FEATURE6 April 2017

Trust in the pack

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FMCG Features Impact North America Technology

Research by scientists in the US points to marketing messages on packaging being more believable than those made in advertisements. By Jane Bainbridge

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In a multi-media world, people are exposed to product claims, marketing messages and commercial information across numerous devices throughout their day. One study suggested that the average adult now sees about 360 ads a day across TV, radio, internet, newspapers and magazines.

Much has been written about making marketing stand out in a cluttered media environment – but what about the trust in the message? This is what Tatiana Fajardo, of the College of Business, Florida State University, and Claudia Townsend, of the School of Business Administration, University of Miami, set out to determine in their research.

Through a series of experiments, they explored whether a marketing claim placed on a pack – in this case Kickers Energy Spray – was more believable than one made in an advertisement. 

Three studies were designed to investigate the one notable difference between ads and packages – the proximity of claims made in each to the referenced product. 

Scientists exploring this area have tended ...