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News Release from: Pro Carton | Subject: packaging design
Edited by the Marketingservicestalk Editorial
Team on 02 May 2008
Colourful packaging does its job
A new study has provided evidence that our brains react more significantly to colourful, multiple and nice-looking packaging.
"Never leave well enough alone: ugliness is hard to sell", warned Raymond Loewy, the famous designer whose package designs made Lucky Strike and Pepsodent world brands Having an artistic persuasion can also be proven from the medical point of view
This article was originally published on Marketingservicestalk on 30 Apr 2008 at 8.00am (UK)
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In modern brain research, functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging, the so-called neuro imaging, allows us to visualise how the brain processes attractive visual stimuli.
There is evidence that attractiveness has a significant impact on human brain activity and that it has a major impact on purchasing decisions.
A research project by the Chair of Marketing at Zeppelin University, Friedrichshafen, and the Institute for Biometry and Medical Computer Sciences of the University Magdeburg in co-operation with the Association of European Cartonboard and Carton manufacturers, Pro Carton, and packaging group Smurfit Kappa, is the first to apply this method in analysing the neural effects of attractive and unattractive packages.
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The study found that attractive packaging stimulates specific brain areas often associated with processing positive emotions like happiness and motivation.
Stimulating packaging design not only plays a decisive role at the point of purchase but will even gain greater importance and be crucial to future market success.
One of the most relevant conclusions from the study is that it is worthwhile investing in good packaging design.
Under the supervision of Prof Dr Peter Kenning, Friedrichshafen, a multi-stage test project was carried out.
First of all, a group of more than 50 neutral respondents graded 130 standard packages from German supermarkets, sorting them into "attractive", "neutral" and "unattractive" packages.
Subsequently, the brain activities of 11 test respondents were recorded by functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging while evaluating the attractiveness of ten representative packaging designs from each category.
The functional imaging data revealed that packages activate different brain areas a great deal and cause different reactions depending on their level of attractiveness: Attractive packages stimulate brain regions by correlating with visual attentiveness and this visual attentiveness is the basis for any decision process.
Only packages or pictures that have activated it will be remembered and form the basis for a purchase.
From the medical point of view, the attractiveness of packaging at the point of purchase thus positively influences the turnover of fast-moving consumer goods.
These conclusions supplement and confirm other studies concerning the effect of brands on the brain.
The more well known, the more popular, the "stronger" a brand is, the more actively emotional brain areas react, whereas the activity of brain areas being related to rationality and control decreases.
Predominantly visual signals are involved in this so called "cortical relief" as well as in the emotionalisation of the decision process.
Variations of the package design modifying the brand or impairing the identification or recognition of the brand reduce the cortical relief.
Additionally well liked and attractive packages affect the human reward system.
Feelings of happiness, such as joy and confidence are located here, along with motivation and activity stimuli as well.
Consequently, a good design can "directly" stimulate purchasing activity.
Attractive packages influence motivation and behaviour and, as the reward system also determines the brand and consumer loyalty, they can also help to build up good customer relations.
In contrast, unattractive design causes uneasiness.
The perception of unattractive packaging is accompanied by activity changes in the brain associated with feelings of anger, revulsion, disappointment and loss.
The scientists point out that these findings have to be taken extremely seriously by manufacturers and designers.
"With regard to the struggle to survive against the competition, companies often invest heavily in product differentiation," said Prof Kenning.
"However, it can be demonstrated by empirical studies that the ability and will to distinguish between different products are continuing to decrease".
For example, after questioning, German consumers said they were not able to see any differences between a brand and its competitors.
In comparison with other marketing instruments, the importance of packaging as a product differentiation strategy at the point of purchase will therefore increase greatly in future.
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