Animal Welfare Certification Seal and the Effect on Brand Equity: Consumer Perspective of Chicken Commodity

ABSTRACT This research aimed to analyze how consumer perception of the animal welfare (AW) certification seal impacts brand equity (BE). It was conducted in two stages: a causal (experimental) research with a 2x2 design involving two scenarios and two brands, and a descriptive stage exploring the relationships between variables, such as prior knowledge about AW and BE, and BE and price. The sample included 334 Brazilian consumers of chicken breast fillet, randomly assigned to either a Control Group (CG) without the AW certification seal or an Experimental Group (EG) with the seal. The t-test and Kruskal-Wallis test were used in the respective stages. The results revealed that the presence of the AW certification seal did not have a positive impact on BE across brands. However, considering different levels of consumer knowledge about AW, higher knowledge was associated with greater BE. Plausible explanations for the findings include low consumer awareness, understanding, confusion, and skepticism regarding the authenticity of the seal, suggesting directions for future research.