The objective of this research paper is to investigate potential avenues for value creation in the refined sugar market for domestic use, a market currently facing a critical juncture. The growing concerns about the health impacts of sugar have resulted in a notable decline in demand. Furthermore, changes in European Union regulations have introduced additional operators into the Spanish market, increasing competition and amplifying the need for innovation. This study examines how brands can respond to these challenges by enhancing their value proposition through market segmentation, targeted marketing strategies, and adaptive packaging solutions. To achieve this objective, we have conducted market research, which involved an in-depth interview, and a questionnaire distributed to 402 individuals responsible for household purchases. The findings suggest potential approaches for addressing the needs of consumers with a focus on health and well-being, while simultaneously enhancing the durability of products, thus facilitating greater brand differentiation. Furthermore, the study underscores the pivotal role of public policies and regulatory frameworks in influencing consumer behavior and market dynamics. Policies promoting sugar alternatives, labelling requirements, and packaging innovations have been demonstrated to impact brand strategies and consumer preferences. By aligning with these policy-driven shifts, companies can enhance their positioning in a mature and competitive market. This research contributes to the existing literature on brand value in commodity markets by integrating insights into the impact of regulation and consumer segmentation. Our recommendations emphasize the importance of marketing strategies that are informed by an understanding of the policy context, which not only enhances brand equity but also promotes sustainable growth in the retail sugar industry.

Aaker, D. A. (2003). The Power of the Branded Differentiator. MIT Sloan Management Review. Retrieved from https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/the-power-of-the-branded-differentiator/

Aaker, D. A. (2004). Leveraging the Corporate Brand. California Management Review, 46(3), 6–18. http://doi.org/10.2307/41166218

Alonso, J. C., and Arcila, A. M. (2014). Eficiencia Semifuerte Del Mercado Internacional Del Azúcar Entre Los Años 2001 Y 2011. Cuadernos de Economía, 33(62), 145–161. http://doi.org/10.15446/cuad.econ.v33n62.43670

Bello Acebrón, L., & Calvo Dopico, D. (2000). The Importance of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Cues to Expected and Experienced Quality: An Empirical Application for Beef. Food Quality and Preference, 11(3), 229–238. http://doi.org/10.1016/S0950-3293(99)00059-2

Beltrán-Carrillo, V. J., Megías, Á., González-Cutre, D., & Jiménez-Loaisa, A. (2022). Elements behind sedentary lifestyles and unhealthy eating habits in individuals with severe obesity. International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-Being, 17(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/17482631.2022.2056967

Candel, M. J. J. M. (2001). Consumers' convenience orientation towards meal preparation: Conceptualization and measurement. Appetite, 36(1), 15–28. https://doi.org/10.1006/appe.2000.0364

Gehrt, K. C. (2000). Situational Segmentation Opportunities in the Snack Food Market. Journal of Food Products Marketing, 5(4), 1–17. http://doi.org/10.1300/J038v05n04_01

Gómez Candela, C., & Palma Milla, S. (2013). Una Visión Global, Actualizada y Crítica del Papel del Azúcar en nuestra Alimentación. Nutrición Hospitalaria, 28(4), 1–4. Retrieved from https://repositorio.uam.es/handle/10486/668639

Guiné, R. P. F., Florença, S. G., Barroca, M. J., & Anjos, O. (2020). The link between the consumer and the innovations in food product development. Foods, 9(9), 1317. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods9091317

Honkanen, P., Olsen, S. O., & Myrland, Ø. (2004). Preference-Based Segmentation: A Study of Meal Preferences Among Norwegian Teenagers. Journal of Consumer Behavior, 3(3), 235–250. http://doi.org/10.1002/cb.137

Huang, L., Song, X., & Liu, M. (2023). Marketing placebo effect on consumption of reduced sugar labeled products. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics. https://doi.org/10.1108/apjml-10-2022-0864

Ikonen, I., Sotgiu, F., Aydinli, A., & Verlegh, P. W. J. (2019). Consumer effects of front-of-package nutrition labeling: An interdisciplinary meta-analysis. Appetite, 141, 104305. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-019-00663-9

Keller, K. O., & Guyt, J. Y. (2023). A war on sugar? Effects of reduced sugar content and package size in the soda category. SSRN Electronic Journal. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4127172

Keller, K. L., & Swaminathan, V. (2020). Strategic Brand Management: Building, Measuring, and Managing Brand Equity (5th ed.). Pearson Education.

Kelly, B., Ng, S. H., Carrad, A., & Pettigrew, S. (2024). The potential effectiveness of front-of-pack nutrition labeling for improving population diets. Annual Review of Nutrition, 44, 405-440. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-nutr-011224-030917

Ko, N., & Lee, J. (2021). The role of food sensory attributes in food choice and consumer satisfaction. Food Research International, 140, 109864. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2020.109864

Köster, E. P. (2009). Diversity in the determinants of food choice: A psychological perspective. Food Quality and Preference, 20(2), 70–82. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2007.11.002

Lawless, H. T., & Heymann, H. (2010). Sensory evaluation of food: Principles and practices (2nd ed.). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-6488-5

Mapama. (2013). Detailed Information of Sugar Sector in Spain. Retrieved from http://www.mapama.gob.es/es/agricultura/temas/regulacion-de-los-mercados/organizaciones-comunes-de-mercado-y-regimenes-de-ayuda/sectores-cultivos-herbaceos-industriales/azucar/

Mah, C. L., Luongo, G., Hasdell, R., Taylor, N. G. A., & Lo, B. K. (2019). A systematic review of the effect of retail food environment interventions on diet and health with a focus on the enabling role of public policies. Current Nutrition Reports, 8(4), 411–428. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13668-019-00295-z

Mercasa. (2023). Alimentación en España 2023 Producción, Industria, Distribución y Consumo. 26a Edición 2023/2024. Retrieved from https://www.mercasa.es/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Alimentacion_en_Espana_2023_web-1.pdf

Myrland, Ø., Trondsen, T., Johnston, R. S., & Lund, E. (2000). Determinants of Seafood Consumption in Norway: Lifestyle, Revealed Preferences, and Barriers to Consumption. Food Quality and Preference, 11(3), 169–188. http://doi.org/10.1016/S0950-3293(99)00034-8

Neufeld, L. M., Andrade, E. B., Ballonoff Suleiman, A., Barker, M., Beal, T., Blum, L. S., Demmler, K. M., Dogra, S., Hardy-Johnson, P., Lahiri, A., Larson, N., Roberto, C. A., Rodríguez-Ramírez, S., Sethi, V., Shamah-Levy, T., Strömmer, S., Tumilowicz, A., Weller, S., & Zou, Z. (2022). Food choice in transition: adolescent autonomy, agency, and the food environment. The Lancet, 399(10329), 669-680. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(21)01687-1

Nguyen, T. C. L. (2023). A rising trend in eco-friendly products: A health-conscious approach to green buying. Heliyon, 9(9), e19845. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e19845

Piekara, A. (2022). Sugar Tax or What? The Perspective and Preferences of Consumers. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(19). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191912536

Pineda, E., Gressier, M., Li, D., Brown, T., Mounsey, S., Olney, J., & Sassi, F. (2024). Review: Effectiveness and policy implications of health taxes on foods high in fat, salt, and sugar. Food Policy, 123, 102599. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodpol.2024.102599

Prada, M., Saraiva, M., Sério, A., Coelho, S., Godinho, C. A., & Garrido, M. V. (2021). The impact of sugar-related claims on perceived healthfulness, caloric value, and expected taste of food products. Food Quality and Preference, 94, 104331. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2021.104331

Prescott, J. (2015). Multisensory processes in flavour perception and their influence on food choice. Current Opinion in Food Science, 3, 47–52. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cofs.2015.02.007

Putnik, P., Bezuk, I., Barba, F. J., Lorenzo, J. M., Polunić, I., & Kovačević Bursać, D. (2020). Sugar reduction: Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni as a natural sweetener. In F. J. Barba, P. Putnik, & D. Bursać Kovačević (Eds.), Agri-Food Industry Strategies for Healthy Diets and Sustainability (pp. 123-152). Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-817226-1.00005-9

Russell, C., Baker, P., Grimes, C., Lindberg, R., & Lawrence, M. A. (2023). Global trends in added sugars and non-nutritive sweetener use in the packaged food supply: Drivers and implications for public health. Public Health Nutrition, 26(5), 952–964. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980022001598

Sánchez-Fernández, R., & Iniesta-Bonillo, M. Á. (2007). The concept of perceived value: A systematic review of the research. Marketing Theory, 7(4), 427–451. https://doi.org/10.1177/1470593107083165

Steinhauser, J., & Hamm, U. (2018). Consumer and product-specific characteristics influencing the effect of nutrition, health and risk reduction claims on preferences and purchase behavior – A systematic review. Appetite, 127, 303-323. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2018.05.012

Tsai, S. (2005). Utility, cultural symbolism and emotion: A comprehensive model of brand purchase value. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 22(3), 277-291. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijresmar.2004.11.002

Tuorila, H., & Monteleone, E. (2009). Sensory food science in the changing society: Opportunities, needs, and challenges. Trends in Food Science & Technology, 20(2), 54-62. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tifs.2008.10.007

van Meurs, T., de Koster, W., van der Waal, J., & Oude Groeniger, J. (2024). Sugar tax and product reformulation proposals reduce the perceived legitimacy of health-promotion institutions: A randomized population-based survey experiment. European Journal of Public Health, 34(3), 454–459. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckae013

Volpp, K. G., Berkowitz, S. A., Sharma, S. V., Anderson, C. A. M., Brewer, L. C., Elkind, M. S. V., Gardner, C. D., et al. (2023). Food is medicine: A presidential advisory from the American Heart Association. Circulation. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIR.0000000000001182

Walton, J., Bell, H., Re, R., & Nugent, A. P. (2023). Current perspectives on global sugar consumption: Definitions, recommendations, population intakes, challenges and future directions. Nutrition Research Reviews, 36(1), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1017/S095442242100024X

Watanabe, E. A. d. M., Alfinito, S., Curvelo, I. C. G., & Hamza, K. M. (2020). Perceived value, trust and purchase intention of organic food: A study with Brazilian consumers. British Food Journal, 122(4), 1070–1184. https://doi.org/10.1108/BFJ-05-2019-0363

Yusta-Boyo, M. J., Bermejo, L. M., García-Solano, M., López-Sobaler, A. M., Ortega, R. M., García-Pérez, M., & Dal-Re Saavedra, M. Á., on behalf of the SUCOPROFS Study Researchers. (2020). Sugar content in processed foods in Spain and a comparison of mandatory nutrition labelling and laboratory values. Nutrients, 12(4), 1078. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12041078

Wu, W., Zhang, A., Dekker van Klinken, R., Schrobback, P., & Muller, J. M. (2021). Consumer trust in food and the food system: A critical review. Foods, 10(10), 2490. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10102490

Zeithaml, V. A. (1988). Consumer Perceptions of Price, Quality, and Value: A Means-End Model and Synthesis of Evidence. Journal of Marketing, 52(3), 2. http://doi.org/10.2307/1251446

Zhang, J. Z., & Chang, C. W. (2021). Consumer dynamics: Theories, methods, and emerging directions. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 49(2), 166–196. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-020-00720-8