Why display motion on packaging? The effect of implied motion on consumer behavior

Junwei Yu (1) , Olivier Droulers (1) , Sophie Lacoste-Badie (2)

1 CREM - Centre de recherche en économie et management
2 LUMEN - Lille University Management Lab - ULR 4999

Visual packaging elements play a crucial role in influencing consumer behavior in stores. Front of pack (FOP) formats frequently present images of the product in motion (i.e., implied motion), especially in food categories. Despite the popularity of implied motion in real-world business, little research has been done to understand its effect on consumer behavior. To fill this gap, the present study adopts an evolutionary lens to investigate the impact of implied motion as a packaging design technique on consumers' attention, product evaluation, purchase intention and choice. We carried out two experiments using realistic milk and orange juice packaging. Specifically, Experiment 1 was conducted in a lab using an eye tracking method to provide an objective measure of attention. The findings show that implied motion significantly increases visual attention and consequently generates more frequent choices. Using an online experimental design and declarative measures, Experiment 2 indicates that implied motion also enhances freshness, which translates into greater tastiness, product attractiveness and, ultimately, purchase intention. The study provides marketers with an inexpensive yet efficient way to enhance in-store marketing performance by incorporating implied motion into the FOP design.

Mots clés: Implied motion, Packaging, Eye tracking, Consumer behavior, Attention, Product evaluation, Purchase, Evolutionary psychology; implied motion packaging eye tracking consumer behavior attention product evaluation purchase evolutionary psychology; implied motion; packaging; eye tracking; consumer behavior; attention; product evaluation; purchase; evolutionary psychology

Domaines: Sciences de l'Homme et Société; Sciences cognitives

Junwei Yu, Olivier Droulers, Sophie Lacoste-Badie. Why display motion on packaging? The effect of implied motion on consumer behavior. Journal of retailing and consumer services, 2022, 64, ⟨10.1016/j.jretconser.2021.102840⟩. ⟨hal-04429472v2⟩