Estrategias de marketing para la comercialización de zumo de frutas tropicales-exóticas como alimento funcional, en la Comunidad Foral de Navarra

Changes in lifestyle, consuming habits and globalization, have transformed the agro-alimentary industry to a point where it has adapted to a reality that affects every person, regardless of his situation or location. By the end of the 20th century, a change in nutrition habits began, which are expanding beyond hunger satisfaction and survival. A bigger emphasis has been directed towards foods that improve a person’s health and reduces the risk of illnesses. These changes towards healthier foods have resulted in the birth of what are called Functional Foods, primarily on developed countries. This situation can represent an opportunity in the juices industry and for the producers of exotic tropical fruits. Having as a goal taking advantage of the existing demands for new foods and the supply of fruits from tropical countries, the following investigation is presented to propose, if possible, marketing strategies to commercialize tropical-exotic fruit juices and functional foods in the Navarra community. Other objectives include consumer analysis, the detection of a potential niche for tropical-exotic fruit juices as a functional food and to propose strategies for its commercialization. A literature review has begun, with emphasiz on functional foods, juices in general, and on tropical-exotic fruit juices. A marketing poll has been performed with the participation of 227 people in the city of Pamplona. Along with it, a qualitative analysis was made with the purpose of understanding juice consuming habits of the individuals. For the analysis and data processing, the statistical computer programs SPSS and SPAD were used. univariate, bivariate and multivariate analyses were made. On the univariate analysis, the sample was described using the socio-economic and demographic data. On the bivariate analysis, the Chi-square test for independence, the Pearson Correlation, and the ANOVA analyses were performed. Finally, on the multivariate analysis the principal components were analyzed and the group analysis was made. It was concluded that the general population has different levels of understanding of what are functional foods. Some of the benefits that provide functional foods are known, but they are not equally valued for their attributes. Although there isn’t a defined market group, the consumers have a general confidence on the properties of the functional foods. Tropical-exotic fruits are not well known, but the multi-fruit juice could be well accepted by consumers if it is combined with some functional additives. It is also thought that the tropical-exotic fruits are targeted to all social classes and to the general population, although young and adolescent people stand out. Finally, with the results obtained, it is recommended to apply and indifferent marketing strategy and a marketing mix focused more on the publicity. With this product is important to first educate and inform the public about tropical-exotic fruit juice consumption.