A Study on Generation Z's Perception of Emotional Marketing in Health Snack Companies Based on the FFM Model: A Public Health Management Perspective

Abstract Background This study aims to investigate the perceptions of Generation Z, born between 1995 and 2010, towards healthy snack brands in the context of emotional marketing. It also employs the Five-Factor Model (FFM) to analyze how personality traits influence the perception of emotional marketing and whether this perception can effectively drive sales. Purpose The research pays particular attention to how emotional marketing can effectively promote the consumption of healthy snacks and proposes feasible health promotion strategies from the perspective of public health management. Subjects and Methods The study utilized a questionnaire survey method to collect valid samples from Generation Z, with a total of 497 questionnaires distributed and 458 valid responses received. After post-stratification sampling, a subsample of 229 was obtained. The study employed the Five-Factor Model (FFM) to measure the personality traits of the participants and analyzed the dimensions of emotional marketing perception, such as emotional appeal and brand resonance, and their impact on the purchase of healthy snacks by Generation Z. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used for data analysis to explore the relationships between personality traits, emotional marketing perception, and the intention to purchase healthy snacks. Results The research results show that the extraversion and agreeableness of Generation Z have a significant positive impact on their perception of emotional marketing of healthy snack brands, especially in terms of brand emotional resonance. Consumers with these personality traits are more likely to make purchasing decisions in an emotionally driven marketing environment. On the other hand, consumers with higher levels of neuroticism tend to be more conservative towards emotional marketing, with weaker emotional resonance influencing their purchase decisions. Additionally, emotional marketing has a significant impact on purchase intention, indicating that emotional marketing strategies can effectively stimulate the purchasing interest of Generation Z in healthy snacks. Conclusions From the perspective of public health management, the findings of this study indicate that the role of personality traits in emotional marketing cannot be ignored. In light of the personality differences among Generation Z consumers, healthy snack companies should make personalized adjustments in their emotional marketing strategies to better promote healthy dietary choices. For example, brands can emphasize social responsibility and health values to target groups with higher extraversion and agreeableness, while for consumers with higher levels of neuroticism, marketing strategies that reduce anxiety and provide a sense of security can be adopted. Furthermore, public health managers should use these research findings to develop more targeted health education and promotional strategies to popularize healthy foods and improve public health levels.