Horizontal or vertical : the effect of package shape on perceived healthiness

Packaging is an important marketing tool for food manufacturers and retailers because it reaches consumers at the moment of purchase, where consumers use it as a tool to evaluate products. While the impact of graphic and verbal package design elements on perceived product healthiness has been well studied, little research has addressed the impact of structural package design elements on perceived product healthiness. Thus, the present research extends literature on structural package design elements and food perception by exploring whether and how package shape (horizontal vs. vertical) influences perceived healthiness of food products. In an online between-subjects experiment with 153 participants (71% women, Mage = 35.58, SD = 16.36) we presented each participant, on a random basis, with a (a) horizontal or (b) vertical shaped package of cookies. No differences in product liking and familiarity between the two conditions were found. This experiment provides initial evidence that products in vertical shaped packaging (Mvertical = 2.13, SD = .94) are perceived as healthier than products in horizontal shaped packaging (Mhorizontal = 1.83, SD = .98; t(151) = -1.93, p = .055, Cohen’s d = .31). The findings also reveal that perceived fat content of the product drives this effect (ab = .17, SE = .07; 95% CI .056, .357). Vertical (vs. horizontal) shaped packaging decreases perceived fat content, which, in turn, leads to increased perceived healthiness of the product. The notion that package shape serves as a cue that communicates healthiness of food products is substantially relevant to consumers, retailers, and public policy makers involved in promoting healthy consumer behavior. Moreover, we offer food manufacturers new insights into consumers' evaluations of their products and aid them in defining optimal food packaging strategies.