Specialty beers market: a comparative study of producers and consumers behavior

This study aimed to identify, with producers of specialty beers (SBs), producers' perceptions regarding the consumers, besides analyzing the consumer's behavior of SBs regarding consumers' preferences, perceptions and determining buying factors.

In the qualitative analysis, interviews were performed with 14 professionals from the SB industry. In the quantitative study, 301 consumers of SB answered a questionnaire about preferences, perception and determining buying factors of special beer. Techniques such as content analysis, frequency analysis, cross-tabulation and hierarchical cluster analysis were used in this study.

The study demonstrated an important convergence in the perceptions of producers about consumers and the real behavior of SB consumers, mainly on factors of beer packaging, label, style and price. Those respondents consuming just SB were characterized by having higher income, frequency and time of beer consumption and willingness to pay more for the product. Cluster analysis allowed to segment respondents into three groups: (1) beginners in the universe of SBs who also drink commercial beers; (2) regular consumers willing to pay more for SB and (3) legitimate consumers of SB averse to commercial beer.

There are practical implications in this study such as new products development and assertive creation of labels and packaging for special beers.

There are social implications in this study such as the convergence between industry professionals and consumers.

By addressing professionals and consumers, this study generated scientific information and knowledge to assist the specialty brewing industry in developing new products and defining marketing strategies as well as creating actions for bringing producers and consumers closer together to benefit both parties.