Dive Brief:
- Packaging can impact senses beyond the typical visual cues, such as touch, sound, and smell. Manufacturers can design packaging wherein conflicting sensory perceptions evoke a feeling of surprise from consumers, according to Aparna Sundar, an assistant professor of marketing at the Lundquist College of Business at the University of Oregon.
- Certain brands can leverage sensory mismatches and that feeling of surprise to generate excitement and desirability around the product. Brands that are already considered progressive and exciting can do well with this strategy.
- For brands that are expected by consumers to be more sincere, the "surprise" strategy could backfire. Consumers view these brands as predictable but loyal, so if a brand attempted to surprise, it could drive away customers.
Dive Insight:
Brand personality can have a major impact on how consumers perceive product development and reformulation decisions companies have to make. Consumers want better-for-you products, but they are often hesitant for legacy brands to make too many changes. Alterations risk changing the flavor, texture, and/or appearance that consumers have come to expect from those products.
When General Mills removed artificial colors from Lucky Charms, the cereal lost its iconic brightly colored pieces. When PepsiCo replaced aspartame in Diet Pepsi with an alternative artificial sweetener, consumers took to social media with criticism.
But when faced with the same dilemma, Kraft Heinz got crafty. After fielding concerns about its announcement to remove certain artificial ingredients from Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, Kraft Heinz quietly launched the reformulated version months before calling attention to the new ingredients list.
While legacy brands may have a more difficult time benefiting from the element of sensory surprise in packaging design, startups and smaller companies could use it to their advantage. Looking for ways to differentiate from larger, more dominant competitors, startups have invested in packaging innovations and design to catch consumers' attention on the aisle.