Refrigerated and frozen foods manufacturers use packaging graphics, text, colors, geometries, internal volumes, clarity, opacity, and ergonomic designs as nuggets of information to persuade consumers that the products they see are safe, will deliver pleasurable eating experiences, and may be enjoyed in specific or universal locations. Fundamentally, packaged messages must communicate to shoppers at the point of sale that there is a reason to believe in a product so that it is wanted.
Convincing consumers that a food product should be wanted involves considerable research to understand who the shopper is and how they think. A shopper’s age, gender, education, race, geographic location, religious affiliation, and income level are some of the factors that affect interpersonal responses to packaged foods. At the point of sale, 90% of consumers principally look at the front face of a package when deciding what to purchase (Tonkin; Eye Tracking Within the Packaging Design Workflow: Interaction with Physical and Virtual Shelves; 2011). And 85% of purchasing decisions are made without handling a competitive item. Therefore, it is essential for food marketers to use packaging messages that quickly and positively resonate with shoppers.