How did the simple leather wallet end up as an activist tool for change? A qualitative study of young Swedish consumers boycott and buycott behavior of food and drink brands
Abstract: Thesis purpose: This thesis aims to discover young Swedish consumers' boycott and buycott behavior of food and drink brands by understanding their decisions and participation in these practices. Methodology: This study is built upon a qualitative research design and adopts an abductive approach. A social constructionist viewpoint guides the research to help to get a deeper understanding of young Swedish consumer's behavior in boycotts and buycotts. A thematic analysis was further adopted to analyze and discuss the empirical findings. Theoretical perspective: This thesis builds upon the theories of self-congruence and symbolic interactionism, which will work as a lens for the study. The concepts of social interaction, brand symbolism, and brand identification further derived from this theory and previously reviewed literature. These concepts resulted in a theoretical framework, which will guide the collection of the empirical findings and help approach the analysis and discussion. Empirical data: The researchers conducted 11 semi-structured in-depth interviews with young Swedish consumers. Conclusions: Several factors drive the boycott and buycott behavior of food and drink brands. In boycott and buycott decisions, the drivers are word-of-mouth, environmental consciousness, ethics, brand consistency of words and actions, and long-term thinking. In boycott decisions, the media is also a driver. Furthermore, what drives participation of boycotts and buycotts is word-of-mouth and values of environmental consciousness, ethics, brand consistency of words and actions, and long-term thinking. Practical implications: This study contributes to consumer behavior literature with a more profound understanding of why young Swedish consumers engage in boycotts and buycotts of brands. It further contributes with insights for brands within the FMCG industry, food and drink brands in particular.
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