Psychological Factors that Influence Behavioral Intentions towards Bottled Green Tea in the Japan Market

What factors influence consumer choice is an ongoing debate. This study delved into Japanese consumers’ perceptual model of bottled green tea beverages in the fiercely competitive market, exploring the psychological factors that lead to behavioral intentions using an extended Mehrabian and Russell Stimulus-Organism-Response model. The model extension incorporated a panoply of factors that we laid against behavioral intentions, among which we explored ones with significant influence. In Study 1, we executed a screening survey, and after surveying 381 valid participants, we identified factors significant to purchase intent and built a model via structural equation modeling. In Study 2, we validated the model, analyzing how Japanese consumers make purchase decisions in a commoditized marketplace with many beverage options. Our results demonstrated that while a variety of factors would be related to Behavioral Intention, most notable among them was Reward, comprising facets such as taste, satisfaction, addictiveness, and desire. It was further affected by Mood, Perceived Quality, and Nostalgia. Our findings bring to light the importance of hedonic factors as they drive consumer choice by emphasizing the intrinsic value of sensory enjoyment and gratification in the experience of consuming green tea beverages. This study would provide practical marketing insight as to how bottled green tea, and possibly other beverage products, in a red ocean market, can be positioned and marketed to Japanese consumers in the most effective way.