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In two experiments, this empirical research examines consumers’ willingness to pay and the likelihood of purchase decisions by thoroughly investigating the neural, behavioral, and psychological properties of packaging design. A general theory is tested by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and a NeuroPricing online survey on consumer behavior using the example product Tassimo. Hypotheses are tested with 592 German consumers who evaluated the packaging of Tassimo coffee. A closer look at the neural data from the brain imaging experiment shows that uncertainty can arise among consumers with regard to sustainable packaging and this can have a negative impact on the purchase decision and willingness to pay. The results from both experiments show that it is not possible to make a holistic statement as to which sustainable or enjoyment-focused packaging design increases the likelihood of a purchase decision or the willingness to pay. Implications for future packaging design research and underlying complexities with sustainable packaging are discussed.
Growing environmental awareness, especially among young generations, is reflected in the willingness to accept price premiums for sustainable and recyclable products. In recent years, marketers have focused on reinforcing consumers’ attention and interest in green goods by increasing the effectiveness of various sustainability information on product packaging.
In this thesis, an analysis of variance (ANOVA) investigated the effect of visual and verbal recycling claims on product packaging upon the willingness to pay (WTP). Although findings showed no changes in WTP related to a visual claim, the presence of a verbal claim positively impacted the WTP in two of four cases. Further, significant interactions between the two factors were detected. The results suggest that students considered an imagery seal irrelevant during product evaluation, whilst communicating recycling information with a textual message or with a conjunction of both claims showed a tendency to improve price-value perception. However, results for the verbal and interaction effects showed variations across products. Therefore, one may not draw unequivocal assumptions from the findings of this study without research replication on a larger scale.
The demand for sustainable products has risen noticeably throughout the last years. For this reason, credence labels have gained enhanced importance, as customers use them as indicators for product quality. A rich body of literature investigated the effect of labels on product quality perception, but findings on label effects are still rather controversial. While researching the effects of labels on the one hand, previous studies tend to neglect other important influences on quality perception on the other hand. This paper examines the role of retailer formats and the presence of quality labels on consumer willingness to pay (WTP). For this purpose, a total of 400 participants received a monetary incentive to execute a novel survey based on neuroscientific assumptions, in an attempt to identify the impacts of credence labels in supermarkets and discounters on customer WTP. The results indicate that the magnitude of prices can influence reaction times and hence show that reaction times offer researchers an effective parameter to determine customer WTP. The presence of labels on food products was found to positively influence quality perception in a significant manner. A significant difference between the retailer formats, as well as a potential interaction between the two factors related to WTP, could not be detected. In conclusion, general assumptions about the label performance within distinct retailers should not be made. The results, however, indicate that the subject offers a promising topic to conduct further research in.