Consumers’ preferences for visual elements on chocolate packaging

Abstract

• Many recent researches focused on packaging elements as two separate groups: visual and informative elements. This study goes deeper into the group of visual elements on food packaging (i.e. strawberry chocolate packaging) in order to investigate their ability to attract attention. The elements tested in the study were: typeface, graphics, pattern and colour. The study included 90 people who participated by filling out an online questionnaire. The participants’ task was to choose, among packaging designs with the manipulated visual elements, the one they preferred. According to the results, typeface did not affect participants’ preferences. On the contrary, graphics, patterns and colours had a significant impact on the choices. Participants preferred photography over illustration, concrete pattern over abstract and vivid colours over dull. These results can be used as guidelines in marketing and design.