Assessing information on food packages
(2017) In European Journal of Marketing 51(1). p.219-237- Abstract
- Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present an experimental study which aims at assessing the potentially misleading effect of graphic elements on food packaging. The authors call these elements potentially misleading elements (PMEs) as they can give customers false expectations. They are either highlighted numerical information (30 per cent fibre, 8 per cent fat, 100 per cent natural […]) or pictorial information with no relation to the product (e.g. images of happy people).
Design/methodology/approach
In a combined decision task monitored by eye-tracking and a subsequence survey, the authors tested the impact of PMEs on common products. Combining different pairs of products, where one product had a PME, whereas... (More) - Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present an experimental study which aims at assessing the potentially misleading effect of graphic elements on food packaging. The authors call these elements potentially misleading elements (PMEs) as they can give customers false expectations. They are either highlighted numerical information (30 per cent fibre, 8 per cent fat, 100 per cent natural […]) or pictorial information with no relation to the product (e.g. images of happy people).
Design/methodology/approach
In a combined decision task monitored by eye-tracking and a subsequence survey, the authors tested the impact of PMEs on common products. Combining different pairs of products, where one product had a PME, whereas the other did not, the authors could evaluate if preference correlated with the presence of a PME.
Findings
The authors found both types of PMEs to have analogous effects on participants’ preferences and correlate with participants’ visual attention. The authors also found evidence for a positive influence on a later explicit justification for the specific choice.
Research limitations/implications
This study was conducted in a lab environment and solely related to health-related decisions. The authors still need to know if these findings are transferable to real in-store decisions and other needs such as high quality or low price. This calls for further research.
Practical implications
The topic is important for food companies, and it might become a priority in managing brand equity, combining consumer preferences, loyalty and communicative fairness.
Originality/value
Using eye-tracking and retrospective interviews brings new insights to consumer’s decision-making and how misleading potentially occurs. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/ac8542b6-6b1f-4ab2-af20-5fdc94d5e1ec
- author
- Clement, Jesper ; Gidlöf, Kerstin LU ; Smith, Viktor ; Zlatev, Jordan LU and van de Weijer, Joost LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2017
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- in
- European Journal of Marketing
- volume
- 51
- issue
- 1
- pages
- 219 - 237
- publisher
- Emerald Group Publishing Limited
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85011423373
- wos:000396718400011
- ISSN
- 0309-0566
- DOI
- 10.1108/EJM-09-2013-0509
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- ac8542b6-6b1f-4ab2-af20-5fdc94d5e1ec
- date added to LUP
- 2016-06-22 14:44:04
- date last changed
- 2023-11-07 13:06:46
@article{ac8542b6-6b1f-4ab2-af20-5fdc94d5e1ec, abstract = {{Purpose<br/><br/>The purpose of this paper is to present an experimental study which aims at assessing the potentially misleading effect of graphic elements on food packaging. The authors call these elements potentially misleading elements (PMEs) as they can give customers false expectations. They are either highlighted numerical information (30 per cent fibre, 8 per cent fat, 100 per cent natural […]) or pictorial information with no relation to the product (e.g. images of happy people).<br/>Design/methodology/approach<br/><br/>In a combined decision task monitored by eye-tracking and a subsequence survey, the authors tested the impact of PMEs on common products. Combining different pairs of products, where one product had a PME, whereas the other did not, the authors could evaluate if preference correlated with the presence of a PME.<br/>Findings<br/><br/>The authors found both types of PMEs to have analogous effects on participants’ preferences and correlate with participants’ visual attention. The authors also found evidence for a positive influence on a later explicit justification for the specific choice.<br/>Research limitations/implications<br/><br/>This study was conducted in a lab environment and solely related to health-related decisions. The authors still need to know if these findings are transferable to real in-store decisions and other needs such as high quality or low price. This calls for further research.<br/>Practical implications<br/><br/>The topic is important for food companies, and it might become a priority in managing brand equity, combining consumer preferences, loyalty and communicative fairness.<br/>Originality/value<br/><br/>Using eye-tracking and retrospective interviews brings new insights to consumer’s decision-making and how misleading potentially occurs.}}, author = {{Clement, Jesper and Gidlöf, Kerstin and Smith, Viktor and Zlatev, Jordan and van de Weijer, Joost}}, issn = {{0309-0566}}, language = {{eng}}, number = {{1}}, pages = {{219--237}}, publisher = {{Emerald Group Publishing Limited}}, series = {{European Journal of Marketing}}, title = {{Assessing information on food packages}}, url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/EJM-09-2013-0509}}, doi = {{10.1108/EJM-09-2013-0509}}, volume = {{51}}, year = {{2017}}, }