Burkovska Anna, PhD (Economics), Associate Professor of the Department of Management, Business and Administration, Mykolayiv National Agrarian University, Mykolayiv, Ukraine

ORCID: 0000-0003-0563-6967
e-mail: anna.burkovskaya12@gmail.com

Cognitive Fit Theory in Marketing Communications: an Innovative Dimension of Food Security and Sustainable Development

Abstract. Introduction. The escalation of global food security challenges caused by climate change, resource constraints, and shifting consumer expectations requires a rethinking of traditional approaches to marketing communications in the agricultural sector. Under these conditions, marketing increasingly performs not only a promotional function but also serves as an instrument for building societal trust in the food system as a whole. However, consumers with a degree of distrust perceive a considerable share of sustainability-focused marketing narratives used by food producers. This underscores the need for a theoretical understanding of cognitive fit as a mechanism capable of explaining and predicting the effectiveness of marketing communications.

Purpose. The purpose of the article is to reveal the theoretical essence of cognitive fit as a conceptual basis for designing marketing communications in the agricultural sector and to substantiate its innovative potential for addressing the challenges of food security and sustainable development.

 Results. The essence of cognitive fit theory has been disclosed as a state of consistency between the values declared by a producer, the objective characteristics of a product, and value orientations of the target consumer audience; violation of this consistency generates cognitive dissonance, manifested in declining brand trust and growing skepticism toward sustainability claims. A conceptual model for designing marketing communications on the basis of cognitive fit has been proposed, comprising four blocks: diagnostic (analysis of the target audience’s cognitive schemas), narrative alignment (matching the message to actual product characteristics), communication (selecting channels and formats suited to audience cognition), and fit monitoring (assessing consumer trust and loyalty as indicators of achieved cognitive fit).

Conclusions. Cognitive fit theory constitutes a productive methodological basis for analyzing and designing marketing communications in the agricultural sector. Its application makes it possible to explain the mechanisms underlying consumer trust in sustainability narratives, to identify sources of cognitive dissonance, and to develop practical recommendations for improving the effectiveness of marketing activities of agricultural enterprises. Further research should focus on developing empirical tools for assessing the level of cognitive fit in marketing communications and its impact on food security indicators at the regional and national levels.

Keywords: cognitive fit, marketing communications, food security, sustainable development, consumer perception, sustainability narratives

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