Professor John Maule from the
University of Leeds describes new research into the way that consumers choose a
product.
Understanding consumers
Consumers are creatures of habit: they buy the same
products time and time again, and such is their familiarity with big brands,
and the colours and logos that represent them, that they can register a brand
they like with barely any conscious thought process. The packaging of consumer
products is therefore a crucial vehicle for delivering the brand and the
product into our shopping baskets.
Having said this, understanding how consumers make decisions, and the crucial
role of packaging in this process, has been a neglected area of research so
far. This is surprising given that organisations invest huge amounts of money
in developing packaging that they believe is effective - especially at the
retail level. Our Centre for Decision Research at Leeds University's Business
School, in collaboration with Faraday Packaging, is now undertaking work in
this area. It has already led to some important findings that challenge the
ways in which organisations think about consumer choice.
The research has focused on two fundamental types of thinking. On the one hand,
there's 'heuristic processing', which involves very shallow thought and is
based on very simple rules: 1) buy what you recognize, 2) choose what you did
last time, or 3) choose what a trusted source suggests. This requires
comparatively little effort, and involves looking at - and thinking about -
only a small amount of the product information and packaging. One can do this
with little or no conscious thought.
On the other hand, 'systematic processing' involves much deeper levels of thought. When people choose goods in this way, they engage in quite detailed analytical thinking - taking account of the product information, including its price, its perceived quality and so on. This form of thinking, which is both analytical and conscious, involves much more mental effort.
The role of packaging is likely to be very different for each of these types of decision making. Under heuristic processing, for example, consumers may simply need to be able to distinguish the pack from those of competitors since they are choosing on the basis of what they usually do. Under these circumstances, the simple perceptual features of the pack may be critical - so that we can quickly discriminate what we choose from the other products on offer. Under systematic processing, however, product-related information may be more important, so the pack has to provide this in an easily identifiable form.
Comparing competition
Consumers will want to be able to compare the product
with its competitors, so that they can determine which option is better for
them. A crucial role of packaging in this situation is to communicate the
characteristics of the product, highlighting its advantages over possible
competitors.
So, when are people likely to use a particular type of thinking? First, we know that people are cognitive misers; in other words they are economical with their thinking because it requires some effort from them. Essentially, people only engage in effort-demanding systematic processing when the situation justifies it, for example when they are not tired or distracted and when the purchase is important to them.
So, when are people likely to use a particular type of thinking? First, we know that people are cognitive misers; in other words they are economical with their thinking because it requires some effort from them. Essentially, people only engage in effort-demanding systematic processing when the situation justifies it, for example when they are not tired or distracted and when the purchase is important to them.
Second, people have an upper limit to the amount of information they can absorb. If we present too much, therefore, they will become confused. This, in turn, is likely to lead them to disengage and choose something else.
Third, people often lack the knowledge or experience needed, so will not be able to deal with things they do not already understand, such as the ingredients of food products, for example.
And fourth, people vary in the extent to which they enjoy thinking. Our research has differentiated between people with a high need for thinking - who routinely engage in analytical thinking - and those low in the need for cognition, who prefer to use very simple forms of thinking.
Effectiveness varies
This work has an important impact on packaging in that
what makes packaging effective is likely to vary according to the type of
processing strategy that consumers use when choosing between products. You need
to understand how consumers are selecting your products if you are to develop
packaging that is relevant. Furthermore, testing the effectiveness of your
packaging can be ineffective if the methods you are employing concern one form
of thinking (e.g. a focus group involving analytical thinking) but your
consumers are purchasing in the other mode (i.e. the heuristic, shallow form of
thinking).
For the packaging industry, it is important that retailers identify their key goals. Sustaining a consumer's commitment to a product may involve packaging that is distinctive at the heuristic level (if the consumers can recognize the product they will buy it) but without encouraging consumers to engage in systematic processing (prompting deeper level thinking that would include making comparisons with other products).
Conversely, getting consumers to change brands may involve developing packaging that includes information that does stimulate systematic processing and thus encourages consumers to challenge their usual choice of product. Our work is investigating these issues, and the implications they have for developing effective packaging.
Questions 1-6
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the Reading Passage?
Write answers in your answer sheet. Write:
TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this
1. Little research has been done on the link between packaging and consumers choosing a product.
2. A person who buys what another person recommends is using heuristic thinking.
3. Heuristic processing requires more energy than systematic processing.
4. The concept of heuristic processing was thought up by Dr Maule's team.
5. A consumer who considers how much a product costs is using systematic processing.
6. For heuristic processing, packaging must be similar to other products.
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the Reading Passage?
Write answers in your answer sheet. Write:
TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this
1. Little research has been done on the link between packaging and consumers choosing a product.
2. A person who buys what another person recommends is using heuristic thinking.
3. Heuristic processing requires more energy than systematic processing.
4. The concept of heuristic processing was thought up by Dr Maule's team.
5. A consumer who considers how much a product costs is using systematic processing.
6. For heuristic processing, packaging must be similar to other products.
Questions 7-8
Choose the correct answer A, B, C or D and write the answers in your answer sheet.
7. When trying to determine how effective packaging is, testing can be made 'ineffective' if
A you rely upon a very narrow focus group.
B your consumers use only heuristic thinking.
C the chosen consumers use only shallow thinking.
D your tests do not match the consumers' thinking type.
8. If a retailer wants consumers to change brands their packaging needs to be
A informative.
B distinctive.
C familiar.
D colourful.
Questions 9-13
Complete the summary below.
Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer
Write your answers in boxes 9-13 on your answer sheet
Choose the correct answer A, B, C or D and write the answers in your answer sheet.
7. When trying to determine how effective packaging is, testing can be made 'ineffective' if
A you rely upon a very narrow focus group.
B your consumers use only heuristic thinking.
C the chosen consumers use only shallow thinking.
D your tests do not match the consumers' thinking type.
8. If a retailer wants consumers to change brands their packaging needs to be
A informative.
B distinctive.
C familiar.
D colourful.
Questions 9-13
Complete the summary below.
Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer
Write your answers in boxes 9-13 on your answer sheet
Comparing
competition
For
consumers who want to compare products it is important that your packaging
stresses the 9 __________ of your
product. We know that people only use systematic processing if the 10 __________. makes it necessary or
desirable. We also know that too much 11
__________ could make consumers choose another product. Furthermore, consumers
may not fully understand details such as the 12__________ of a product. While some people like using
systematic processing, others like to think in a 13 __________ way.
Click the Line to Show/Hide Answers
- 1. TRUE
- 2. TRUE
- 3. FALSE
- 4. NOT GIVEN
- 5. TRUE
- 6. FALSE
- 7. D
- 8. A
- 9. advantages / characteristics
- 10. situation
- 11. information
- 12. Ingredients
- 13. Simple
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