Influencing consumers through packaging design: a study on perceptions of healthiness and naturalness “How does the visualization of the ingredient vs the final product influence consumers’ perception of healthiness and naturalness, and their likeliness-to-buy?”

Abstract

This thesis explores the relationship between product packaging visualization on consumers’ perceived healthiness and naturalness, and in turn their purchase intentions. The research also includes the influence of consumers’ health consciousness and the healthiness of the product. Based on previous research, we hypothesize that the visualization of an ingredient on the product packaging leads to higher perceived healthiness and naturalness, compared to when the final product is visualized. We also hypothesize that the increased perceived healthiness and naturalness leads to increased likeliness-to-buy. Further, the effect of product visualization on perceived healthiness and naturalness is hypothesized to be stronger for unhealthy products, and increased health consciousness is hypothesized to have a positive effect on both perceived healthiness and naturalness, and on likeliness-to-buy. The effects are tested through a 2x2 design where data is collected from an online survey about two different packaging designs for two different products. One product is healthy whereas the other is unhealthy, and one design for each shows the ingredient and one shows the final product. The study finds limited statistically significant results, but the overall data indicates effects similar to those of previous research. The most important effect found by the study is the statistically significant difference between healthy and unhealthy products that supports the hypothesis that the visualization has a stronger effect on unhealthy products. The findings of the study suggests that although product packaging design influences consumers, the visualization alone has a limited effect, and many other aspects may play an additional role in attitude formations. However, the nature of the product should be taken into account when considering using such marketing cues. The results also indicate a need for additional research on the topic to explore variations between different types of products and various packaging cues.