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Drašković, N., Temperley, J., Vignali, C. (2011.) Communicative Dimensions of Packaging and
Consumer Perception, International Consumer Behaviour: A Mosaic of Eclective Perspectives –
Handbook on International Consumer Behaviour, ur. In: Kaufmann, H.R., Access Press UK,
Lancashire, ISBN 978-0-9562471-3-1, str. 175-190.
Communicative Dimensions of Packaging and Consumer
Perception
Nikola Draskovic
Leeds Metropolitan University, UK
[email protected]
John Temperley
Leeds Metropolitan University, UK
Claudio Vignali
Leeds Metropolitan University, UK
1. Abstract
Consumer packaging is a medium between producer and consumer. Within marketing
literature packaging is usually considered a part of the product strategy or a product related
category within the traditional 4Ps. Due to changes within marketing communications’
budgets, increased product buying decisions at the point of purchase and management
recognition of the volume of packaging as an element of differentiation, packaging is
becoming an increasingly important factor from the marketing perspective. Packaging
communicates various marketing messages via its communicative dimensions which consist
of the following elements: packaging shape, packaging size, packaging colour, packaging
material, carried information, graphic applications (e.g. brand logo, fonts, pictorials, etc.). All
of these elements together communicate various marketing messages to the consumer in
both the purchase and consumption phases. The message that the consumer receives is a
combination of particular messages carried by the communicative dimensions of packaging.
Packaging perception takes place at two points – the point of purchase and the point of
consumption. Due to this separation of purchase and consumption, the benefits that
influence customer satisfaction may be different between these two points. Therefore,
perception of packaging may also differ between the phase of purchase and the phase of
consumption. However, there are gaps in our knowledge in this area and conflicting views on
the role of packaging as a means of communication and as an integral part of the product or
brand. From existing literature we can say that there are a number of key elements which
have been identified as key in this communications process, i.e. shape, size, colour,
packaging material, labels and graphics including pictures and other brand imagery.
2. Introduction
Consumer packaging could be defined as “a medium between producer and consumer
whose aim is to guarantee a product with fixed qualitative standard from the producer and at
the same time offers to the consumer a product which corresponds to the illustrated
standards” (Meroni, 2000, p. 243). It is a container containing goods where the goods are
placed for sale and it includes any container or wrapping in which any consumer commodity
is enclosed for delivery or display of that commodity to consumers (WELMEC, 1997).
Whilst packaging is recognized in the field of marketing, there is a debate concerning
whether packaging is product or brand related. Keller (1993) argues that packaging is a nonproduct-related but brand-related element, which means it is the external aspect of content
and symbolic elements. On the other hand, Richardson, Dick and Jain (1994) suggest that
packaging is product-related but with extrinsic attributes, i.e. packaging is not part of the
physical product itself, like brand name and price. Underwood (2003) defines packaging in
terms of product-related attributes. However, he also adds that packaging can be defined as
intrinsic or extrinsic attribute based on its features. The features of packaging are intrinsic
when they are physical part of the content (e.g. a soft drinks bottle), and they are extrinsic
when the information on the packaging (e.g. brand logo) is taken into account. On the other
side, Zeithaml (1972) considers packaging to be both an extrinsic and intrinsic attribute in the
same time. Similarly, Ampuero and Vily (2006) consider packaging to be a part of both the
product and brand.
Within marketing literature packaging is usually considered a part of the product strategy or a
product related category within the traditional 4Ps (e.g. Calver, 2004; Kotler et al., 2005;
Kotler and Keller, 2008). Furthermore, packaging has become a means by which buyers,
particularly in consumer markets, can make significant brand choice decisions (Fill, 2009). It
is an important promotional tool, especially within the retail environment (Vranesevic, Vignali
and Vrontis, 2004). According to the summarization by Underwood, Klein and Burke (2001)
and Underwood (2003), packaging is becoming an increasingly important factor nowadays
for several reasons:

Firstly, marketers are no longer relying solely on advertising so they are switching
marketing budgets also to other communicational tools (Moriarty, Mitchell and Wells,
2008; Belch and Belch, 2008).

Secondly, studies are showing that there is an increase in nondurable product buying
decisions at the point of purchase (Gordon and Valentine, 1996; Scheier and Egner,
2003; Silayoi and Speece, 2004). With the introduction of self-service retail the
salesman as the communicator and mediator has been removed from the process
and the role of packaging changed because information directed toward consumers
has to be put on the package (Olsson and Györei, 2002). Developments in retail have
resulted in larger outlets providing a proliferation of products, offering consumers vast
choice and resulting in a more competitive context in store (Silayoi and Speece,
2004). Packaging is considered a vehicle for communication and branding
(Underwood and Ozzane, 1998; Silayoi and Speece, 2004). In this context,
packaging has become an integral part of the selling process (Rettie and Brewer,
2000).

And finally, there is growing management recognition of the volume of packaging (i.e.
container capacity) as an element of differentiation and product attractiveness
(Krishna and Raghubir, 1999; Folkes and Matta, 2004; Yang and Raghubir, 2005;
Raghubir and Greenleaf, 2006).
To understand how packaging communicates it is important to understand how consumers
perceive packaging. Fill (2009) suggest that packaging communicates through various
dimensions. According to him, packaging communicates with consumers via its colour,
shape, package size and the carried information. However, other authors (e.g. Kesic, 1997;
Shimp, 2003; Underwood, 2003; Draskovic, Temperley and Pavicic, 2009) also suggest
packaging material as a communicative element. Underwood (2003, p.62), on the other
hands, suggests that “packaging communicates brand personality via structural and visual
elements, including a combination of brand logo, colours, fonts, package materials, pictorials,
product descriptions, shapes and other elements that provide rich brand associations”.
Furthermore, the communicational aspects of packaging could be also approached from the
aspect of design variables. According to Sonsino (1990), packaging design variables are
mainly: colour, typography, pictures, shape, size, and material. In addition to this approach,
some authors discuss the variables of packaging design in two groups: graphic and structural
elements (Hine, 1995; Underwood, 2003; Calver, 2004). Accordingly, graphic elements are
colour, typography and pictures, while the structural elements are shape, size and material.
To summarize all of these suggestions, it could be concluded that packaging communicates
various marketing messages via its communicative dimensions which consist of the following
elements (Figure 1):

packaging shape,

packaging size,

packaging colour,

packaging material,

carried information,

graphic applications (e.g. brand logo, fonts, pictorials, etc.).
All of these elements together communicate various marketing messages to the consumer in
both the purchase and consumption phases. The message that the consumer receives is a
combination of particular messages carried by the communicative dimensions of packaging.
Figure 1: Communicative dimensions of packaging
3. An overview of the perception process
Perception could be defined as the task of making sense of sensation (Zimbardo et al.,
1995). It could be described as mental organization and interpretation of sensory information
and is influenced by a variety of factors, including the intensity and physical dimensions of
the stimulus; such activities of the sense organs as effects of preceding stimulation; the
subject's past experience; attention factors such as readiness to respond to a stimulus; and
motivation and emotional state of the subject (Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 2006).
Due to complexity of perception and different approaches to the comprehension of it, there
are a number of theories that attempt to explain the essence of perception. However, there
are two major approaches resulting in two main theoretical directions – constructive
perception and direct perception. These theories are usually presented in opposition to each
other, although sometimes they simply deal with different aspects of the same phenomenon
(Sternberg, 1995).
Constructive perception, also known as intelligent perception or indirect perception is the
theory of perception in which the perceiver uses sensory information and other sources of
information to construct a cognitive understanding of a stimulus (Sternberg, 2006). It is the
traditional approach and is called indirect because “it supposes that the perceiver makes
substantial contributions to perception, usually in the form of memories or prior experience”
(Michaels and Carello, 1981, p. 16). Constructive perception emphasizes the importance of
the stimulus in object recognition (Matlin, 2005). During perception, hypotheses are formed
and tested about precepts that are based on three things: sensory data, knowledge, and
high-level cognitive processes. According to Gregory (1966), perception is not determined
simply by stimulus patterns; rather it is a dynamic search for the best interpretation of the
available data.
In contrast to the constructivist view, the direct-perception perspective holds that an array of
information in our sensory receptors – including the sensory context – is all we need to
perceive anything (Suwa and Tversky, 2003). In other words, we do not need anything else,
such as prior knowledge or thought processes, to mediate between our sensory experiences
and our perceptions (Michaels and Carello, 1981). According to Turvey et al. (1981), direct
perception is defined as perception that is grounded in ecological law, so is always accurate.
The main contributors for the development of direct perception (also known as event
perception or ecological perception) are James Gibson and Eleanor Gibson (Gibson, 1966;
Gibson, 1969; Gibson, 1979) whose research on perception was mostly conducted in a
laboratory environment.
In the context of marketing and consumer behaviour perception is well recognised from both
the practitioner and academic perspective. Knowledge of consumer perception and the
perceptual process is a necessity for successful marketing communications. The perceptual
process could be approached from two main directions. The psychological approach is
dealing with the conversion of ambient stimulation of senses into the electrical energy of
nerve impulses (Noë and Thompson, 2002). On the other hand, the behavioural approach to
perception focuses on the relationship between the physical properties of stimuli and the
perceptual response to this stimuli, and just as learning, thinking and emotions are all
behaviours, perception is behaviour as well (Goldstein, 2009). The perceptual process could
be broken down to two major stages (Figure 2). The first one is related to sensation collected
by our senses while the second one is related to the understanding of the meaning of lived
sensation. The process itself begins with biological processes within our senses that are
initiated by various stimuli in our surrounding. Our senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste, and
touch are consisting of sensory receptors that are receipting stimulus within their reach from
the surrounding and transferring electrical signals through nerves to the brain for further
processing (ibid). After the sensation stage, stimuli are getting meaning through the
interpretation and response.
Figure 2: An overview of the perceptual process
Source: Solomon, M., Bamossy, G. and Askegaard, S. (2002): Consumer Behaviour: A European
Perspective. Harlow, p. 36.
4. Packaging perception and communicative dimensions
Consumers buy what they perceive, and what they perceive is heavily influenced by the cues
– brand name, packaging, colour – that marketers send to them (Tom et al., 1987). In other
words, marketers communicate certain messages to consumers and therefore affect their
attitudes and behaviour. Shimp (2003) notices how the sales often increase when upgraded
packaging materials are used to design more attractive and effective packages, which is the
result of packaging material attributes arousing consumer emotions, usually subconsciously.
Furthermore, “consumers look for and expect to find certain characteristics on the packages,
regarding their colour and shape, which allow them to more easily recognize the product, its
qualities and usefulness” (Arango, 2008, p. 32).
Packaging perception takes place at two points – the point of purchase and the point of
consumption. As Löfgren, Witell and Gustafsson argue, the point of purchase and the point
of product consumption are usually separated:
“At the point of purchase, or the first moment of truth, the purpose of the package is to get
the customers’ attention and function as a silent salesman that helps sell the product. This is
a difficult task because customers make choices among products within seconds when they
are shopping... Once the purchase is made, the product is consumed in the second moment
of truth and there may actually be multiple second moments of truth because the product
may not be consumed on only one occasion. This second moment of truth is a process that
deals with use, handling, and actual consumption post purchase” (2008, p. 463).
Due to this separation of purchase and consumption, the benefits that influence customer
satisfaction may be different between these two points (Löfgren, Witell and Gustafsson,
2008). Following this thought, consumer perception of packaging may also differ between the
phase of purchase and the phase of consumption.
4.1 Perception of carried information
Most commonly, packages carry information on labels, but information content could also be
printed directly on the package (e.g. carton packaging). The level of detailed information that
is carried on the package is commonly determined by legislation, making package labelling
“perhaps the most regulated and controversial area of packaging” (Bone and Corey, 1992, p.
46). Furthermore, carried information is usually related to the content, e.g. nutrition facts,
various health related warnings, etc. However, an increasing numbers of consumers are also
repeating that they need information in order to make rational choices (Glanz et al., 1989).
This is especially important in modern outlets where direct contact with the personnel over
the counter is declining (Wandel and Bugge, 1997).
Academic researchers showed some interest in this area but mostly regarding food product
labels. A study conducted by the European Heart Network (2003) identified 307 papers
dealing with consumer understanding of nutrition labelling which proves the relative
popularity of this packaging related subtopic.
An exploratory study conducted by Peters-Texeira and Badrie (2005) shows that consumer
perception and resulting food choice is affected by packaging, but authors also point the
need to educate consumers, so that informed decisions could be taken in respect to food
quality, safety and nutrition. Some studies show that a majority of consumers read the food
(and beverage) labels (MAFF, 1995; Shine, O’Reilly and O’Sullivan, 1997), while the reading
frequency is associated with the degree of uncertainty about the product (Wandel, 1999).
This was also confirmed by more recent studies (e.g. European Heart Network, 2003;
Cowburn and Stockley, 2004; Grunert, 2006; Drichoutis, Lazaridis and Nayga, 2006;
Navigator, 2007). However, these studies also report some obstacles to the understanding of
labels, such as poor legibility, obscure terminology, small font sizes, multi-lingual labels and
lack of standardization of format. Furthermore, nutrition knowledge relevant to the
interpretation of labels was reported to be generally low and some terms used on nutrition
labels are not well understood (European Heart Network, 2003). A significant number of
consumers perceive nutrition information confusing as they do not understand the role of the
different nutrients in their diet (Thomas, Boaz and Rayner, 1997; Abbott, 1997; Baltas, 1999).
However, in the majority of cases information on the label is perceived as a buying aid when
it comes to the decision process (Pudel, Spirik and Westenhofer, 1996; Nayga, Lipinski and
Nitin, 1999).
Labels that contain certain warnings (e.g. on tobacco products and alcoholic beverage)
generated some research on their effectiveness. Most studies have concluded that warning
labels, even in combination with other types of mass communication campaigns, have failed
to demonstrate a positive impact on behaviour (McCarthy et al. 1984; Richardson et al. 1987;
Laughery et al., 1993; MacKinnon et al., 2002). As result of that, governments are
strengthening regulations on warning labels, including pictorial warning labels and larger
labels (Hassan et al., 2008).
4.2 Perception of graphic applications
Packages not only contain information in the form of text, but also visual information like
brand logo, pictorials, different titles (i.e. typography), etc. These elements contribute to the
visual perception of a product since “the first taste is almost always with the eye”, i.e. visual
sensations help the perception since the first encounter with products is often visual and
affects subsequent willingness to accept a product (Imram, 1999, p. 226). Furthermore,
human perception of quality is dependent on the visual image (Hetherington and
MacDougall, 1992). Like in the case of visual information in advertising, visual information on
packaging may serve to attract consumer attention and set expectations for the contents of
the verbal elements, i.e. the visual information is serving as an “advance organizer” for the
verbal elements of packaging (Alesandrini, 1982; Bolen, 1984; Huston, Childers and Heckler,
1987). Furthermore, packages containing product images gain attention for brands, increase
the likelihood of entering the consumer consideration set, create more enjoyable aesthetic
experiences for the consumer, and thus create more positive overall impressions of the
product (Creusen and Schoormans, 1998; Underwood, Klein and Burke, 2001; Underwood
and Klein 2002).
Research studies by Reynolds and Gutman (1988) and Hall and Winchester (2000) show
that labels provide a quality cue that consumers use to assess alternative products with
respect to their own values following a set of subjective rules. Furthermore, according to the
study conducted by Pieters and Warlop (1999), consumers under time pressure filter textual
ingredients information on packaging and labels more and pictorial information less. Time
pressure also has impact on the perception of verbal and non-verbal stimuli. According to
Rettie and Brewer (2000), under conditions of rapid perception (i.e. time pressure), there is
an advantage for verbal stimuli perceived from the right-hand side, and for non-verbal stimuli
perceived from the left-hand side of the packaging (i.e. label). This is also related to the fact
that perception is not symmetrical, as the research in psychology on brain laterality shows
(ibid). Therefore, it is important to position graphic elements properly because the recall of
packaging elements is likely to be influenced by their lateral position on the package, as well
as by other usually recognized factors, such as font style, size, and colour (Silayoi and
Speece, 2004). This may imply that, in order to maximize consumer recall, graphic elements,
such as product photography, should be positioned on the left-hand side of the package
(ibid).
Graphic applications on the package are part of the brand image. As Vazquez, Bruce and
Studd (2003) suggest, brand names and symbols are the most obvious tangible packaging
design cues on packs that exploit brand equity. This came particularly into the focus in the
case of cigarettes advertising which is mostly restricted and packaging has become the
primary vehicle for communicating brand image (National Cancer Institute, 2008). As
Wakefield, Germain and Durkin (2008, p. 416) state, “cigarette packs remain with users once
opened and are repeatedly displayed in social situations, thereby serving as a direct form of
mobile advertising for the brand”. In order to further limit the communicational aspect of
cigarette packaging, especially through the graphic applications on the package, there are
also initiatives and proposals to introduce “plain” cigarette packaging which would be
stripped of colours, brand imagery, corporate logos and trademarks. Manufacturers would be
permitted to print only the brand name in a mandated size, font and location, in addition to
required health warnings and other legally mandated information such as toxic constituents,
tax seals or pack contents (Cunningham and Kyle, 1995; Freeman, Chapman and Rimmer,
2008). This is, probably, the best way to successfully remove brand image associations in
case of cigarettes which could have further implications on the decrease of popularity of
cigarettes among current and potential smokers (Wakefield, Germain and Durkin, 2008).
McNeal and Ji (2003) conducted a research study on children’s visual memory of cereal
packaging. Children were asked to draw a cereal box and over 97% spontaneously drew a
cereal box with a brand name and other related symbols. Furthermore, the research results
suggest that children’s evoked set is not just a list of brand names in the mind, but an
elaborate symbolic environment made up of visual and verbal codes in which the brand
name is nested (McNeal and Ji, 2003).
A research study conducted by Underwood, Klein and Burke (2001) points out that pictures
on the package also increase a shopper’s attention to the brand. However, the study findings
also indicate that these pictures are more useful for private labels brands and weaker
national brands whose objective is to improve consumer perceptions of the brand.
4.3 Perception of colour
Colours are one of the non-verbal signs that are recognized as an important marketplace
phenomenon (Schoormans and Robben, 1997; Grimes and Doole, 1998; Garber, Burke and
Johnes, 2000; Evans, Jamal and Foxall, 2006) and their importance is especially noticed in
the context of advertising and packaging (Bellizzi, Crowley and Hasty, 1983). Colour
perception is also a rather popular topic in marketing and consumer behaviour (e.g.
Grossman and Wisenblit, 1999; Hawkins, Best and Coney, 2004; Solomon, 2008; Kotler and
Keller, 2008; Fill, 2009). However, research focused on the perception of packaging colour is
very limited (Grossman and Wisenbilt, 1999) and the colour of the product’s package is
overlooked tool that marketers can use to gain the consumers’ attention (Garber, Burke and
Jones, 2000).
Colours on the package attract the attention of consumers (Schoormans and Robben, 1997;
Garber, Burke and Jones, 2000). Danger (1987a, 1987b) argues that colours are the most
important visual sign to attract consumer attention, as it is the first sign that the consumer
notices on a package. On the other hand, Kojina, Hoken and Takahashi (1986) found that
the colours accepted on packages by consumers may be limited.
Research studies suggest that consumers may prefer certain colour over others for various
product categories (Grossman and Wisenblit, 1999) and that attitude towards colour, colour
attractiveness, normative colour, and colour preferences are significantly associated with the
product choice (Funk and Ndubisi, 2006). In the case of food products, a study showed that
consumers in terms of packaging mostly notice the packaging colour and transparency
(Dantas et al., 2004). Colour is also reported as very important element in the case of the
wine packaging perception (Rocchi and Stefani, 2005).
Some studies support the idea that colours attract attention particularly when consumers
seek variety in their brand choices (Schoormans and Robben, 1997; Garber, Burke and
Jones, 2000). Gordon, Finlay and Watts (1994) support the idea that colours on packages
may have an impact on brand evaluation and on brand choices. Garber, Burke and Jones
(2000) suggest that a change in package colour can enhance brand consideration among
consumers that are not loyal to a particular brand, in certain highly competitive product
categories it is important to have a strikingly different package, and a change in package
colour can increase the total amount of search in the category. A study conducted on
industry professionals by Rex, Wai and Lobo (2004), indicates the existence of a relationship
between colour and the most important stimulus, flavour, in the case of potato chips.
Titles with a more global approach and international marketing related titles point out that
colour perception is also related to culture (e.g. Muhlbacher, Leihs and Dahringer, 2006;
Doole and Lowe, 2008). Connotations that a particular colour has in one country or region
could be completely opposite in another. Because cultural values, marketing objectives and
desired customer relationship levels influence the choice of colour in corporate and
marketing communications, Aslam (2006) argues that a cross-cultural perspective of colour
research and implication is imperative for developing global marketing strategies. E.g. an
inappropriate choice of product or package colours may lead to strategic failure (Ricks,
1983).
4.4 Perception of shape and size
Perception of shape and size seems to initiate some debate among scholars, but “it is
surprising that little research pertaining to volume perceptions has been done in marketing”
(Raghubir and Krishna, 1999, p. 313). As one of the pioneers, more than fifty years ago Jean
Piaget studied children’s perception of volume (Saxe, 1983). Piaget (1964) found that
primary school children appeared to use only the height of container when making volume
judgements. Research findings by Been, Braunstein and Piazza (1964) and Pearson (1964)
also support the elongation effect on the volume judgement. These experiments provided
grounds for the research study conducted by Holmberg (1975), who argues that if the greater
the height-to-width ratio of a container, greater is the estimated volume. On the other hand,
later research on the elongation effect of cylinders conducted by Frayman and Dawson
(1981) showed weak support for the effect. Raghubir and Krishna (1999) argue that
perceived volume, perceived consumption, and actual consumption are related sequentially.
They also demonstrated a volume perception bias, arguing that visual cues (such as
elongation of a container) are highly salient and are used to simplify spatial decisions relating
to volume. In one of the following studies, Krider, Raghubir and Krishna (2001), in which they
argue that consumers tend to simplify the size judgement task by using a single package’s
dimension at a time. They suggest that consumers judge the area of a shape by comparing it
across the most salient linear dimension, weighing the initial dimension more heavily than the
second dimension. The result leads to a bias favouring whichever shape is largest on the
initial dimension. Accordingly, considering an additional dimension increases the difficulty of
judging a shape’s volume compared to its area (Folkes and Matta, 2004).
Wansink and van Ittersum (2003) investigated the effect of elongation on consumption
volume. The research study findings show that consumers tend to consume more juice when
given a short, wide glass to those given a tall, slender glass, which lead to conclusion that
the elongation of glasses negatively influences consumption volume in a single serving
context. These findings were further confirmed in the case of alcoholic beverages (Wansink
and van Ittersum, 2005).
Wansink (1996) found that large package sizes encourage more use than smaller package
sizes. The same effect is noted in case of portion size, i.e. the bigger the portion size is, the
higher the food intake (Rolls, Morris and Roe, 2002; Wansink, Painter and North, 2005;
Wansink and Kim, 2005). Furthermore, it is notable that package and portion size can even
increase the consumption of unfavourable foods (Wansink, 2004). According to Wansink
(1996), when packages are doubled in size, consumption generally increases by 18% to 25%
for many meal-related foods (such as spaghetti), and 30% to 45% for many snack related
foods.
According to Bloch (1995), research studies confirm that shape impacts on the attention the
products attracts. When consumers seek variety in their brand choices, the shape of the
package is also considered (Schoormans and Robben, 1997). The design of a product and
product packaging determines a consumer’s first impression and effectively communicates
product advantage (Creusen and Schoormans, 2005). In the case of food products, the
attention-drawing ability of a package has been found to increase the probability of purchase
(Garber, 1995; Garber, Burke and Jones, 2000).
Yang and Raghubir (2005) conducted a study in order to research the effect of packaging
shape on the purchase quantity (e.g. elongated containers are perceived to contain more
even in the context of frequently purchased products where package labels mention the
actual volume of the container).
Raghubir and Krishna (1999) argue that a package’s shape affects preferences, choice and
post consumption satisfaction. Packages that have shapes that are perceived as attracting
more attention are also perceived to contain a greater volume of a product than same sized
packages that attracts less attention (Folkes and Matta, 2004). In a more recent study,
Raghubir and Greenleaf (2006) focus on consumer reaction to rectangles. The results show
that the ratio of the side of a rectangular product or package can influence purchase intention
and preferences, and is related to marketplace demand.
4.5 Perception of packaging material
Research focusing on the perception of packaging material is scarce. From time to time,
there are occasional notes in the packaging related literature on the effects on consumer
perception that a particular packaging material is supposed to have. E.g., Sauvage (1996)
suggests that glass has a high-quality image in the consumer mind, whilst metal packages
have an old-fashioned image, or plastics have a low-quality image for especially older
consumers. Accoridng to Schoiswohl (2003), sparkling wine packed in a typical glass bottle
communicates prestige, while plastic packaging evokes associations of convenience.
Similarly, Groth (2006, p. 32) states that PET packaging “does not carry the same quality
perception of glass” or that cardboard “does not carry the same quality perception as some
other materials”. Klimchuk and Krasovec (2006, p. 152) emphasise the premium image of
glass: “with its visual and tactile qualities, glass communicates a reliable and distinctive
quality material”. Mooy and Robben (2002, p. 432) suggest that “the tactile sensation of the
material of the product may give impression of its quality”. On the other hand, Ellwood (2000)
argues that the choice of packaging material could affect the brand personality.
From time to time, packaging companies and associations publish results from their research
studies intended to improve certain packaging material’s rating among consumers. Since
these studies clearly aim to advocate for the usage of a particular packaging material, their
objectivity and thus the value in the scientific context is very questionable. Published results
from consumer surveys usually show high level of preference towards glass (e.g. Glass has
the bottle in branding, 2000; Winder and Dallimore, 2005; GPI, 2006; InSites Consulting,
2009).
Academic research studies that deal with the perception of packaging material are very rare.
Banks (1950) conducted a study in which consumer preferences and sales results were
compared in the case of two different packaging materials for two bakery products. The study
shows that consumers prefer a new type of packaging material for one product, yet the sales
test did not confirm that, i.e. the sales test did not reveal significant difference in sales
between two types of packaging. In the case of the second bakery product, there was no
significant difference in sales or consumer preferences between the new and old packaging
material. Banks (1950) was not able to make any generalizations about the packaging
material preferences, so his comments and remarks were more focused on the
methodological problems and the validity of comparison of sales tests and consumer
preferences research.
Brown (1958) focused his research on the housewives’ influence of perception by different
types of bread wrappers. This study is a follow-up of his previous unpublished study in which
he did the same test with university students (Brown et al., 1955). Brown (1958) revealed
that the type of material used for wrapping influences perception about bread’s freshness.
The results were mostly in line with those in his previous study.
Almost twenty years later, Baker and McDaniel (1977) compared consumer preferences over
two different types of potato chip packaging. The results indicate that consumers preferred
one packaging material over another due to packaging material image rather than packaging
convenience. The findings from Baker and McDaniel (1977) are opposite to the current
interpretation of consumer preferences which emphasises packaging convenience as one of
the most important feature due to the changing consumption habits (Oertel, Peterman, and
Scherz, 2002; Future Innovation Today, 2006).
5. Conclusions
It is clear there are gaps in our knowledge in this area and conflicting views on the role of
packaging as a means of communication and as an integral part of the product or brand.
Certainly it means further research is needed to clarify its role from a consumer behaviour
and marketing communications perspective. However, from existing literature we can say
that there are a number of key elements which have been identified as key in this
communications process i.e. shape, size, colour, packaging material, labels and graphics
including pictures and other brand imagery.
Finally, we must also recognise the limitations of the literature in this area in that published
studies relate to the self service supermarket environment and within that mainly food
products representing a very narrow focus of study. The area of packaging is rather complex
and covers many consumer product categories. Consequently, there is has a huge research
potential of marketing aspects of packaging.
6. References
Abbott, R. (1997): Food and nutrition information: a study of sources, uses, and
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