Dive Brief:
- Researchers found that when they offered consumers a back story, they preferred the flavor of the meat that they thought to be humanely raised.
- Participants ate more of the meat they believed looked, smelled and tasted better.
- Researchers also learned that participants often didn't offer high marks to meat samples linked to "factory farms."
Dive Insight:
Perception can alter the way a consumer experiences a product and its flavors, hence the importance of packaging for manufacturers. From marketing messages to sharing information about ingredient sourcing and processing, manufacturers that embrace transparency measures could lure consumers to their brands and products based on perception and back story rather than flavor and price.
How a consumer perceives a product can also influence willingness to pay for quality. This gives manufacturers more leeway with pricing and profitability, which is especially critical when it comes to volatile commodity costs.
In this study, the term "factory farm" led participants to believe the meat samples were greasier, saltier, smellier and less fresh than samples linked to a "humane farm." Being more transparent about animal welfare practices could enable manufacturers to bypass some of the perception-related barriers that cause consumers to mistrust larger companies. This could involve behind-the-scenes footage of factories and farms or sharing more information via the company website or an initiative like SmartLabel.