Flavor and wellbeing: relationship between product's attributes and consumers’ personal values of regional coffee brands

This paper aims to evidence the cognitive structure of values of customers of regional brand from the South of Minas Gerais and Triângulo Mineiro regions. It aimed to identify perceptions about attributes, consequences, values and connections among these elements through a hierarchical map of values (HVM). The laddering technique helped in the collection, analysis and interpretation of field data. Thirty four in depth interviews were conducted in 7 retail stores, from the cities of Uberlândia and Lavras, in 2008. Results show that the brand’s regional aspect consists in a buying determinant. The HVM shows that personal values, such as: well-being and self-accomplishment might be reached through attributes perceived in the brands. Such perception is shown, mainly, in the chains which originate in the attributes: ‘from the region’, ‘sensorial characteristics’, ‘pure food’ and ‘cheaper product’. These chains may bring important orientations to marketing practice in such industry.