Methodological approaches to determining the consumer motivation of children regarding nutrition in educational institutions

The article considers approaches to the analysis of consumer motivation as a factor that affects on the model of consumer behavior. General scientific methods of cognition and special methods were used: analysis, synthesis, comparison, generalization, grouping, a survey method for collecting primary data, methods of statistical analysis of the results obtained, a graphical method for visualizing the data obtained, a matrix method for assessing the source and reference point of motivation. The proposed methodological approach to the definition of consumer motivation as an internal factor of consumer behavior is described, which involves the determination of the importance of individual factors of motivation based on the respondents' indication of their priority; characteristics of these motives, taking into account the source of occurrence (external stimulus / internal motives) and the orientation of motivation (fears / striving for achievement); grouping of motivation factors by belonging to the source of motivation and its reference point in the form of the «Source-reference point of motivation» matrix, which provides for the determination of the total value of the frequency of mention; building the consumer's motivational field on the basis of the «Source-benchmark of motivation» matrix, which characterizes the key vector of consumer motivation and serves as a guide for business entities to develop a strategy for marketing activities in the market segment. Based on the proposed approach, an analysis of the motivation of school-age children in the market of food products and services was carried out on the results of the survey. Changes in the child’s motivation in the process of growing up have been proven. These results indicate that children weigh their desire to enjoy food with other values, often not understanding what they can oppose to their own desire to enjoy food. The priority vector of children psychological motivation direction is a reference to internal fears and their own desire for achievement. Based on the results of the research of children consumer behavior in the market of food and food services in educational institutions, a methodology for determining the key characteristics of consumer motivation in the consumer goods market by assessing the source and reference point of motivation and building a motivational field was substantiated.  It is advisable to use the proposed methodological approach to characterize the motivation of individual segments of consumers in the consumer goods market in order to further planing the marketing activities of business entities.