Economists find: advertising makes a regional food brand recognizable, but only quality keeps the customer loyal

What the customer survey revealed

Advertising and promotions make regional products recognizable, but lasting customer attachment to a brand is built by quality and the value of the purchase. This is the conclusion reached by economists at Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, who surveyed buyers of Chinese farm products; the results were published in the journal Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems. Gazeta.Ru reports on this..

How the study was conducted

The subject of the study was the Tianfu Hetao brand — one of China's most successful regional public brands. Beijing has been promoting this model since 2017: local authorities create a common 'umbrella' for products from their territory, and goods from approved enterprises are sold at a premium. The brand belongs to the city of Bayannur in Inner Mongolia and unites grain, meat, dairy products, cashmere, vegetables, and medicinal herbs under a single mark.

Methodology

The economists distributed 550 questionnaires about satisfaction with the products in supermarkets, brand stores, and at exhibitions, as well as through an online survey platform. 498 responses were deemed valid — all from people who had actually bought the brand's products. The responses were processed using structural equation modeling, assessing how 10 marketing factors — from advertising to trademark protection — affect attitudes toward the brand.

Key findings

The most powerful driver of recognition turned out to be product value — quality and the sense of a fair price, while the brand's image is strengthened most of all by the flawless performance of enterprises. Advertising influences both recall and customers' affection. PR, service, and corporate culture help the brand be remembered, but on their own do not improve its image. Trademark protection and the fight against counterfeits, according to the authors, are invisible to the buyer: this is behind-the-scenes work of authorities and companies.

The psychological chain and limitations

Then the psychological chain came into play: recognition turns into affection and trust, and those — into willingness to buy the product again and recommend it to friends. 'Brand marketing should not be reduced to chasing recognition — it must be based on product quality,' the article states. This is especially important for regional brands: the customer must first recognize the brand and only then come to love it.

What to keep in mind

The authors warn that the survey is limited to one brand and one region, so conclusions about other countries and platforms still need to be verified. The practical significance of the work for similar models — including regional 'umbrella' food brands — is that investment in recognition without proven quality does not lead to repeat purchases: it is precisely this transition from fame to trust that proved to be the key link in the measured chain.