1 - Frederico Humberto de Oliveira UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DE LAVRAS (UFLA) - Lavras
2 - Mateus da Mata Melo UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DE LAVRAS (UFLA) - Programa de Pós-Graduação em Administração
3 - Álvaro Leonel de Oliveira Castro Universidade Estadual do Paraná - Unespar - Campus de Campo Mourão - Colegiado de Administração
4 - Alyce Cardoso Campos Instituto Federal de Educação Ciência e Tecnologia do Sul de Minas Gerais - IFSULDEMINAS - Campus Passos
5 - Luiz Henrique de Barros Vilas Boas UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DE LAVRAS (UFLA) - DAE
Reumo
Although cachaça is one of the symbols of Brazilian culture, the drink is still very surrounded by prejudices brought back from the time of colonial Brazil. Several are the historical and market elements that make cachaça associated with a low-quality drink. However, factors such as production regulation, marketing strategies and incentives for valuing aspects related to national culture have created a new consumer profile, represented by individuals who are looking for higher quality drinks, who appreciate alembic cachaça.
The present study aimed to understand some aspects of the behavior of the consumer of cachaça in the state of Minas Gerais. Based on the cognitive structure of the means-end chain, the study identified the personal values that motivate the consumption of alembic cachaça.
The means-end chain theory explains how products lead to desired states, highlighting consumer motivations, attitudes, and decision-making processes. The theory links product attributes, their consequences, and personal values, forming a hierarchical structure (Gutman, 1982; Reynolds & Rochon, 1991). Laddering, an interview technique, identifies these relationships, creating a hierarchical value map (Reynolds & Rochon, 1991). Values, as cognitive representations (Schwartz et al., 2012), guide consumption decisions, emphasizing the importance of consumer values in determining product choices.
The methodology used by the study is the application of an in-depth interview, using the laddering technique, which enables the identification of hierarchical chains of attributes, consequences and values. The study was conducted with consumers residing in the cities of Belo Horizonte, Lavras, Uberaba, Uberlândia and Varginha. In all, 47 interviews were conducted.
The Hierarchical Value Map revealed consumers value prestige, benevolence, hedonism, personal security, and compliance. Key valued attributes include production methods, storage time, artisanal characteristics, brand reputation, and alembic location. Consumers link the drink's physical traits—woody color, appearance, bubbles, label, packaging, and arch formation—to quality and health safety. Psychologically, consumers focus on personal image, pleasure, socializing, and safety.
The research achieved its objective by identifying motivations of alembic cachaça consumers using the means-end chain theory. Key findings include significant attributes like aging and origin, and five personal values: face, benevolence, hedonism, personal security, and conformity. The study suggests these insights can guide product development and marketing. Limitations include the geographic scope of Minas Gerais. Future research should expand to other regions and apply quantitative methods to complement these findings.
Gutman, J. (1982). A means-end chain model based on consumer categorization processes. Journal of Marketing, 46(2), 60–72.
Reynolds, T. J., & Rochon, J. P. (1991). Means-end based advertising research: Copy testing is not strategy assessment. Journal of Business Research, 22, 131–142.
Schwartz, S. H., Cieciuch, J., Vecchione, M., Davidov, E., Fischer, R., Beierlein, C., Ramos, A., Verkasalo, M., Lönnqvist, J. E., Demirutku, K., Dirilen-Gumus, O., & Konty, M. (2012). Refining the theory of basic individual values. Journal of personality and social psychology, 103(4), 663–688.