An Empirical Study of Nostalgia Marketing and Consumer Perception in the Indian Food and Beverage Industry

Abstract

In increasingly competitive markets, firms are leveraging emotionally driven strategies to strengthen consumer engagement. Nostalgia marketing, which evokes memories of the past to create emotional resonance, has emerged as a powerful branding approach, particularly in culturally rich consumption contexts. This study examines the impact of nostalgia marketing on purchase intention in the Indian food and beverage industry by integrating brand attitude, trust and authenticity, and emotional attachment as mediating mechanisms, and innovation as a moderating factor. Using a quantitative research design, primary data were collected from 198 consumers of packaged food and beverage products in India through a structured questionnaire. The data were analysed using hierarchical regression and Hayes’ PROCESS macro to test a moderated mediation framework. The results indicate that nostalgia marketing significantly influences purchase intention both directly and indirectly. Emotional attachment emerged as the strongest mediator, followed by brand attitude and trust and authenticity, highlighting the central role of affective bonding in shaping consumer behaviour. Furthermore, innovation positively moderates the relationship between nostalgia marketing and purchase intention, suggesting that nostalgic appeals are most effective when complemented by contemporary relevance. The findings contribute to the literature by providing empirical evidence from an emerging market context and by demonstrating that nostalgia marketing operates through layered cognitive and emotional pathways while remaining sensitive to innovation perceptions. From a managerial perspective, the study underscores the importance of adopting a balanced “heritage-plus-innovation” strategy to enhance consumer engagement and sustain competitive advantage in the evolving Indian food and beverage market.