Do vegan labels shape consumer perceptions?

: evidence from an experimental study

Abstract

This master thesis explores the impact of vegan labeling on consumer perceptions. With vegan products moving from niche to mainstream, vegan labels have become an essential means of communicating product attributes and guiding consumer choice. Drawing on heuristic– systematic processing, attribution theory, and the Persuasion Knowledge Model, this study investigates whether vegan labels influence perceptions of calories, price, naturalness, and trust, whether such effects depend on the perceived intention behind a product9s vegan status, and how these judgments translate into behavioral intentions. A 2×2 between-subjects online experiment (N = 140) tested label presence (with vs. without vegan label) and product intentionality (intentional vs. unintentional) across three food categories. No significant main effects emerged in the full sample, and intentionality did not moderate outcomes. However, analyses of participants who correctly recognized the label condition (N = 126) revealed effects: vegan-labeled products were perceived as less caloric, while initial shifts in trust and environmental friendliness weakened once individual differences were considered. Across outcomes, dietary orientation and vegan familiarity emerged as strong predictors. Exploratory analyses further showed that behavioral intentions were driven mainly by taste expectations, with naturalness and, under label recognition, health perceptions playing smaller roles. These findings suggest that vegan labels act as weak heuristic cues, shaping judgments only under conscious recognition, with individual characteristics exerting influence. Theoretically, this refines understanding of labeling boundaries and underscores the role of consumer characteristics. For managers, it implies that vegan labels should be integrated into broader communication strategies rather than relied upon alone.

Date of Award	22 Oct 2025
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	João Niza Braga (Supervisor)