HOW PACKAGING DESIGN AFFECT PERCEIVED QUALITY : CASE

HOW  PACKAGING  

DESIGN  AFFECT  

PERCEIVED  QUALITY

:  CASE  

OF  PACKAGED  FOOD  PRODUCT

Journal  of  Business  Research  Method,  Vol  1,  2017  

Editor:  Bui  Quang  Thong,  Ph.D  

TABLE  OF  CONTENT  

A.

Packaging  and  Packaging  Design  

3        

B.

Quality  and  Perceived  Quality  

4  

1.

Definition  of  Quality  and  Perceived  Quality    

4  

2.

From  Economics  of  Information  view    

5  

3.

From  Intrinsic  –  Extrinsic  view    

5  

C.

Influence  of  Food  Packaging  and  Perceived  Quality  

6  

1.

Visual  Attribues    

6  

2.

Material  Attributes    

6  

D.

Overall  Evaluation  and  Research  Gap    

7

References

A. Packaging and Packaging design

Packaging is broadly defined based on its fundamental function (Paine, 1981). It is a co-ordinated system, the means, a techno-economic function to ensure the process from preparing, distribution, storage, retailing and end-use to consumer at minimum cost. Dominic et al. (2000) and Johnson (2000) classify different types of packaging as primary, secondary or tertiary based on the function of the packaging such as either for sale or for distribution or for transportation. However, we still need specific typologies of following a systemic approach due to the innovation of packaging (A. Azzi, 2012). For long time ago, beside packaging’s main function such as: protection, containment, preservation, apportionment, unitisation, convenience, packaging has become an important factor of marketing mix in consumer markets and is introduce to become a fifth “P” (Nickels and Jolson,1976). The package is considered an extrinsic cue which means it is an product-related attribute but not part of the physical product (Olson and Jacoby 1972). In fact, it is considered as a marketing communication vehicle (Silayoi and Speece, 2007; Hellstrom and Nilsson, 2011) and is capable of “communicating the brand message directly to the target customer” (Wells et al, 2007) as well as improving point-of-purchase decision (Clement, 2007).

To design a good product packaging, a marketer have to overcome complex task due to 5 drivers contributing to a successful design of packaging systems: ergonomics, logistics, sustainability, safety and marketing (A.Azzi, 2012). Marketers can also follow a set of norm (i.e. the norm of truthfulness, the norm of sincerity, the norm of comprehensibility and the norm of legitimacy) as a guideline to position their package (Habermas, 1984) because it will foster long-term customer relationship (Robert and Julie ,1998).

More recently, many researchers focus on the relationship between those design packaging attribute and customer perceived quality toward the products. In other words, shopper frequently relies on the outside package to develop an impression of the product and make purchasing decision (Mohd et al., 2010).

B. Quality and Perceived Quality

I. Definition of quality and perceived quality

Quality is early defined as the product’s ability to meet expectations by Crosby, 1979. Later studies show that product quality is a multidimensional concept and the definition of quality relies on its evaluation method. (Zeithaml, 1988). Espejel (2007) stated that for food product, quality can be evaluated within two main separate perspectives, (1) the objective quality, and (2) the perceived / subjective quality. Quality, in general, appears to be recognized as an inherence from a good or service in successfully serving consumers (Day and Castleberry, 1986). However, Issanchou (1996) argues that food quality is not an inherent characteristic of the food, but is closer to the understanding of acceptability. Therefore, in case of food, quality is more appropriate in the form of perceived quality. Booth (1995) also argued that the fundamental on which any inherence of product quality is shaped must be the consumers’ attitudes, as perceived quality is sense of purpose toward specific satisfaction. In this paper, product quality refers to the customer’s quality inference drawn from the expectations prior to purchasing decision.

II. Perceived quality attributes – from economics of information view

It is crucial to consolidate the concept of quality from different attributes, even though consumers tend to rationale their overall perception of quality on just a few attributes, or in some cases, just one (Olshavsky 1985). Expectations of food product quality can be divided into three separate dimensions, which are search, experience, and credence (Nelson, 1974; Darby and Karni, 1973). Search quality is the one that a customer can determine prior to purchasing a product, e.g packaging, marketing stimuli, colour (Verma, 2012). In quality evaluation, physical products like food and furniture posses more search attribute than the other types because of the physical dimension associated with them (Darby and Karni, 1973). The next attributes - experience attributes, can be evaluated only after the purchase or during the consumption experience. In the case of credence attributes, the consumer rarely has the opportunity to assess whether the item actually possesses the features. Caswell and Mojduszka (1996) argue that an experience or credence attribute can be reconstruct into a search attribute via marketing stimuli, such as labeling and packaging.

Besides, Northen (2000) discussed that a more lately recognized practice relating to perceived quality is that customers’ perceptions of quality prior to purchase are based on quality cues. Quality cues are any informative trigger that can be determined through the senses. Consumers have reported to have predictive soundness for the product’s quality performance upon consumption (Steenkamp 1997). Ophuis and Van Trijp (1995) argue that when seeking for selection, consumers will base cues to predict quality characteristics they desire in a product. In summary, Northen (2000) replaced the use of the term ‘search attribute’ who describes the characteristics of product quality prior to purchase to the term ‘cue’.

III. Perceived quality attributes – from intrinsic-extrinsic view

Derived from the multi-attribute attitude theory that quality is a multi-dimensional phenomenon, according to Grunert (2004), to some extent, the distinction between search, experience and credence

characteristics has been merged into other multi-attribute models, especially the separation of intrinsic

C. Influence of Food packaging design on Perceived quality

Previous researchers have studied and suggested the impact of food packaging design on product quality perception. In general, the relationship between food packaging design and perceived quality of product can be analyzed by two antecedents, visual and material attributes.

I. Influence of Visual attributes on Perceived quality

Numerous of research concentrates on visual packaging attributes (Mensonen and Hakola, 2012) and suggests that there are colors, size, typeface, logo, graphic shapes and images, typography, and illustrations (Venter et al., 2011). It is shown that visual packaging design features which generate positive attitude positively influence customer quality perception (Venter et al., 2011; Honea and Horsky, 2012; Edward S.T. Wang, 2013). In further research, the combination effect of these visual attributes and explicit information on quality perception is also advocated, which includes size-price effect (Dengfeng Yan et al.,2013) and color-price and brand information effect (Iris van Ooijen et al., 2017). Although size has been one of the key indicator that affect product quality judgment (Mathur & Qiu, 2012), the relationship is deeply investigated when associating with unit price and total price (Dengfeng Yan et al.,2013). The study proposes that customers would perceive the product in smaller package to be higher in unit price and thus higher in quality than an equivalent one in a larger package. This remains true even if the larger package has a higher overall price. Later, researcher further study on the relationship between color and quality perception either when price, brand and claims are present or absent (Iris van Ooijen et al., 2017). The findings reveal that lower-value color (darker color) creates higher quality inference, whereas higher-value color (lighter color) results in lower quality inference.

II. Influence of Material attributes on Perceived quality

D. Overall evaluation and Research gap

Overall, study results advocate that food companies should focus on visual packaging design and sustainability attribute for their product development. In today’s competitive market, product packaging design plays a crucial role in differentiating product quality inferences, hence enhancing brand preferences (Edward S.T. Wang, 2013) among other thousands of competitors. Furthermore, by designing package that communicate sustainability in recognizable way, managers may generate concrete influence on firm’s product quality perception. Applying sustainable packaging material is one method to generate customer’s perception of quality (Lise Magnier et al., 2016); however, researchers should further investigate on visual features that communicate sustainability such as logo, label, etc., which may provide more useful information for company to convey product’s sustainability.

Though numerous studies investigate the relationship between packaging design and general customer perception, product value, brand preference, selection process, etc. (Silayoi and Speece, 2007; Hellstro¨m and Nilsson, 2011; Thalhammer, 2007), little research studies about the influence of packaging design on quality perception; moreover, even little discusses beyond the general positive impact that packaging design exert on customer. Would it be more interesting and useful if there were many study on the effect of visual packaging features (for instance, logo, graphic shapes and images, typography, and illustrations) that affect quality inferences, the cognitive mechanisms by which they operate, as well as the conditions under which each feature influences consumers’ perceived quality. Furthermore, the effect of packaging design on customer has shown to happen at point-of-purchase

The objective of this research is to investigate more about the relationship between packaging design and perceived quality in the case packaged food product in Vietnam.

Research question:

How packaging design affects customer’s perceived quality, the case of packaged food product?

The author seek to answer this by examining the following sub-questions

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