The Effect of Packaging Color and Health Claims on Product Attitude and Buying Intention

Alexandra Theben, Melissa Gerards and Frans Folkvord
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Alexandra Theben: Doctoral Programme Information and Knowledge Society, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, 08035 Barcelona, Spain
Melissa Gerards: Behavioral Science Institute, Radboud University, 6500 HE Nijmegen, The Netherlands
Frans Folkvord: Tilburg School of Humanities and Digital Sciences, 5037 AB Tilburg, The Netherlands

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 6, 1-11

Abstract: Packaging design is an important factor when consumers look out for healthy food. The study tested for effects of packaging color and health claims of a fictional fruit yoghurt package on attitude towards the product and subsequently, consumer’s buying intention, using a 2 × 2 between-subjects experimental design. We also tested whether interest in healthy food is a moderating factor. We found no evidence to support that visual cues (color) and textual cues (health-related advertising claims) are effective in influencing consumer attitude towards the product. Consumers did not show a more positive attitude towards products presented in low-arousal packaging colors (green/blue) compared to high arousal packaging colors (red/yellow). Also, the claim “palatability” did not result in a more positive attitude towards the product than the claim “healthy”. A moderating role of interest in healthy food could not be confirmed. The results confirmed, however, a significant relation of attitude towards the product and buying intention. Thus, buying intention could be explained mostly by whether consumers had a positive or negative attitude towards the product, which confirms that people’s attitudes are powerful predictors of buying decisions.

Keywords: food cues; food marketing; food packaging; healthy food (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

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