Segmenting Consumers Using Cluster Analysis: An Application to Food Motivations in the Western Balkan Countries

Abstract

To illustrate the use of cluster analysis as a tool for segmenting consumers, the Focus Balkans project applied this method to the topic of food motivations. The aim of cluster analysis is to group objects (e.g. people or products) on the basis of numerical measures. Food motivations were captured via the Food Choice Questionnaire. Respondents were clustered based on the eight factors identified in the previous chapter. The profiling of clusters allowed for the identification of groups that from a public health perspective raise concern. For the Western Balkans, five groups of consumers were discerned with the clusters characterised by significant differences in food consumption patterns as well as demographic and socioeconomic characteristics. Three clusters raise concern. For each cluster, the communication messages should be distinctive, and they are described briefly in this chapter.