A concept test of novel healthy snacks among adolescents: Antecedents of preferences and buying intentions

• Tweens and teens demonstrated higher novel-snack preferences than buying intentions.
• Preferences and buying intentions were not triggered by the same predictors.
• Shared traits were positive perceived need satisfaction and being a girl.
• Perceived coolness and strong peer influence increase the preferences.
• High attribute-importance and willingness to try new snacks increase the buying intentions.

The purpose of this empirical study was to test (1) which of eight novel healthy snack concepts based on fresh fruit and vegetables that 10- to 16-year-old adolescents in Denmark prefer and intend to buy, and (2) which factors explain preferences and buying intentions. Our results revealed that the adolescents are positive in their reported preferences and buying intentions, however with higher preferences than buying intentions. Furthermore, we found that preferences and buying intentions were not solely triggered by the same factors. A shared trait of the models was that being a girl and perceiving high need satisfaction will increase both preferences and buying intentions. Nevertheless, preferences will increase the more snacks are perceived as cool and the stronger the peer influence is perceived to be, whereas buying intentions will increase the higher the personal importance of the snack attributes is perceived to be, the higher the willingness to try new snacks among best friends at school and the lower the willingness to try new snacks among other peers outside school. The findings indicate the importance of considering both preferences and buying intentions in future product development processes and sales forecasts. Moreover, it is recommended that marketers first focus their distribution of novel healthy snacks targeted at adolescents on school canteens and later on food stores, as it may be easier to make adolescents buy novel healthy snacks in safe environments among peers, such as at school.