Impact of packaging attributes on consumer perception of healthy products

<p>New trend towards healthy lifestyle raised intense competition in the healthy food market.</p><p>This fact forced marketers to look for new ways to tell their consumers about the healthiness of products they produce.</p><p>Packaging design is the tool which can help marketers to overcome competition in the healthy food market. Of great interest for marketers are nonverbal packaging attributes such as color, shape, graphics, etc. which are not regulated by law and can be used without restrictions in any variations.</p><p><strong>Problem statement</strong></p><p>The overall goal of this study is to evaluate the impact of packaging nonverbal attributes on consumer perception of healthy products.</p><p>To investigate this broad purpose it is necessary to:</p><p>&ndash;Evaluate the importance of each nonverbal packaging attribute in creating the healthiness expectations;</p><p>&ndash;Identify the correlation between nonverbal packaging attributes and consumer preferences;</p><p>&ndash;Examine whether consumers&rsquo; involvement in certain products influence their attitude towards various nonverbal packaging attributes;</p><p>&ndash;Examine whether consumers&rsquo; healthy lifestyle influences their attitude towards various nonverbal packaging attributes;</p><p>&ndash;Describe the findings of the research.</p><p><strong>Hypothesis</strong></p><p>H1: All nonverbal packaging attributes (color, shape, graphics and transparent part) are important for the healthy image of the product.</p><p>H2: Calm and cold colors, classical shape, the image of the product and the existence of the transparent part positively influence consumer perception of healthy products.</p><p>H3: Consumers&rsquo; loyalty to certain products affects their perception of different nonverbal packaging attributes, which create the healthiness expectations of there products.</p><p>H4: Consumers&rsquo; healthy lifestyle affects their perception of different nonverbal packaging attributes, which create the healthiness expectations.</p><p><strong>Methodology</strong></p><p>In this study we have focused on primary information which had been obtained during anInternet survey. 160 respondents &ndash; HSE students &ndash; have participated in the study.</p><p>Respondents have had to evaluate 8 visualized packages of breakfast cereals with different nonverbal attributes (color, shape, graphics, transparent part) for healthiness expectations which they create.</p><p>Special questions in the questionnaire have been aimed to identify respondents&rsquo; involvement in cereals and respondents&rsquo; healthy lifestyle.</p><p>Analysis of the data have been carried out using conjoint analysis and cluster analysis.</p><p><strong>Results </strong></p><p>The results show that the most important nonverbal packaging attributes are graphics (32%) and existence of transparent part through which the consumer can see the product (27%).</p><p>Natural landscapes evoke thoughts of natural products, and the ability to see the product at the moment of purchase increas consumer confidence in the product.</p><p>The shape of the package has a moderate impact on the consumers&rsquo; expectation of product healthiness (22%). Bumpy shape of the package affects positively on consumers&rsquo; expectations.</p><p>The color of the package has the least impact on consumers&rsquo; expectation of product healthiness (19%). Nevertheless, calm and soft colors, like green color, are indicators of product healthiness.</p><p>During this study it was impossible to draw reliable general conclusions about the relationship between consumers&rsquo; food habits, their healthy lifestyle and consumers&rsquo; preferences in different nonverbal packaging attributes.</p><p>Thus, hypothesis H1 has been fully confirmed, hypothesis H2 has been confirmed only partially, hypotheses H3 and H4 have been confirmed only for participants of this study.</p>