Eco-mark on product packaging and its effect on the perception of quality

Abstract

The aim of the study was to investigate whether the eco-mark on the product packaging influences the perception of the product and the attractiveness of its packaging. In the first experiment, we tested three packaging designs (i.e. without eco-mark, with a standard Croatian eco-mark, with a redesigned eco-mark) using a rating scale for the measurement of perceived quality and a selection task for the measurement of participants’ preferences. In the second experiment we manipulated the position of the eco-mark (i.e. in the center and in the corner) and tested its influence on the perceived quality and the attractiveness of the packaging. The results showed that the participants preferred packaging with the eco-mark, regardless of the variations in its design. The location of the eco-mark in the corner was better rated than in the center of the packaging, which indicates that people’s perception of the packaging seems to be more influenced by the positon of the eco-mark than by its design characteristics.

Keywords

• eco-mark
• packaging
• perceived quality
• preferences
• attractiveness