A thematic and sentiment analysis of the relationship between religion and purchase behavior

Abstract

With more than 70% of the world being religious, there is an urgent need for better understanding the relationship between religion and consumer behavior. The aim of this study is to analyze the purchase behavior of an air purifier for religious and non-religious consumers. This has been accomplished through 23 qualitative interviews using the mobile instant messaging interview method (MIMI). Using thematic and sentiment analysis, important themes were identified such as the pandemic, religion but also sentiments and purchase behavior patterns of an air purifier. Moreover, subtle nuances regarding the consumer behavior of the religious individual were discovered, such as frugality and the power of religious communities. Henceforth, this work has contributed to both academia and management, by analyzing different aspects of the relationship between religion and consumer behavior, using in depth qualitative methods.