The relation between symmetry in food packaging and approach and avoidance words

Abstract

Research on aesthetic science has demonstrated that people generally prefer symmetrical over asymmetrical compositions. However, it remains unclear whether and how such compositions relate to the concepts of approach and avoidance motivation, especially in consumer contexts. In addition, it is not known how symmetry may influence such concepts in contexts where objects can differ in terms of their hedonic values (symmetry/product taste congruency). In the present research, we evaluated the relation between visual symmetry of the packaging of products with different hedonic value (sweet, non-sweet, non-food) and approach and avoidance words. In two experiments, we found evidence that people associate symmetrical designs with approach words more often than asymmetrical designs. Importantly, however, we did not find evidence that such an effect is influenced by the hedonic value of the products. Our results have value for scholars and practitioners interested in the effect of aesthetic features of brand elements (such as a product’s packaging) on consumer motivation.

How aesthetic features convey the concept of brand premiumness

“…Furthermore, researchers have claimed that v‐shaped geometric features are associated with angry facial expressions while rounded shapes are associated with happy ones (Aronoff et al, 1992; cf., Gómez‐Puerto et al, 2016). Even though not necessarily associated with approach and avoidance behavior, research has shown that curvature is implicitly associated with approach‐related words such as “safe” while angularity is associated with avoidance‐related words such as “dangerous” (Palumbo et al, 2015; Velasco, Salgado‐Montejo et al, 2016; Velasco et al, 2020).…”

The Effect of Packaging Color Scheme on Perceptions, Product Preferences, Product Trial, and Purchase Intention

“…Whether realized or not, color can affect a person in buying goods. The response to color is a blend of culture and personal experience accumulated throughout his life (Triedman, 2015). On the other hand, the more familiar and efficient the process, the more likely it is to be driven by mental processes outside of consciousness.…”

“…Brewster classifies the color into four colors which are primary, secondary, tertiary and neutral. Johannes Iten creates a color circle and formulates a color balance theory consisting of dyadic (complementary), triadic (Split complementary), and tetradic (Triedman, 2015) which are called color harmony or color combination (Gong & Lee, 2019).…”

“…While cold or cool colors are blue, green and purple. These colors are calm, safe, reverse, and negative, also associated with water, the sky and mountains (Kauppinen-Räisänen & Jauffret, 2018;Triedman, 2015).…”

“…A color -as a marketing tool -can be a persuasive force. As a visual element, colors can attract attention, cool the eyes, play a role in determining the success of a product (Triedman, 2015). Packaging colors can affect consumer perceptions of the product (Keller, 2013;Wei, Ou, Luo, & Hutchings, 2012).…”