Emotional Connections or Functionality — What Really Drives Consumer Sales?

By Elliot Young

In 2001, the advertising agency Grey Worldwide sponsored a large consumer research study to uncover the emotional "trigger points" that stimulate consumer purchases. The Grey project was undertaken by leading academics from Fairfield University and the University of Connecticut, who developed a model and tested its efficacy in more than 5,000 consumer interviews. The results confirmed that effective communications can "trigger" a bundle of emotions and positive attitudes that increase the likelihood of consumer purchases.

The Heinz Picnic Pack enhanced seven of the nine emotional triggers, including Curiosity, Approachability, Warmth, Trust, Relevance, Pride, and Empowerment. The combination of emotional communication and convenience led to a major increase in the likelihood of purchase (35% vs. 24%).

Nine emotional triggers were uncovered as having a strong correlation between likelihood of purchase and brand equity:

1. Pride - Feelings of status conferred by the brand

2. Empowerment - A sense of control in overcoming daily problems

3. Trust - Faith in the ability of the brand to perform an expected function

4. Identification - A sense of shared values with the brand

5. Familiarity - A feeling of knowledge about the brand

6. Warmth - A positive feeling of intimacy toward the brand

7. Curiosity - A desire to get to know the brand better

8. Relevance - A feeling of emotional fit with the life of the consumer

9. Approachability - A lowered-risk willingness to obtain the brand

In 2005, the Paperboard Packaging Council (PPC) commissioned Perception Research Services to design and conduct a consumer research study to see if the emotional triggers apply in a packaging context. Are award-winning packages stronger than conventional packages in tapping the "emotional trigger points?" Are there specific packaging elements or attributes that drive these "trigger points?"

The paperboard packages used in this study were selected by ten packaging industry experts who served on the judges' panel of the 2006 National Paperboard Packaging Competition. Judges selected winners for achieving performance excellence for suppliers, for consumer goods producers and retailers, and for consumers.

Each award-winning package was compared against an existing "control" package in each of seven categories: Condiments, Facial Tissues, Chocolate Candy, Bird Seed, Lemon Juice, Fertilizer/Plant Food, and Computer Software. These categories were vastly different from those used in the Grey Worldwide study that included luxury automobiles, shampoo, imported beer, and airlines.

A total of 150 shoppers were interviewed at PRS shopping mall sites across the United States. All of the participants were category users, and were split 100 females and 50 males. Each shopper was exposed to two packages from a given category—the award-winning new carton and the control package already marketed on retail shelves.

Each participant rated both the award-winning and the control packages on a series of nine statements representing the nine emotional triggers. These packages were also evaluated in terms of perceived innovation, functionality, and likelihood of purchase.

The best of the best

Three of the seven paperboard award-winning packaging structures proved to be "Home Runs"—the Heinz Picnic Pack, the Kleenex Holiday Pack, and the Lyric Bird Seed Package. These "success stories" have a number of commonalities. For one they are all linked to a happening—a summer picnic, a holiday, a ritual of bird feeding.

These three packages were also perceived by respondents to be innovative and functionally superior to the control package in their category. The remaining four award winners also slightly improved purchase likelihood versus their control package. However, they did not significantly show a "trade-up" on any of the nine emotional triggers; in other words, they were each stronger than the control offerings, but not at a statistically significant level.

The research showed that the Heinz Picnic Pack enhanced seven of the nine emotional triggers, including Curiosity, Approachability, Warmth, Trust, Relevance, Pride, and Empowerment. This offering conveyed convenience to shoppers. The combination of emotional communication and convenience led to a major increase in the likelihood of purchase (35% vs. 24%).

The Kleenex Holiday Pack was far stronger than the conventional Kleenex cube pack and generated a major lift in purchase likelihood (41% vs. 26%), partially due to its "event" tie-in.

The Kleenex Holiday Pack was far stronger than the conventional Kleenex cube pack and generated a major lift in purchase likelihood (41% vs. 26%). The unique oval shape and the aesthetic appeal of holography and 3D images of this holiday pack were clearly motivating to shoppers. However, performance on the emotional triggers was comparable to the Kleenex control package. Research analysis might hypothesize that the strong equity in the Kleenex brand neutralized the emotional feelings and triggers in this.

The Lyric Bird Seed package hit two emotional triggers—Curiosity and Approachability. The innovative features of the Lyric package, including an easy-pour, no-spill spout, were highlighted in package graphics and were perceived by shoppers as distinct functional advantages. Here again, the combination of emotional and functional relevance led to increased purchase likelihood (28% vs. 15%).

The Lyric Bird Seed package hit two emotional triggers—Curiosity and Approachability. The innovative features of the Lyric package, including an easy-pour, no-spill spout, were highlighted in package graphics and were perceived by shoppers as distinct functional advantages.

Further research insights

There are many implications of this research. Some are outlined here.

1. Award-winning paperboard packaging is stronger than traditional packaging in driving purchase decisions. The packaging judges apparently have a good eye in selecting packaging that is likely to build brand share.

2. If packaging is able to stimulate any or all of the nine emotional triggers, purchase likelihood will be increased. The more emotional triggers, the higher the likelihood.

3. Packaging that is perceived to be functionally superior to competitive offerings will also increase the potential of retail sales.

4. The power of packaging to drive the purchase decision is tied directly to functional superiority and emotional connections working in combination. Though both motivators are desirable, admittedly only one of the two may be necessary to stimulate purchase.

5. It may be difficult to enhance emotional connections for brands already having strong equity positions, as in the Kleenex example. One of the lessons for brand leaders might be to exercise care in maintaining brand equity through packaging by avoiding inferior structures or graphics.

6. Promotional and seasonal packaging can play an important part in reinforcing a brand's status in the minds of category shoppers. Creative packaging tied to a special occasion or event can be a powerful means of drawing out those emotional triggers that cinch the purchase by consumers.

Of course, effective packaging must serve as a strong sales vehicle at point-of-purchase, since two-thirds of all purchase decisions are made at the shelf. Effective packaging has the ability to "emotionally hit the hot buttons" and also offer functional superiority over competitive offerings. This excellence or superiority versus the competition certainly helps build brand share and profitability.