In this study, the symbols and visual expressions employed in the food culture content of official website designed to promote three cities in Korea, Seoul, Jeonju and Jeju, were subjected to semiotic analysis. In this study, it was assumed that these websites reflected the varying perspectives of the people behind the development and management of these routes of Internet communication, and the semiotic choices made in order to exemplify each city’s food cultural image. The aim of the study was to analyze the communication strategies of food cultural branding in the terms of the online content regarding Seoul, Jeonju, and Jeju with a focus on the comparative points in these cities’ official websites. This study included conducting semiotic content analyses of the aforementioned cities’ official web pages in an attempt to determine the food branding strategies used to differentiation and produce more favorable perceptions of these three cities. Building upon the findings drawn from this comparative study, the present work can be used to determine more effective ways of strategically differentiating the images of local food culture associated with these cities from the view of brand communications. This study also demonstrates viable directions for designing web content for a city where the food cultural messages can be delivered in a thoughtful and effective manner.

The rating instrument to evaluate the quality of nutrition information websites was developed and ten websites which were maintained by nutrition expert(s) and frequently linked to other related sites were evaluated. The rating instrument with 15 questions on credibility, content, purpose, and design was developed. Eleven college students majoring in Food and Nutrition rated each question as 'Yes', 'No', 'Cannot tell' while visiting each site. The questions rated most often as 'Yes' were 'Is it capable for a user to interact with a responsible person for the site?', 'Is the information provided by nutrition expert?', 'Does the information fit in with dietary guideline?' in the order. The questions rated most often as 'No' were 'Is the source of the information indicated?', 'Is the purpose of the site stated?', and 'Is an internal search engine working?', indicating these categories need betterment. The questions rated most often as 'Cannot tell' were 'Is the information current?', 'Is the information provider credible?', indicating that these may be difficult questions for college students to evaluate. Individuals or institutions who are providing nutrition information on the internet now or plan to provide later are expected to consider the problems pointed out in this study, and offer highly qualified information to the users in an effective way. Various rating instruments to evaluate the quality of nutrition information websites can be developed based on a variety of criteria. It is, however, to be desired that a standardized rating instrument would be developed by a leading group of nutrition experts, and the results of site review with the instrument be open to the public in order to improve the quality of Korean nutrition information on the internet.

Purpose – This study explores the role of construal levels in predicting online consumer behavior on a retail website. It builds on the conceptualization that simply browsing a website and making actual purchases can be an outcome of how abstractly or concretely one thinks about that experience. This study examines the differential effects of intermediary websites’ attributes and seller’s product offerings in predicting frequency of visits and actual purchases. Research design, data, and methodology – Data were collected from 188 undergraduate students in a large university of Korea. Hierarchical regression model was utilized to test the proposed effect of website characteristics and seller attributes on visit and purchase. Results – We propose and find that online shopping website visits and purchase frequency have different antecedents. The results reveal that website visit frequency and purchase have different predictors and this can be explained through construal level theory. Specifically, we find purchase frequency is predicted more by website image and financial benefits can be more predictive in actual purchases. Conclusions – Consumer behavior on the internet can be delineated into website visits and actual purchases. First, uplifting the image of the website itself is much more important than just making offerings cheaper. Online shopping website should try to match its features to mental representations that customers go through from just visit (abstract) to purchase (concrete).