An exploratory study using graphic design to communicate consumer benefits on food packaging. (April 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Schifferstein, Hendrik N.J.; Lemke, Mailin; de Boer, Alie
• Is Part Of: Food quality and preference. Volume 97(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-04
• Subjects: Health -- Sustainability -- Food design -- Packaging -- Image perception -- Verbal claims; Food preferences -- Periodicals; Food -- Quality -- Periodicals; Food industry and trade -- Quality control -- Periodicals; Préférences alimentaires -- Périodiques; Aliments -- Qualité -- Périodiques; Aliments -- Industrie et commerce -- Qualité -- Contrôle -- Périodiques; Food industry and trade -- Quality control; Food preferences; Food -- Quality; Periodicals; 664
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodqual.2021.104458
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0950-3293

Abstract

Highlights: Graphic elements may support sensory product claims better than texts. Images of athletes can promote product healthiness. Scientific or medical images make food packages less attractive and less convincing. Images of internal body organs need to be abstracted for commercial use. Involving designers in creating packages enhances ecological validity and enriches insights. Abstract: Commercial food packages may contain multiple messages. Packaging designers try to integrate all messages into a coherent design. Designers may use text, images or stylistic features, but these mediums may differ in their suitability to communicate specific product benefits. To evaluate the usefulness and effectiveness of these three mediums, we not only obtained consumer evaluations of packaging designs, but we also monitored the designer's experience during the design process. For three products (orange juice, muesli bar, plain yogurt) we created three consistent packaging designs communicating a single benefit through all three mediums, which was either a [1] health, [2] environmental, or [3] production, sensory or social claim. Subsequently, we developed inconsistent packages communicating three different messages through the three mediums. In an online survey, each of the 18 package variants was evaluated by 59–92 participants. Dummy regression analysis suggested that verbal claims had positive effects in communicating healthiness and environmental friendliness but elicited a negative tendency for sensory properties. The images we used indicated a positive effect for communicating worker conditions, but a negative effect for healthiness. Our stylistic elements suggested a positive effect for sensory appeal, but tended to have negative effects for environmental aspects. As regards designer dilemmas, we noticed that some images (e.g., in the medical domain) required specific graphic styles to make them acceptable for commercial use. Our findings suggest that consumers can handle multiple packaging messages, but finding an optimal configuration remains a design challenge.