Chapter 2

Review Of Related Literature

This chapter consists of a review of the literature that empowered food product

packaging and its appeal to the consumers. The discussion begins with Color, Size/Shape,

Design, Product Information, Consumers Purchase Intention, Consumers Purchase Decision.

This chapter presents the related write-ups from several authors that will provide readers with

an understanding of the study`s purpose and target.

Food product packaging is the enclosing of food to protect it from damage,

contamination, spoilage, pest attacks, and tampering, during transport, storage, and retail sale.

The package is often labeled with information such as amount of the contents, ingredients,

nutritional content, cooking instructions, and shelf life. The package needs to be designed and

selected in such a manner that there are no adverse interactions between it and the food. Food

packaging helps protect foods against physical, chemical and environmental factors that could

possibly contaminate all of the food if not packaged correctly… (jamboree,2013). The product

packaging is a reflection of the product inside and the brand as a whole. When designing

product packaging, therefore, many brands conduct extensive research into the wants and

needs of consumers to ensure their packaging is attractive and compelling. Good packaging

prevents waste and ensures that the food retains its desired quality throughout its shelf life.

Despite its importance and the role that packaging plays, it is often regarded as, at best,

somewhat not too important and, at worst, has an issue of a waste of resources and
environmental issue (Lumen)…

Food packaging will help meet the evolving needs of the market, such as

consumer preference for “healthy” and high-quality food products and reduction of the negative

environmental impacts of food packaging. Emerging concepts of active and intelligent

packaging technologies provide numerous innovative solutions for prolonging shelf-life and

improving the quality and safety of food products. There are also new approaches to improving

the passive characteristics of food packaging, such as mechanical strength, barrier

performance, and thermal stability (Garcia, Han;2018). According to Underwood & Ozanne, the

immense importance of packaging affects how consumers purchase a product. Packaging

serves key roles and functions in enhancing marketing. The packaging and labeling of a food or

beverage play an important role in its selection because it is the major source of information for

consumers, permitting them to make better choices in the marketplace (McCullough; van Trijp

and Steenkamp).

Packaging is known to be the identity of a product. It is extremely important for your product to

get noticed amongst the hundreds of other products available on the shelf. Packaging is an

integral part of any Branding Strategy to glamorise a product in a way that would not only catch

the consumer’s attention, but also would be a great source of advertising. Packaging plays an

important role educating the customer about the product; it’s also like having a direct interaction

with the brand. As said by Martin Neumier “A retail package is the last and best chance to make

a sale.”
PACKAGING ELEMENTS

The four main elements of packaging are Design, Color, Size/Shape and Product information.

These elements help the consumers to relate to the brand easily and tend to have a high recall.

DESIGN

According to (Sousa, M.M, Carvalho, F.M., Pereira, R. G. F. A., 2020) package design is very

important, for example, coffee consumers build their expectations of coffee taste acidity and

sweetness by the package labels design, color, and typefaces, varying solely on the roundness

or angularity edges. (Athena Chen, Y.S., 2021) also, emphasize that texture appealing element

is consistent with the idea of packaging finishes texture affect consumer favorable impressions

and evaluations of the product inside like perceiving a matte package in coffee brand to be a

sincere brand, but a glossy package in same brand products was perceived to be a competent

brand. Moreover, “Transparent Design" can be an attractive food packaging, as it allows

consumers to see the real product and feel its freshness while reading its label (Pensasitorn,

W.,2015). The package design should be intriguing enough, to motivate them to pick the

package from the shelf among the other products, and that could lead to the increase of their

purchase intention, especially with new products.(Grunert, K.G. ,2010) showed that design

comes first before the content, therefore, packages on the supermarket shelves allow

consumers to evaluate the quality without actually seeing the product. While(Zeithaml,

V.A.,2014) found that buying intention could be affected by other factors like perceived quality

and price. (P. Ksenia,2013) also examined the consumer perception towards the milk package,

and the results showed the importance of packaging design and its elements in consumer

buying behavior, for instance, text, graphics, and colors are very beneficial in motivating the

decision-making and consumer’s attention. (Kotler, P., Armstrong, G., Wong, V., Saunders, J.
2010) also emphasizes that all the elements in packages, like color, shape, size, materials, and

logo, should integrate to reinforce product’s positioning and marketing strategy, (Smith, P 2014)

also determined six variables that producers and designers should consider when designing any

package: style, size, Inf. Sci. Lett. 11, No. 1, 135- 148 (2022)

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Cor. color, graphics, material, and flavor. In the following section, we will mention the most

important elements in the packaging industry, which archive appealing and attraction. Every

consumer wants to feel in product package sense of individuality and his sense of self, people

are often drawn to package design for emotional rather than rational reasons, such as price or

ingredients (Asadollahi, A., Givee, M. 2011). So great package design should target the

intended audience by using graphic design elements to create a feeling of belonging and

consumer individuality. The purpose of graphic design on the packaging is to determine the

psychological effect of visuals on consumers, by applying design elements and principles in

terms of images, color, typography, contrast, repetition, and hierarchy to create packaging that

so appealing, and to show the benefits of the product, (Pensasitorn, W. 2015) well-designed

packaging can facilitate the functionality of a product and increase brand loyalty. Brands build

experience out of all elements, but it needs to be designed in a certain way that ensures that it

stays true to the brand's personality (Alervall, V., Saied, J.,2013).

COLOR

Packaging color helps consumers visualize and differentiate competitive brands (Aydin & Özer,

2011). When consumers visit a supermarket they are exposed to numerous products with

different packaging colors. However, consumers tend to purchase the products whose

packaging colors capture their attention. Past studies have found that different packaging colors

have different meanings (Aslam, 2011). The black color reflects authority and mystery, whereas,
the green color reflects ease. In addition, the red color shows passion and strong traits while the

green color suggests affordability and casualness. The brown color is a symbol of masculinity

and the white color symbolizes purity, refinement and formality (Aslam, 2011). Consumers often

make a judgment on the quality and price of a product based on its packaging color (Becker,

Van-Rompay, Schiff erstein & Galetzka, 2011). Additionally, consumers tend to relate colors

with their preference and belief. For example ,(Babin, Hardesty & Suter ,2012) found that

consumers prefer to see the blue color in clothing shops. Kauppinen-Räisänen & Luomala

(2010) examined the effects of different colors on medicine products. The study found that

different packaging colors are associated with consumer perception about quality and price of

medicines. Packaging color has a strong influence on consumer purchase intentions (Grossman

& Winsenblit,1999; Agariya et al., 2012). Packaging color enhances the visual appeal of the

product and helps consumers to differentiate a brand from another. In many cultures, packaging

colors are associated with different cultural values. Packaging colors that have visual appeal in

some cultures may not be appealing in others. Thus,firms should tailor packaging colors in line

with cultural values (Madden, Hewett & Roth, 2011). Prior studies have found that consumers

tend to select those products whose packaging colors have greater appeal to their cultural

values (Grossman & Winsenblit, 1999; Agariya et al., 2012). Consumers also select products

which they are familiar with or have triggered their interest. Hence, visually appealing packaging

color plays a vital role in stimulating consumer purchase intentions (Becker et al., 2011).

SIZE/SHAPE

Gaining attention is an important first step in enabling consumer product purchase. Attention is

the allocation of information processing capacity to a stimulus (Engel et al., 1995). When a

product ‘stands out’ visually from competitive products, chances are higher that consumers will

pay attention to the product in a purchase situation, as it ‘catches their eye’. For food products,
the attention-drawing ability of a package has been found to heighten the probability of

purchase (Garber, 1995; Garber et al., 2000). Since packaging now is regarded as an essential

component of our modern lifestyle and the way business is organized, they try to explore more

and focus on factors like shape and size. Packaging is the enclosing of a physical object,

typically a product that will be offered for sale. According to Panwar (2004) Packaging is the act

of containing, protecting and presenting the contents through the long chain of production,

handling and transportation to their destinations in as good a state, as they were, at the time of

production. Packaging is an important part of the branding process as it plays a role in

communicating the image and identity of a company. The size or shape of the product

presented to the customers is a great factor influencing the consumer’s purchase decision.

Thus, the size and shape of the packaging should be considered. It can be used to attract

customers' attention and encourage them to examine the product. Packaging design is critical in

supermarket products, where its most important function is to help differentiation the products

and consumer spend less time planning the shopping trip and reading than ever, visual images

are crucial to attracting them .Promoting the contents is an important packaging objective,

especially in self-service retailing. Package must serve as a silent salesperson and attract the

shopper's attention. It is becoming an increasingly aspect of marketing strategy. Companies are

seeing packaging as a way to attract customers to new and existing brands .Packages use

design, sizes, and shapes to try to influence consumer's perceptions and buying behavior

(Lamb et al, 2004). In general, the attention-drawing ability of a product can be enhanced by

increasing its size and by using shapes that will satisfy the customer’s perception. Furthermore,

people attend to stimuli that contrast with their background and are novel that is, unusual or

unexpected (see Engel et al., 1995). Garber (1995) emphasizes that the visual effect of a

product package is relative to a background comprised of competitor alternatives. In order to

design an eye-catching appearance, product alternatives available on the market – and perhaps

even the purchase environment – should be taken into account.

According to Martinelli, food label, the information presented on food product, is one of the most

important and direct means of communicating information to the consumer. ... This information,

which includes items such as ingredients, quality and nutritional value, can accompany the food

or be displayed near the food to promote its sale. When purchasing consumer products,

evaluating the product label is typically the final step in the buyer’s decision-making process. A

high-quality label can be the difference between getting the sale or not. It’s also your first point

of communication after the sale, helping customers use your products correctly (CT

Admin,2020). Food labelling is one way in which consumers can get knowledge about the food

they consider buying. Correctly following the information provided on food labels (such as expiry

dates, handling instructions and allergy warnings) can help consumers prevent unnecessary

food-borne illness and allergic reactions.

The food label will provide information on what you are putting into your body by reading the

ingredients and how much you are eating by reading the nutrition facts by (Health,2020).

Although it is full of pretty text, images, and colours, the front of a box, package or bag doesn’t

tell you much about what is in it. Yes, it may tell you what it is, but unless you dig deeper than

the front of a label you can easily get duped into thinking you are making a healthier choice than

you actually are. Food labels are littered with marketing buzzwords that honestly don’t mean

much unless you know what the actual ingredients are. Something may be labelled “high in

protein”, “rich in fibre” or “gluten-free” but those same products may contain added sugars,

additives, and preservatives making them a less than ideal choice, Kay, 2018. The Food Label

is designed to help people choose foods well. By knowing how to use it, you can understand

how a specific food item can fit into your overall diet. You can more effectively and efficiently

select foods and choose between products.

CONSUMERS PURCHASE INTENTION

Consumer purchasing process depends on various factors including price, packaging,

promotion and previous experience (Shafi q,Raza & Zia-ur-Rehman, 2011). When consumers

purchase a product, they rely on internal search and external search. Internal search is based

on consumers past product experience. On the contrary, external search is based on the

experience of other consumers who have shared their views on social media (Keller, 2011).

Purchase intentions also depend on product categories, demographics and the moods of

consumers (Kamaruddin & Kamarulzaman, 2012).

Consumer purchase intentions is the likelihood to buy a product in future. In other words, it also

means that consumers are likely to purchase the product after evaluation. Consumers with high

purchase intentions generally leads to actual purchase behavior (Keller, 2011). There are

several factors which affect consumer purchase intentions. For example, brand image,

packaging and experience of peers. Consumer purchase intentions helps marketers to forecast

future consumer behavior and develop appropriate marketing strategies. Therefore, marketers

aim to enhance consumer purchase intentions which directly influence consumers actual

behavior (Morwitz, 2014).

CONSUMERS PURCHASE DECISION

Product packaging is used for protecting a product from the external environment and promotion

purposes (Raheem, Ahmad, Vishnu & Imamuddin, 2014). Packaging and its sub-factors have a

positive eff ect on consumer purchase intentions (Ahmad, Billoo & Lakhan, 2012). Raheem,
Ahmad, Vishnu & Imamuddin (2014) suggest that the process of consumer decisions lack

objectivity, consistency and rationality. Therefore, they often make a judgment of quality based

on packaging. Prior studies have found that packaging is an important tool for promoting

products and stimulating purchase intentions (Rundh, 2011).

The design, quality and color of packaging also have a strong influence on consumer buying

behavior (Raheem, Ahmed, Vishnu & Imamuddin, 2014). It has also been suggested that

packaging is an ultimate selling proposition which helps consumers to diff erentiate products

(Underwood, 2003; Silayoi, & Speece, 2007; Bagozzi, Yi & Baumgartner, 2010). Mueller &

Lockshin (2011) found a strong association between product packaging, consumer purchase

intentions and brand experience. The visual appeal of product packaging is also a medium for

marketing promotions (Silayoi & Speece, 2011). When consumers purchase high involvement

products they give more importance to written information on packaging labels. In low

involvement products, consumer purchase intentions depend on the design of packaging

(Sehrawet & Kundu, 2011).