Impact of packaging color on purchase intention and willingness to pay for gourmet foods

Abstract

Color has been the subject of academic examination from a consumer behavior point of view. Understandably, the resulting insights from such studies have been used across industries. For instance, both McDonald’s and KFC feature bright red (a color associated with hunger) in their interiors and logos. Through this project, we wish to analyze the impact of specific packaging colors on consumer’s purchase intention and willingness to pay specifically for the gourmet foods product category. Multiple studies have focused on the application of color of packaging. The studies reveal that certain associations conveyed by color are important in determining the brand’s position or value. These findings have further been used my multiple well-established firms in driving increase in sales and are of strategic importance to brands managers across verticals. In line with the previous research and our intended objective, we have attempted to identify color changes to the packaging of a gourmet dark chocolate. The intention to choose chocolate as our primary focus was derived from secondary information that suggested the rising popularity and penetration rate of gourmet chocolates. Thus, it was important to choose a product previously familiar to our experiment group. We measured the impact of a packaging change through the customer’s purchase intention and willingness to pay. We have chosen Vegan Dark Chocolate by Paul and Mike, a D2C chocolate brand sold directly through www.paulandmike.co. Paul and Mike chocolates are premium (Rs. 275 for 62 gm) compared to masstige brands such as Dairy Milk Silk (Rs. 70 for 60 gm), thus establishing its gourmet positioning.