qualitative in-depth interviews were conducted with 36 men who have visited a vegan restaurant and have eaten a plant-based burger. The findings from the study show that, despite the increasing popularity of these novel food options, men are unlikely to include the plant-based alternatives as a permanent feature of their diets as explained by the theory of psychological reactance. However, the study’s male participants acknowledged the importance of women for their visit to the vegan restaurant which can be explained by impression management theory. Using excerpts from the interviews, men’s experience is highlighted, particularly as it relates to concerns linked to masculinity, dietary identity and social perception by others. The analysis reveals the complexity of transitioning to more sustainable food choices within a gender-constructed social environment. Whether the new plant-based alternatives to meat are going to be a short-lived trend or a more lasting option in the men’s diets is also discussed. Practical implications for social marketing as a tool to influence collective behaviour are drawn. They emphasise the role of women, changing social perceptions and transparency about the new plant-based products.

Pyrrhic Progress: The History of Antibiotics in Anglo-American Food Production by Claas Kirchhelle (review)

In May 2021, a study found that British meat eaters failed to recognize the role of factory farms in the COVID-19 pandemic.1 Industrial-scale livestock raising, with its reliance on antibiotics and its close proximity between humans and animals, is a leading cause for infectious disease. [...]the busy FDA was incentivized to relax rather than tighten restrictions, and its 1966 report entrenched rather than revisited existing regulatory pathways. Kirchhelle demonstrates that regulatory landmarks like the 1962 Neverthorpe Report were as much the result of professional feuds between veterinarians, farmers, and public health officials as they were a reflection of Britain's less fragmented public focus on antimicrobial resistance and animal welfare.

Brazilian Consumers' Attitudes towards So-Called "Cell-Based Meat".

The main goal of this online survey was to investigate the attitudes of Brazilians towards "cell-based meat", which has become the subject of great scientific and media enthusiasm. The answers of 4471 respondents concluded that 46.6% of them thought "cell-based meat" was promising and acceptable. More than 66% would be willing to try this novel product compared to 23% who expressed reluctance to do so. Nearly 40% of the total respondents did not want to eat "cell-based meat" regularly at all, whereas 29%, 43.2%, and 39.9% were willing to eat it regularly in restaurants, at home, and/or in ready-made meals, respectively. However, the majority of respondents (71%) were keen to pay much less for "cell-based meat" than conventionally produced meat (or even nothing at all), compared to 24.3% who were willing to pay the same price as conventional meat, whereas only 4.8% were willing to pay more. Approximately 51% of them considered that "cell-based meat" should not be called "meat" for marketing purposes. Job, monthly income, age, and gender were major factors impacting consumer acceptance. Meat professionals and consumers with higher incomes were less willing to eat "cell-based meat" regularly. Women (especially younger women) were the most concerned about the ethical and environmental issues related to meat production and were the most convinced that reducing meat consumption could be a good solution to the meat industry's problems. Respondents who did not accept "cell-based meat" and did not eat meat substitutes had a negative attitude to this novel food (they considered it absurd and/or disgusting) and did not believe that "cell-based meat" should be called "meat" for marketing purposes. In contrast, the people who thought that "cell-based meat" could be called "meat" perceived it in a rather positive way. These results are important for consumers of meat and meat substitutes and for companies aiming to enter the potential future Brazilian market of "cell-based meat".