Quem colocou sal na minha água?: compreendendo a formação do consumidor responsável

Abstract

This study aims to comprehend the emerging of a new consumer. The consumer concerned is a responsible one that acts as an active actor, articulating cultural resources and speeches that impact and cause changes in the market. The understanding of this phenomenon was possible due to a specific context, where consumers in Rio Grande do Sul started boycotting the mineral water brand Crystal, which is part of Coca Cola’s portfolio. More than simply resist, this resistance movement emerged from the society itself led to changes in the market, such as the adoption of new criteria to the purchase decision process of mineral water, reduction of Coca Cola’s dominance in the distribution channels and the establishment of new criteria to differentiate the brands in the market. In order to study this phenomenon it was follow an interpretative approach. The data collection strategy embraced by the study was the multi-method, seeking to gather information from different actors aiming to a broader comprehension concerning the phenomenon. Interviews were conducted with four different publics: consumers, sales channels, bottler and experts. The documental research was carried out using sources such as printed newspaper, data from social network, television, websites, blogs, photographs, among others. All data was pooled and analyzed by combining two techniques: content analysis and discourse analysis. The results point to evidence of the emerging of a responsible consumer coming from a resistance movement that had its origin inside the society itself, in a bottom-up movement. It has been also identified the important role of morality in the creation of a particularly suitable scenario for the emerging of resistance movements and as a fundamental argumentation instrument by the subject consumer.