Factors Influencing Consumers’ Perceived Healthiness and Willingness to Use
Functional Drinks in Thailand
Thitarat Worawitphinyo*
Master of Business Administration (Business Modeling and Analysis) Thailand
*e-mail: t.wphinyo@gmail.com
Abstract
The aims of the present study were to determine factors that influence consumers’
perceived healthiness and willingness to use functional drinks in Thailand. A study was
carried out in Bangkok over the period of August to October 2013 to investigate determinants
of functional drink use. The survey canvassed the views of 400 respondents, and the
completed questionnaires were subsequently used in the analysis. The results indicated that
Thai consumers’ attitude towards functional drinks, consumers’ perceived healthiness of
ingredients, and consumers’ perceived credibility of information source had an influence on
the willingness to use functional drinks. In contrast, product health claimed and consumers’
perceived risk had no influence on the willingness to use functional drinks. Furthermore,
credibility of information sources also significantly correlated with the product’s health
claimed. Thus careful marketing will be required to target product and messages to relevant
segments of the market.
Keywords: functional drinks, perceived healthiness, willingness
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