Consumer Perception and Evaluation of Atypical Package Design: A Neuroscientific Approach

Abstract

In today's saturated markets with crowded shelves filled with multiple products in the same category, product packaging acts as a crucial element in attracting consumer attention, shaping perceived value and influencing purchase intent. Atypical packaging designs may enhance these effects by standing out visually, however strong package deviations can risk consumer rejection. This study investigated products with atypical packaging, thereby aiming to answer how consumers perceive and evaluate atypical package design for commodity and non-commodity products in the food and beverage sector using neuroscientific measures. The experimental study, conducted in Denmark, combined biometric measures with a survey to investigate the responses of 34 participants to products with typical and atypical packaging. Eye-tracking was collected to measure visual attention with the metrics dwell time and time to first fixation, while EEG data, measuring frontal alpha asymmetry and frontal theta power, was used to examine approach motivation and cognitive workload. All responses were assessed for olive oil as a commodity product and for gin and ginger shots, as non-commodity products. Emphasis was put on understanding implicit responses when examining self-reported differences in purchase intention and choice, willingness-to-pay, and taste perception. The results demonstrated that EEG findings were inconclusive. However, the study found that while atypical packaging enhanced visual attention, this was not linked to higher preference or purchase likelihood, particularly in the commodity product category. These findings indicate that the success of products with atypical packaging is category dependent. The study highlights the value of combining explicit and implicit findings and addresses the gap in literature on perception of atypical packaging designs with regards to product categories, specifically the commodity and non-commodity categories.