When creepy crawlies are cute as bugs: Investigating the effects of (cute) packaging design in the context of edible insects

Bruckdorfer, Raphaela

doi:10.1016/j.foodqual.2022.104597

Cited by 15 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 45 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Thus, our results highlight the effectiveness of cute insect depictions in alleviating reluctance towards IF amongst young Fr adults. This contrasts with a study by Bruckdorfer and B€ uttner (2022), who did not observe any positive effect on respondents' acceptance when a cute insect depiction appeared on an insect-based protein bar (sweet product and small sample sizes).…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 99%

Assessing the effect of baby schema cuteness on emotions, perceptions and attitudes towards insect-based packaged foods

Marquis,

Reinoso Carvalho,

Pantin-Sohier

2023

BFJ

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

PurposeAversion linked to disgust and neophobia is the primary reason for human reluctance towards edible insects as a sustainable food source. Stimulating positive emotions may overcome these mental barriers. Cute visuals and claims on product packaging can trigger positive affective responses in consumers whilst modulating taste expectations. This study investigated how these elements influence emotions, perceptions and attitudes towards insect-based foods.Design/methodology/approachAn online cross-cultural study involving French (n = 747) and Colombian (n = 695) consumers was conducted using two insect-based products: chips (hedonic) and bread (functional). Ten visual packaging variations were created per product, emphasising palatability, sustainability, nutrition and popularity (plus a control: no claim) affixed to the image of a cute anthropomorphic cricket or its silhouette. Visual appreciation and associations were assessed along with the participants' degree of food variety seeking, familiarity with entomophagy and openness to consuming edible insects.FindingsDifferences were reported in emotions, perceptions and attitudes based on the combination of packaging elements, product type and consumer segments. The findings suggest that food marketers should use cute insect depictions linked to palatability-focussed claims to alleviate young French adults' reluctance towards insect-based foods (IFs). Colombians responded better to pro-social claims and neutrally to cuteness.Practical implicationsThe results should be valuable to stakeholders seeking to enhance food marketing strategies related to IFs amongst target consumer segments.Originality/valueThis study is the first to assess how baby schema cuteness induces emotional changes towards IFs and how it affects perceptions and attitudes amongst distinct populations and age segments.

show abstract

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 99%

Assessing the effect of baby schema cuteness on emotions, perceptions and attitudes towards insect-based packaged foods

Marquis,

Reinoso Carvalho,

Pantin-Sohier

2023

BFJ

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Another important insight of this research is the importance of sensory aspects [46]. This research found that several factors influence sensory perception, such as preparation [35], visual aspects [9,41], and presentation of the shape; whether the food is smooth [52], cold [8], sweet [42], salted [47] or cooked [9,47] influences the decision to try new food products as well as influencing the packaging design [51].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 88%

“…The decision to sample new food products, as well as the design of the packaging [51], is influenced by the following attributes: texture [52], temperature [8], sweetness [42] or saltiness [47], or cooked vs. raw [9,47].…”

Section: Presentation Of the Shape Psp20-24mentioning

confidence: 99%

Sensory Perception Nudge: Insect-Based Food Consumer Behavior

et al. 2022

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The negative impact that animal protein sources have on the environment is a critical world problem. Finding new acceptable alternatives is crucial. Nevertheless, numerous factors influence the decision to try an unknown food. By adopting a consumer behavior perspective as well as approaching the possibility of overcoming neophobia, this research examined the influence of sensory perception on consumer behavior with regard to the experimentation with new foods, focusing on entomophagy. A theoretical model was developed, and path analysis and factor influence were based on the structural equation model (PLS-SEM), designed in SmartPLS, to test the model relationships. Despite the low level of awareness concerning the benefits of entomophagy, this study considered that many aspects influence experimentation with new food, specifically our sensorial system. Sensory perception is founded on the senses, such as the tactile, olfactory, visual, and gustatory senses, which can influence perception. In line with these assumptions, this research identified the three most important and decisive factors that can influence individuals’ sensory perceptions: preparation, visual and related aspects, and the presentation of the shape of food have an influence on sensory perception regarding entomophagy consumer behavior. People like to know the method of preparation as well as the ingredients and the color of the food. These findings are crucial to food business practitioners, policymakers, and marketers, who can adopt some food process strategies following sensory perception, that will contribute to changing the habits of consumers.

show abstract

“…A recent review [11] discussing consumer perceptions of EIs, revealed that it is widely accepted that EIs are not part of the diets in Western countries, and therefore it is difficult to include them as regular foods. A way to improve consumer acceptance is by renowned chefs using them in their culinary practices or by using insects as food ingredients rather than consuming whole insects [12][13][14].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A study conducted in Australia [9] showed barriers to consumption, but people there are more ready to accept foods containing insects or those in which the insects are "disguised," like insect-based flour or chocolate-covered ants. A study conducted among German adults [12] showed that they were generally willing to try insects and concluded that an attractive packaging design did not increase the willingness to try them. Another study conducted in Germany [29] showed that there were some important barriers to consumption that must be taken into consideration when implementing the adoption of EIs.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Investigation of the Level of Knowledge in Different Countries about Edible Insects: Cluster Segmentation

et al. 2022

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This study aimed to investigate the level of knowledge about edible insects (EIs) in a sample of people from thirteen countries (Croatia, Greece, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Mexico, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, and Turkey). Data collection was based on a questionnaire survey applied through online tools between July and November 2021. For data analysis, techniques such as factor analysis, cluster analysis, and chi-square tests were used, with a significance level of 5%. A total of 27 items were used to measure knowledge on a five-point Likert scale. Applying factor analysis with principal components and Varimax rotation, a solution that explains about 55% of variance was obtained. This accounts for four factors that retained 22 of the 27 initial items: F1 = Sustainability (8 items), F2 = Nutrition (8 items), F3 = Production Factors (2 items), and F4 = Health Concerns (4 items). Internal consistency was evaluated through Cronbach’s alpha. The cluster analysis consisted of the application of hierarchical methods followed by k-means and produced three clusters (1—‘fearful’, 2—‘farming,’ and 3—‘ecological’ individuals). The characterisation of the clusters revealed that age did not influence cluster membership, while sex, education, country, living environment, professional area, and income all influenced the composition of the clusters. While participants from Mexico and Spain were fewer in the ‘fearful’ cluster, in those from Greece, Latvia, Lebanon, and Turkey, the situation was opposed. Participants from rural areas were mostly in cluster 2, which also included a higher percentage of participants with lower income. Participants from professional areas linked with biology, food, and nutrition were mostly in cluster 3. In this way, we concluded that the level of knowledge about EIs is highly variable according to the individual characteristics, namely that the social and cultural influences of the different countries lead to distinct levels of knowledge and interpretation of information, thus producing divergent approaches to the consumption of insects—some more reluctant and measuring possible risks. In contrast, others consider EIs a good and sustainable protein-food alternative.

show abstract

When creepy crawlies are cute as bugs: Investigating the effects of (cute) packaging design in the context of edible insects

Cited by 15 publications

References 45 publications

Assessing the effect of baby schema cuteness on emotions, perceptions and attitudes towards insect-based packaged foods

Assessing the effect of baby schema cuteness on emotions, perceptions and attitudes towards insect-based packaged foods

Sensory Perception Nudge: Insect-Based Food Consumer Behavior

Investigation of the Level of Knowledge in Different Countries about Edible Insects: Cluster Segmentation

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About