Product Packaging Metaphors: Effects of Ambiguity and Explanatory Information on Consumer Appreciation and Brand Perception

Author: van Rompay, T.J.L.; Veltkamp, M.

Description: Product packaging is an important means for communicating product and brand benefits. Research suggests that visual metaphors may be particularly suited in this context, however, the conditions under which metaphors are effective are not yet well understood. In the research reported herein, effects of metaphor ambiguity and explanatory information on consumer appreciation and brand personality perceptions are tested. Study 1 shows that explicit information explaining the metaphor increases consumer appreciation and positively affects brand perception, but only for ambiguous metaphors. Study 2 shows that drawing consumer attention to packaging design by means of a visual packaging cue may be equally or even more effective for enhancing consumer appreciation and steering brand personality perceptions. In addition, Study 2 shows that effects of explanatory information and information type vary with participants’ readiness to engage in metaphor processing. Together, the results provide greater insight into the effects of metaphors in product design and provide guidelines to packaging designers.

Subject headings: Product packaging; Visual metaphors; Ambiguity; Explanatory information; Consumers; Brand perceptions; Product design

Publication year: 2014

Journal or book title: Psychology & Marketing

Volume: 31

Issue: 6

Pages: 404-415

Find the full text : http://doi.wiley.com/10.1002/mar.20703

Find more like this one (cited by): https://scholar.google.com/scholar?cites=2908986348903114020&as_sdt=1000005&sciodt=0,16&hl=en

Type: Journal Article

Serial number: 998