Changing consumer use of digital media and smart technology in relation to New Zealand's food product exports in key international markets

Abstract

New Zealand is a geographically isolated country that relies heavily on maintaining market access for its exports of agricultural products. This export focus has shifted from traditional European markets to other international markets, particularly in Asia. This shift has highlighted the importance of understanding consumer use of digital media and smart technology in target markets for New Zealand food and beverage exports as a means of maintaining and enhancing market access via novel marketing and sales channels. This paper presents the results of consumer surveys conducted in the United Kingdom, China and Japan in 2015, 2019, 2020 and 2021, examining consumer attitudes to and the use of a range of digital media and smart technology tools for access information about and purchasing food and beverage products. This includes the use of online shopping, social media and mobile devices, as well as interactions with product barcodes, QR codes and microchip reading technology (RFID/NFC). showed growth in the use of all digital media and smart technology for this purpose over time across all markets, particularly China. The 2020 and 2021 surveys were carried out during the COVID-19 pandemic, with results showing only marginal changes in technology use during the pandemic. This research can assist New Zealand industries by informing them of possible opportunities for increasing their export returns by improving their market access via digital marketing and sales strategies.