Insect-based food consumption: the impact of brand equity on logo perception. A neuroscientific perspective

Climate change, population growth and the gradual decrease in environmental resources are factors driving a change in many of our society’s habits, including those related to food production and consumption. In the latter case, one of the strategies is based on the promotion of food that have insects among their ingredients. This study aims to investigate which branding strategies are able to foster the acceptance of insect food by involving the dimensions of brand equity and cobranding. A sample of 40 participants was exposed to viewing some products with logos of high equity brands, low equity brands, and co-branding. Neuroscientific tools such as the eye-tracker and facereader were used to detect differences in visual behaviour and emotional reaction corresponding to different levels of product acceptance. The results point out the need to consider the equity-based brand strategy as essential for the promotion of insect-based food. Our results demonstrate the presence of different neurophysiological reactions in correspondence with the branding strategies analysed, linked to distinct levels of openness to insects. Based on our research, this evidence indicates that an equity-based branding strategy makes a decisive contribution to the promotion of insect-based food.