The influence of the artistic visual presentation of chocolate, biscuit and confectionery packaging

Consumers make purchases on chocolate, biscuits and confectionery based on multiple factors beyond how the food tastes. Since it's not always possible to sample these treats before purchasing, artistic visual presentation of the packaging plays a significant role in luring people to purchase the food. Factors influencing taste testing results include density and price expectation. Here are reasons why package designers should pay close attention to the effects stimulated by visuals and other sensory considerations.

Design Solutions

The main reason the appearance of the package is vitally important in the initial stage of introducing chocolate, biscuits and confectionery to consumers is that for many people packaging creates their first impression of and interaction with the product. First impressions can set immediate tones, as most people have learned from job interviews. Designers have several variables to experiment with to enhance the experience, beginning with the product's sensory properties.

Multisensory Perceptions

Multisensory or crossmodal conditions affect how people perceive and experience products, as recent studies have shown. Color intensity and package shape make a difference in terms of how design-conscious people rate flavor intensity, according to a 2011 study by Becker, Van Rompay, Schifferstein and Galetzka. People do make connections between containers and contents. Other aspects of crossmodal associations can involve smell, the sound the food makes when you bite into it, as well as the feel or size of the package.

Containers such as cups or trays can contribute to perceptual illusions. The texture, rigidity and temperature of materials can have a similar effect, according to a 2006 study by Zampini, Mawhinney & Spence. Weight of the product or the bowl that contains it can be important, but is often overlooked in consumer studies. A University of Oxford study found that when participants tasted the same yoghurts served in different bowls with different weights that heavier bowls created an impression of greater density in the mouth. People often describe dense foods as being "filling."

Appealing To Crossmodal Associations

While further research is needed to better understand the associations between perceptions about food and the various senses, it's clear from multiple studies that people judge and perceive food beyond their sense of taste. Perhaps every component of the packaging presentation contributes one way or another to the overall impression of the product.

Companies that market chocolate, biscuits and confectionery should do their own creative testing with customers to learn more about how to improve the experience. Marketing teams should then study the results and brainstorm for new ideas on how to tap deeper into people's imaginations where sensory illusions originate. The goal should be to find the proper balance between enhancing the presentation while keeping costs efficient and materials sustainable.

Price expectation has been found to have an effect on flavor perception, which is why different people have different opinions about the same food, ranging from bitter to sweet. If the price is agreeable, there's a chance that the flavor perception will be more positive.

One of the most crucial considerations is the color intensity of the package. Even though not all people react the same way to the same color(s), it's clear that brighter tones convey more energy. Deciding on the presentation has much to do with how manufacturers want the product to be perceived. Foods intended for upbeat house parties should be presented with more lively imagery, whereas foods for quiet elegant banquets should be presented with more sophisticated visual art.

Conclusion

When food companies design the packaging for products, they should keep in mind several factors relating to multisensory activities. While a visual artistic presentation is essential to help influence flavor perception, various other elements will likely influence overall opinion on food (material, weight etc.). See our other articles on related subjects in Chocolates, Biscuits and Confectionery packaging). It's important to remember that each individual partly bases perceptions also on experience and associations with other variables and that it's more of a personal experience. Desjardin has been producing packaging for Chocolates , Biscuits and Confectionery packaging for more than 100 years. The company's experts are at your service to help you find the right packaging to support your products' success.