Looking behind eye-catching design: an eye-tracking study on wine bottle design preference

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this study is to find out how unconscious perception and conscious reactions differ when it comes to evaluate wine bottles in a shopping shelf. It was evaluated how attention is related to subjective evaluations of interest and value in the perception of wine bottle design choices. Design/methodology/approach The experiment combined implicit eye-tracking observations and a quantitative measurement on the assessment on wine bottle designs. In total, 37 participants rated eight different wine bottle designs based on their interest and assumed value, without any given information about the wines’ original price classification. Findings There is a significant difference between the perception of wine bottle designs. Eye-catchy designs do not automatically transform into a higher perception of value and interest towards the product. The unconscious perception of bottles and the conscious reaction differentiate. Research limitations/implications The greatest limitation, as with many other implicit studies, is the limited number of subjects and the associated limited validity. In addition, eight bottles in four categories were studied, which is adequate, but does not fully reflect the complexity of the wine market supply. Practical implications Manufacturers and wine label designers should challenge existing pre-disposition towards certain wine bottle design choices. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first German consumer study that focusses on unconscious perception (measured by implicit eye movement behaviour) and conscious reactions in the context of explicit value and interest evaluation.

Influence of Label Design and Country of Origin Information in Wines on Consumers’ Visual, Sensory, and Emotional Responses

“…Thus, cognitive bias could lead to a difference between the data obtained from self-reported behaviors and the actual behaviors of consumers. The difference between unconscious and conscious perceptions is in line with the results of Merdian, Piroth, Rueger-Muck and Raab [15], where significant differences between the unconscious perceptions of wine bottles and conscious purchase decisions were found.…”

“…However, most of these studies centered on self-reported importance based on memory, which can be a poor indicator of consumers’ choices [ 41 ]. In addition, the element that consumers pay more attention to does not automatically transform into a higher perception of value and interest in wine products [ 15 ]. Thus, cognitive bias could lead to a difference between the data obtained from self-reported behaviors and the actual behaviors of consumers.…”

“…Merdian, Piroth, Rueger-Muck and Raab [15], where significant differences between the unconscious perceptions of wine bottles and conscious purchase decisions were found. A different study suggested that minimal differences between facial expressions and self-reported emotions existed during the tasting of beverages [42].…”

“…The provisioning of day-to-day foods and beverages involves conscious and unconscious visual inspections of labels for the brand, color, character, nutrition, or other features, and most of the time, this gazing behavior involves both top-down and bottom-up processes during the decision-making [ 13 ]. Increasingly, research efforts were recorded recently where eye-tracking was used, for instance, to assess nutrition label usage [ 14 ], wine labels design [ 15 ] and purchase intention [ 16 ], emotions [ 17 ], restaurant menus [ 18 ], and other related uses [ 19 ]. Other examples of the use of eye-tracking include the modification of labels to improve the consumer understanding of the information that is presented.…”

Digital Integration and Automated Assessment of Eye-Tracking and Emotional Response Data Using the BioSensory App to Maximize Packaging Label Analysis

“…Eye-tracking devices and software have been used as a tool to analyze the gaze of panelists when looking at imagery or video with multiple and varied applications, such as multimedia learning [15], aviation [16], tourism [17], and sports [18], among others. For food and beverages [19,20], eye tracking has been helpful in the research of warning labels on sugar levels [21], healthy labels and food choice [22], fixations in different areas of interest (AOI) [23], packaging design and type [24,25], and more complex situations, such as the influence of soundtracks on visual attention and food choice [26]. Other studies have combined eye tracking with contact sensors, such as electrodermal activity, to assess food perception [27].…”