Symmetry influences packaging aesthetic evaluation and purchase intention

Arnaud Bigoin-Gagnan () and Sophie Lacoste-Badie ()
Additional contact information
Arnaud Bigoin-Gagnan: CREM - Centre de recherche en économie et management - UNICAEN - Université de Caen Normandie - NU - Normandie Université - UR - Université de Rennes - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique

Post-Print from HAL

Abstract: PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of the symmetrical disposition of information items displayed on the front of product packaging on perceived complexity, perceptual fluency, aesthetic evaluation and product purchase intention.Design/methodology/approachA sample of 104 participants was exposed to fast-moving consumer goods packaging. A within-subject design experiment was carried out to assess the influence of the symmetrical disposition of information items displayed on the front of the packaging. ANOVA and a PROCESS procedure to assess mediation (Hayes, 2013) examined the relationships among the factors influenced by symmetry.FindingsThis study found that the symmetrical disposition of information items around the vertical axis (mirror symmetry) decreased visual complexity and highlighted an "indirect-only mediation" of visual complexity on the aesthetic evaluation of the packaging through processing fluency. This research also highlighted the fact that packaging aesthetic evaluation had a positive influence on purchase intention.Originality/valueThis study extends knowledge on package design by showing that the elements on which the producer can act (in this case, symmetry on the front of packaging) have an influence on the consumer's evaluation of the product and intention to purchase.

Keywords: Purchase intention; Symmetry; Aesthetic evaluation; Package design; Perceived complexity; Perceptual fluency (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018-12-10
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (9)

Published in International Journal of Retail and Distribution Management, 2018, 46 (11/12), pp.1026-1040. ⟨10.1108/IJRDM-06-2017-0123⟩

There are no downloads for this item, see the EconPapers FAQ for hints about obtaining it.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:halshs-01940835

DOI: 10.1108/IJRDM-06-2017-0123

Access Statistics for this paper

More papers in Post-Print from HAL
Bibliographic data for series maintained by CCSD ().