A mixed‐methods approach for designing market‐driven packaging
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how a web‐based virtual ideation tool, dialogr.com, can be used to capture insights from consumers and to gain an understanding of consumer satisfaction with package design during and after product use. The authors also demonstrate how the resulting rich qualitative data can be combined with output from traditional survey research, to provide insight into the impact of satisfaction with package design on purchase intent.
Design/methodology/approach
A mixed‐methods approach was employed that captured qualitative insights from a large number of consumers regarding their experience using product packaging and combined the quantitative rigor of survey research to capture brand familiarity and perceptions, as well as brand preference and loyalty.
Findings
Results demonstrate that design is important to consumers and also that consumers are increasingly design literate. The perceived quality of the package design does impact brand evaluation. Negative reactions to product packaging adversely impacted intent to purchase and intent to recommend the product to others.
Practical implications
Results show that the mixed model is a promising method for gaining feedback on new package designs. Substantive implications include: design drives purchase, consumers want to be involved in design, and getting user input on design is important.
Originality/value
Consumer packaged goods companies often test packaging prototypes in a limited way – they either ignore qualitative measurement completely or use small sample focus groups. This quali‐quant method offers two advantages over the methodologies most commonly used to study package design; it has the capacity to engage large numbers of consumers and it can be set up to gather data from consumers during or immediately after product use.
Keywords
Citation
Metcalf, L., Hess, J.S., Danes, J.E. and Singh, J. (2012), "A mixed‐methods approach for designing market‐driven packaging", Qualitative Market Research, Vol. 15 No. 3, pp. 268-289. https://doi.org/10.1108/13522751211231987
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2012, Emerald Group Publishing Limited