The level of awareness of local products that have received a geographical indication in Bayburt province and its effect on consumer attitudes

With the globalization, the idea of making excessive profit in world trade has increased the market shares of the products whose content has been manipulated. These developments have revealed geographical indication regulations, which are strategies that can meet the needs of consumers and protect against imitated uses in the market. This study was carried out in order to reveal the knowledge levels, attitudes and behaviors of consumers living in Bayburt about regional products with geographical indications of Bayburt by making statistical tests. The population of the study was selected from among consumers residing in Bayburt by easy sampling method. In this study, which was carried out by adopting a quantitative research model, a questionnaire was used as a data collection tool. The sample of the research consists of 423 consumers. The collection of data related to the research started in April 2021 and ended in June. Consumer attitude scale and brand awareness scale were used in the survey. The obtained data were analyzed using the SPSS-25 statistical program. In the province of Bayburt, a total of 12 regional products with geographical indications and their distinctive features were mentioned and these products were introduced. It has been determined that the consumers do not have enough information about the geographically indicated product and there are deficiencies in the promotion of the products that have received the geographical indication belonging to Bayburt. It has been observed that the level of awareness of geographically indicated products is low in the eyes of consumers, since there is no branding in other geographically indicated products except Bayburt honey. Although consumers are willing to pay more for products with geographical indications, it has been determined that they have difficulties in accessing products with geographical indications. Within the scope of these results, it has been revealed that there is a positive and statistically significant relationship between consumers' perception and awareness of geographically indicated products and their purchasing behavior of geographically indicated products. In the research findings, it was found that the brand's attractiveness factor had the highest effect on the geographical indication perception factor and the least effect on the geographical indication sensitivity factor; It was seen that the brand visibility factor had the highest effect on the geographical indication accessibility factor and the lowest effect on the geographical indication sensitivity factor.