On-Pack Communication: Ingredients Information Containing Metaphorical Cues Increases Processing Confidence, Product Evaluations and Purchase Intentions

Abstract

Information on the back of packaged consumer goods, such as the ingredients list, is increasingly becoming a purchase-decision influencer in informed consumer markets. However, processing such content is mainly challenging due to metacognitive impairment caused by technical terminology use (e.g., Ascorbic Acid instead of Vitamin C), which affects the purchase decision-making process. Therefore, this study examines whether metaphorical-cue use (e.g., “dispatches an elite nano-coating force with heavy defensive armament” for a sunscreen— metaphor italicised) influences consumer product evaluations and purchase intentions by increasing their confidence in processing the ingredients information. Two experiments, using a 2 (metaphorical cue: yes, no) × 3 (packaged consumer good: food, drink, drug) between-subjects factorial design, recruited samples comprising student surrogates (N experiment 1 = 1326) and supermarket shoppers (N experiment 2 = 956). Ingredients panels containing metaphorical messages elevated consumers’ confidence in processing the ingredients information even when it was only partially understood. Such confidence yielded more favourable product evaluations and higher purchase intentions. These results show that supplementing the ingredients panel with metaphorical cues could turn this less-understood section into a seller by resolving consumers’ metacognitive impairment.

Keywords

• metaphorical cues
• on-pack ingredients panel
• information processing
• product evaluation
• purchase intention.