A Conjoint Analysis of Preferred Chocolate Product Attributes for Local Chocolatiers Among Gen Z College Students in the First District of Davao City

Jan Rochelle Francisquete; Jann Krystel Jumao-As; Charmaine Joyce Nicor; Pauline Zoi Rabago; Kate Dianne Serafica; Emmanuel Joseph Sumatra

doi:10.55927/ijsmr.v4i8.72

Authors

Jan Rochelle Francisquete Ateneo de Davao University
Jann Krystel Jumao-As Ateneo de Davao University
Charmaine Joyce Nicor Ateneo de Davao University
Pauline Zoi Rabago Ateneo de Davao University
Kate Dianne Serafica Ateneo de Davao University
Emmanuel Joseph Sumatra Ateneo de Davao University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55927/ijsmr.v4i8.72

Keywords:

Chocolate, Conjoint Analysis, Local Chocolatiers, Gen Z, PAPRIKA Method

Abstract

This study aims to provide empirical data by identifying the preferred chocolate product combinations for local chocolatiers and the relative importance of various attributes in shaping choices among Gen Z college students in the first district of Davao City. Anchored in the Multi-Attribute Utility Theory and Sensory Marketing Theory, the study employed Conjoint Analysis using 1000minds via the Potentially All Pairwise Rankings of all Possible Alternatives (PAPRIKA) method. Four sensory attributes were investigated: Type of Chocolate, Format, Texture, and Outer Packaging Material. Data from 389 verified respondents obtained through purposive sampling with a Poisson distribution revealed that Type of Chocolate (27.1%) and Format (27.1%) were the most preferred attributes, followed by Texture (23.3%) and Packaging (22.5%). The ideal simulated combination was a milk chocolate bar with a crunchy texture in paper-based packaging.

References

Adajar, K. (2025). A Filipino Love Language. Manila Standard.

Amoah, N. (2024). Assessing the sustainable food consumption behaviours of generation z across national cultures. Institutional Research Information System - OPENBS Open Archive UniBS.

Arfelli, F., Roguszewska, M., Torta, G., Iurlo, M., Cespi, D., Ciacci, L., & Passarini, F. (2024). Environmental impacts of food packaging: Is it all a matter of raw materials?. Sustainable Production and Consumption, 49, 318-328.

Baingana, M. (2024). Food Texture Perception and Its Influence on Consumer Preferences. Journal of Food Sciences, 5(2), 43–55.

Bajar, R. G. C. A., Ong, A. K. S., & German, J. D. (2024). Determining sustainable purchase behavior for green products from name-brand shops: a gen Z perspective in a developing country. Sustainability, 16(9), 3747.

Balita, B. (2024). Confectionery consumption patterns in the Philippines. Global Food Review.

Bidania, S. (2024). Consumer Perception and Purchase Intention on Filipino Artisanal Chocolates Among Residents from Metro Manila. University Knowledge Digital Repository - University of the Philippines Los Baños.

Brisan Group. (2020). Consumer Research: Chocolate Insights. Food & Beverage Insights and Product Development Agency.

Brodrock, J. L., Hayes, J. E., & Masterson, T. (2021). Differences in preferred fat level, sweetener type, and amount of added sugar in chocolate milk in a choice task relate to physical activity and orthorexia. Science Direct.

Brown, A. L., Bakke, A. J., & Hopfer, H. (2020). Understanding American premium chocolate consumer perception of craft chocolate and desirable product attributes using focus groups and projective mapping. PLoS ONE, 15(11), e0240177.

Caprara, G. V., & Zimbardo, P. G. (2004). Personalizing politics: A congruency model of political preference. American Psychologist, 59(7), 581–589.

DOCX

Christodoulou, E., Achilleos, C., & Lamport, D. J. (2025). On-the-go consumption preferences among young cohorts. Journal of Functional Foods, 112, 104-115.

Cochran, W. G. (1977). Sampling techniques (3rd ed.). John Wiley & Sons.

Dabija, D. C., Bejan, B. M., & Pușcaș, C. (2020). A qualitative approach to the sustainable orientation of generation z in retail: The case of Romania. Journal of Risk and Financial Management, 13(7), 152.

Dawam, A., Subroto, W. T., & Sakti, N. C. (2025). Changes in Consumer Behavior of Millennials and Generation Z towards Purchasing Consumer Goods in the Digital Era in Bator Village. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, 9(1), 884-897.

Del Prete, M., & Samoggia, A. (2020). Chocolate Consumption and Purchasing Behaviour Review: Research Issues and Insights for Future Research. Sustainability, 12(14), 5586.

Diener, E. (2000). Subjective well-being: The science of happiness and a proposal for a national index. American Psychologist, 55(1), 34–43.

Dumitrescu, A. (2022). Extending the Construct of Centrality of Visual Product Aesthetics. Strategic Design Research Journal, 14(3), 484–496.

García-Vidal, G., Sánchez-Rodríguez, A., Pérez-Campdesuñer, R., & Martínez-Vivar, R. (2019). Consumer Preferences for Local Chocolate Consumption. Implications from Market Segmentation at Ecuador. International Journal of Business and Social Research, 9(4), 1-12.

Glass, S., & Cheung, J. (2018). What do Gen Z shoppers want? IBM Institute for Business Value.

Haerani, S., Parmitasari, R. D. A., Aponno, E. H., & Aunalal, Z. I. (2019). Moderating effects of age on personality, driving behavior towards driving outcomes. International Journal of Human Rights in Healthcare, 12(4), 270–282.

Hansen, P., & Ombler, F. (2008). A new method for scoring additive multi-attribute value models using pairwise rankings of alternatives. Journal of Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis, 15(3–4), 87–107.

Hima, J., & Hashmukh, B. (2024). Study on effect on consumers buying behaviour analysing role of packaging. International Journal of Creative Research Thoughts (IJCRT).

Hoyer, W. D., & Brown, S. P. (1990). Effects of brand awareness on choice for a common, repeat-purchase product. Journal of Consumer Research, 17(2), 141-148.

Intzesiloglou, P., & Giannopoulos, A. (2024). The Epignosis of Sensory Marketing in Co-Creating a New-Age Gastronomic Tourism Experience: Investigating the Eating Behaviour of Millennials and Gen Z. Proceedings of The Mediterranean Tourism Knowledge Exchange and Policy Forum, 164.

Joye, I. J., & Sagis, L. M. C. (2020). Texture and mouthfeel of fat-rich foods. Springer Tracts in Mechanical Engineering, 535–555.

Keeney, R. L., & Raiffa, H. (1976). Decisions with multiple objectives: Preferences and value tradeoffs. Cambridge University Press.

Khan, M., & Ali, R. (2024). The Effects of Packaging Color and Product Shape on Customer’s Willingness to Buy Chocolates. Annals of Social Sciences and Perspective, 5(1), 205–217.

Kiss, M., Czine, P., Balogh, P., & Szakály, Z. (2022). The Connection between Manufacturer and Private Label Brands and Brand Loyalty in Chocolate Bar Buying Decisions – a Hybrid Choice Approach. Appetite, 177, 106145.

Krishna, A. (2012). An integrative review of sensory marketing: Engaging the senses to affect perception, judgment and behavior. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 22(3), 332-351.

Kusawat, P., & Teerakapibal, S. (2022). Cross-cultural electronic word-of-mouth: a systematic literature review. Spanish Journal of Marketing - ESIC, 26(2), 145-160.

Lasco, G. (2024). In praise of Philippine chocolates. INQUIRER.net.

Lianita, N. A., & Asmarantaka, R. W. (2024). The Role of Environmental Concern in Shaping The Purchase Intention of Eco-Friendly Packaging. Jurnal Manajemen & Agribisnis, 21(2), 249-249.

Lirag, M. T. B., & Ramirez, R. I. S. (2024). Setting the Sweet Spot: Price Determination for Local Chocolates in the Philippines. Journal of Economics Management and Trade, 30(4), 46–56.

Lusardi, A., Mitchell, O. S., & Curto, V. (2010). Financial literacy among the young: Evidence and implications. National Bureau of Economic Research, 358–380.

Malau, K. M., Ataribaba, Y., & Armetha, V. (2024). The Effect of Product Information on The Consumers Preference of Local Various Chocolate Bar. Journal of Applied Agricultural Science and Technology, 8(2), 241-254.

Massaglia, S., Merlino, V. M., Brun, F., Sparancio, A., Blanc, S., & Borra, D. (2023). What do chocolate consumers want? Exploring individual preferences and profiles, considering lifestyle, food habits, and socio-demographic features. International Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science, 32, 100746.

Menakaya, N. C., & Menakaya, I. N. (2022). Qualitative study exploring perceptions, attitudes and practices of adolescent university students in Lagos, Nigeria, towards a healthy lifestyle. African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine, 14(1), 1–12.

Meyerding, S. G., & Trinh, B. H. (2025). A cross-cultural study: How product attributes and cultural values influence chocolate preferences. Journal of Agriculture and Food Research, 101579.

Mielmann, A., Le Roux, N., & Taljaard, I. (2022). The Impact of Mood, Familiarity, Acceptability, Sensory Characteristics and Attitude on Consumers’ Emotional Responses to Chocolates. Foods, 11(11), 1621.

Mitchell, J., & Topic, M. (2020). Green packaging and Gen Z behaviors. Journal of Environmental Management, 268, 110-121.

Moslem, S., Ghorbanzadeh, O., Blaschke, T., & Duleba, S. (2019). Analysing Stakeholder Consensus for a Sustainable Transport Development Decision by the Fuzzy AHP and Interval AHP. Sustainability, 11(12), 3271.

Orme, B. (2010). Getting Started with Conjoint Analysis: Strategies for Product Design and Pricing Research (2nd ed.). Research Publishers LLC.

Palomo, J. N. (2021). Consumerism of Filipinos on Foreign Brands. ResearchGate.

Rawat, S., Sharma, A., & Mehta, D. (2024). Confectionery consumption choices among Gen Z cohorts in emerging urban centers. Journal of Consumer Behaviour Insights, 14(2), 115-129.

Richmond, L. (2023). The socio-cultural dynamics of gift giving. Academic Press.

Sabri, M. F., & MacDonald, M. (2010). Savings Behavior and Financial Problems among College Students: The Role of Financial Literacy in Malaysia. Cross-Cultural Communication, 6(3), 103–110.

Schouteten, J. J., De Steur, H., De Pelsmaeker, S., Lagast, S., Juvinal, J. G., De Bourdeaudhuij, I., & Gellynck, X. (2018). Emotional profiling of a seasonal chocolate product using an emotion word checklist. Food Quality and Preference, 68, 141-150.

Spence, C. (2021). Multisensory packaging design: A review of the literature. Journal of Sensory Studies, 36(4), e12662.

Sumatra, E. J. (2025). Tourism preferences of Gen Z in the Philippines: A conjoint analysis of beach resort attributes in Samal Island. Indonesian Journal of Advanced Research, 4(4), 365–380. https://doi.org/10.55927/ijar.v4i4.14210.

Syah, H., Pratama, A., & Wijaya, K. (2022). Competitive analysis of homegrown products against imports in developing nations. Southeast Asian Journal of Economics, 30(1), 45-59.

Symmank, C. (2023). How product attributes influence food purchases. Springer Nature.

Tekin, M., & Kanat, S. (2022). Sensory marketing experiences in the retail landscape. Journal of Business Administration Studies, 40(1), 12-25.

Wang, Y., Hu, X., & Zhang, J. (2023). Evaluating food packaging choices among Chinese university student populations. Food Quality and Distribution Journal, 45(2), 201-215.

Waworuntu, A., Sukma, D., & Setiawan, B. (2022). The influence of digital word-of-mouth on product alignment values among Indonesian youth. Journal of Digital Commerce, 11(3), 189-204.

Wedel, E. (2024). The evolving landscape of dark and functional confectionery treats. Chocolate Industry Trends Annual Report.

Wood, L. (2022). Gen Z and sustainability: Exploring consumer choices and brand loyalty alignment. Journal of Retailing Insights, 18, 77-89.

Yan, Z., Wang, L., & Li, X. (2019). Guideline for Interpretation of Spearman Correlation Coefficient in Behavioral Sciences. Journal of Statistics and Data Science, 12(2), 110-122.

Zuo, M., Zhang, L., & Chen, Y. (2022). Dietary drivers and snacking behavior modifications among modern university populations. Appetite and Health Reports, 89, 114-127.