IS ORGANIC FAIR TRADE GOING TO BE THE NEW LUXURY? AN EMPIRICAL RESEARCH TO PROMPT FRESH POST-PANDEMIC CSR.

This research, aimed at fostering more responsible production standards to preserve life and limit price barriers, explores brand extension into natural ethic lines, by mainstream brands and its effects over the parent brand in terms of brand equity. With the pandemic, non responsible companies have been trapped in their laziness and impudence. They are starting to think more seriously about CSR, not only because it determines their survival in the long run, but because the consumers are progressively more aware and concerned. They require it, the new normal requires it. Considering biodiversity has a production criterium is possible and firms have the chance to do it by matching the introduction of organic fair-trade products with a coherent path that starts from sustainability (harm less) to go beyond (do good). With a heuristic and hands on approach, this work prompts them with turnkey managerial solutions, which also imply innovative ways to reduce market disparities by rendering ethical and healthy products accessible to the most thanks to the insertion of these lines by mainstream brands. Research Question Is organic fair trade going to be the new luxury? Which are the marketing strategies of the future to leverage the importance of CSR in the value chain and products while increasing profits? In the next future it will be possible for everybody buying organic fair trade products? Method and Data The model has been analysed with a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods, in order to grant reliability and completeness. Qualitative methodologies, indeed, provide preliminary insights that the quantitative tools deepen and detail. The first step has been the creation of an ethnographical grid in order to have a clear idea of the elements object of analysis. Considering the product categories grocery stores, pharmacies, beauty specialists and boutiques have represented the most suitable contexts in which getting insights from consumers, also in the participative modality. After that, a series of in-depth interviews have been run on a representative sample of twenty-five people. Finally, a structured questionnaire has been prepared and administered to a non-probabilistic convenience sample. It is comprehensive of open questions, and closed ones to be measured on a zero-seven Likert scale, formed by the dimensions and relative items of the chosen scales. Ethnography, nethnography and in-depth interviews (random sample face-to-face modality) in a methodological triangulation logic. Codification and thematization, with vertical and horizontal reading. Chart 1: Interpretation Table=> available upon request Univariate Descriptive Analysis of the sample; Explorative Factor Analysis; Confirmatory Factor Analysis; Cronbach's Alpha; Structural Equation Modelling in Amos, Cluster Analysis. Summary of Findings Qualitative A good portion of consumers, perceive ethical and natural consumption as an unaffordable luxury Something to buy once, to try it, maybe when it is on sale. Big well-known commercial brands, on the market for many years, continue to be preferred to new niche brands, especially for food. Most of the sample, prefers new lines from known brands rather than new brands. The portion of them perceives this as a sort of commitment, and as a way to improve and upgrade their offer or simply to satisfy their consumers, perceiving it positively. They also base their judgement on calculative trust, assuming big brands having more to lose if they fail (it continues). Quantitative The variance explained by each factor in the explorative factor analysis is 78,063 satisfying the first criteria to determine the goodness of the analysis. Also the second and third criteria are satisfied being the quote of explained variance by the factors of the single variables higher than 0,3-0,4. Out of the initial six constructs the analysis has provided six factors, in line with the initially hypothesized model. The weights of each elements composing the factors are all more than 0,6 (it continues). Scheme 2: Hypothesized Tested Model=> (available upon request). Key Contributions This research contributes to the academy which considers CSR as an integrant element of the balance sheet, and which is trying to cope with the new normal. It is addressed to the academy which considers ethical business decisive for the future of humanity, being production and consumption part of our life. For this reason, the second important stakeholder, here, are companies, which will be provided with turnkey managerial solutions to become more responsible while improving their profits. It integrates brand equity and brand extension literature, with a particular focus on CSR and fair trade. The role of organic fair trade, in this project is multiple and key. It delineates all the addressee: Economically Disadvantaged People (which according to the researcher's studies should have the right to buy responsible and healthy products); Mainstream Companies (which are prompted to be more responsible, to substitute greenwashing with a true CSR path, to review their value chain, to insert ethical product lines in their portfolio); the Planet and Life Tout Court (which this research thanks marketing research tools, finds some possible solutions to preserve). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]