Packaging in context

Abstract Packaging in the store serves as a tool for persuasive communication. As such, a package represents a brand to shoppers in several ways—as a unique brand identifier, as a contrasting element that catches the eye, and as a carrier of brand meaning. However, package visuals are relative phenomena that interact highly with each other and with the context in which the package is presented—the latter typically being highly visually active store settings. Therefore, packaging's effect on the shopper should be tested in context. In this chapter, we discuss the relativity of visual phenomena, the communication roles of packaging in the store, in-store settings that may be used to test packages in context, along with the analytical roles of A/B testing, perceptual maps and regression analysis, and consumer neuroscience.