Influences of visual attributes of food packaging on consumer preference and associations with taste and healthiness

Abstract

Two experiments designed to investigate how the shape and colour of packaging, and product category, conjointly impact consumers’ product and packaging expectations are reported. In Experiment 1, the shape (rounded vs. angular) and visual appearance (greyscale, red‐to‐yellow and blue‐to‐green colour schemes) of the packaging were manipulated. Dependent measures were preference (willingness to purchase the product, how attention‐capturing the packaging is, and the pleasantness of the design) and any taste associations. In Experiment 2, shape (rounded vs. angular), colour (red‐to‐yellow vs. blue‐to‐green colour schemes), and product category (buttery vs. cereal cookies) were manipulated. In this case, the dependent measures were the perceived product healthiness and the preference of consumers. The results of Experiment 1 revealed that packaging colour influenced product preference. Red‐to‐yellow and blue‐to‐green colour schemes and angular packaging were preferred over greyscale and round packaging. Colour also influenced taste associations, while shape only influenced ratings of expected sweetness. In Experiment 2, packaging shape and product category influenced product preference. In particular, rounded packaging and the packaging of buttery cookies were preferred over angular packaging and the cereal cookies packaging. The healthiness of the product was rated higher for the rounded and red‐to‐yellow packaging containing a buttery product. Taken together, these results highlight the important role played by colour, shape, and category on the expectations and associations elicited by viewing product packaging.

The heuristics that guide healthiness perception of ultra-processed foods: a qualitative exploration

“…Participants reported to frequently rely on package colour and images to categorise a product as healthy. Several studies have reported the relevance of visual attributes of food packaging in shaping healthiness perception (38,39) . Participants seemed to rely on other simple cues, such as nutrient claims, endorsement logos from scientific societies and brand, which have been previously reported to influence perceived healthiness (40)(41)(42) .…”

Fats are Glossy but Does Glossiness Imply Fatness? The Influence of Packaging Glossiness on Food Perceptions

“…The second factor relates to the shape of the package; this study features two package shapes, namely bags and cylinders. This second factor was added to the design to avoid finding idiosyncratic effects suggesting that only glossy bags, for example, and no other glossy packages instigate fat level inferences (see Figure 2 for a picture of the packages that were used in this study), as prior research indicated that inferences derived from visual cues might differ according to package shape [20]. However, we had no a priori expectations on, nor explicit interest in, the effect of package shape on consumers' product inferences.…”

“…A diverse set of product beliefs, ranging from perceptions pertaining to product health and taste to product quality expectations, has been shown to be, at least in part, derived from product package design elements. For example, package shape (i.e., angular versus rounded packages, anthropomorphizing a package shape to mirror an ideal human body shape) and package color (i.e., less saturated versus more saturated colors) drive taste beliefs and even actual taste experiences [7,19,20]. Package colors can also influence the product's perceived healthiness, as research established highly saturated colors (versus lowly saturated colors) to improve health perceptions [21].…”

Visual Design Cues Impacting Food Choice: A Review and Future Research Agenda

“…Package colour can be associated with a specific taste which can help rate a product when one cannot access it through experimentation [ 92 ]. The amount of orange colour on orange juice packaging increases sweetness expectations [ 91 , 93 ]. Food products in red packages were expected to be sweeter than those in green and blue packages [ 94 ] or white bowls [ 95 ].…”

“…Food products in red packages were expected to be sweeter than those in green and blue packages [ 94 ] or white bowls [ 95 ]. Blue-to-green packaging was most strongly associated with a sour taste [ 93 ]. Green labels on beer bottles evoke higher taste ratings and indicate a dominance of fruity/citrus notes compared to a brown label [ 89 ].…”