Verpakt om te beïnvloeden: Hoe voedselverpakkingen percepties en keuzes met betrekking tot gezondheid en duurzaamheid beïnvloeden

Abstract:Packaging plays an important role in informing and influencing consumers at the point of purchase. Food packaging contains various cues (e.g., front-of-pack images, claims) that inform consumers about the product, either explicitly or implicitly. Many consumers rely on these cues to facilitate their food evaluations and choices. While packaging cues should help consumers make informed decisions, some can end up misleading them by creating false expectations about the product (e.g., related to its healthiness and sustainability). This is concerning, particularly for adolescents who increasingly make independent food choices but often still have limited knowledge and skills related to food. The main objective of this dissertation is to investigate the role that packaging cues play in shaping adolescents' food perceptions and choices. It delves into the potential halo effect of packaging cues, i.e., whether cues lead adolescents to perceive the product more favorably on various dimensions. It also delves into the mediating role of food perceptions to understand how packaging impacts adolescents' behaviors. This dissertation begins with a systematic review to synthesize the existing evidence on this topic and identify research gaps (Part 1). It then presents experimental research (both online and field) to assess the effects of packaging cues on adolescents' perceptions, intentions and choices (Part 2 and 3). Finally, the dissertation presents research on the development and validation of a scale to measure adolescents' perceptions of food sustainability (Part 4). This dissertation provides novel insights into the effects of food packaging, providing relevant implications for marketers and policymakers concerning the (responsible) design of food packaging.

Publication year:2024

Accessibility:Open