Abstract

A widely used method within the commonly used "stated preference" approaches for assessing consumer preferences is the best-worst scaling (BWS) technique. Of the three types of BWS (object case, profile case, alternative case), the first (object case) is considered the most flexible in terms of data analysis, as it provides a relatively complex picture of consumer preferences either through the calculation of simple statistical indicators (counting approach) or through the estimation of more complex model specifications (modelling approach - Maxdiff model, Marginal model, Marginal sequential model). Both approaches and the whole BWS process can be handled very efficiently with the R program support.BWS package we use, developed by Aizaki and Fogarty, 2023. The design of our object case BWS experiment was based on the 7-7-3 parameter combination (number of attributes - number of decision situations - number of attributes in decision situations) in a BIBD (balanced incomplete block design) context and both the analysis approaches mentioned above have been applied.
There are many topics that have been studied using the BWS method, but innovation and tradition have not been linked in these studies. Therefore, we have chosen a sustainability-related topic as a possible example of an application of the method. We also investigated how an innovative meat product from a local breed would be perceived by future consumers in two countries with a long pig farming tradition. Compared to traditional animal slaughter methods, alternative meat production techniques are widely regarded as eco-friendly and sustainable. Cultured meat, also known as 'in-vitro meat' involves culturing animal cells externally from the original donor animal. Our research aimed to determine the level of interest in 'cultured pork meat' among Czech and Hungarian consumers. In our primary market research, we used a quantitative online representative questionnaire survey in 2022 involving 1600 people (800 people per country) for Czech and Hungarian consumers. Respondents in both countries ranked meat freshness and taste as the two most important aspects. The third and fourth most important aspects were the health impact compared to traditionally produced meat and the smell of the meat, for which the ranking scores were very close. For Czech consumers, these were followed by the appearance of the meat and whether the meat was from a native breed (not a hybrid or modern breed). The texture of the meat was the least important aspect for Czech consumers. On the other hand, Hungarian consumers rated the texture and appearance of the meat very closely, with the last aspect being whether the meat was from a native breed (non-hybrid or modern breed).
Our analysis showed a difference between the preferences of Czech and Hungarian consumers for cultured meat from animals with indigenous genetics and that meat texture is more critical for Hungarians than Czech consumers. From a methodological point of view, we found that although counting and modeling analysis approaches lead to mostly the same conclusions, by deepening the complexity of modeling we can address preference heterogeneity from multiple perspectives.