Exploring odor associations based on packaging visual elements

Previous studies have shown that packaging design can influence people’s expectations regarding product attributes. This study explored the role of packaging visual design in presenting a nonvisual attribute (i.e. odor) by investigating consumers’ responses to various graphic designs displayed on perfume packaging. Particularly, the aim was to examine how different visual elements (such as patterns, photographs and illustrations) influence product choices, preferences and odor associations. 136 people participated in the study, with approximately equal numbers of males and females. They were presented with 10 packaging samples. The samples were of the same shape and size but with different visual elements. The results of the experiment confirmed that participants associated highly recognizable objects with their specific odors. For example, a lemon pattern was paired with a fresh smell, and an image of a rose was paired with a floral smell. On the other hand, when packaging presented odor-neutral objects, the participants’ responses were not uniform. The design which was associated with the largest range of smells was the one with a photograph of a human body, which was paired with three different perfume types (namely, floral, woody and oriental). When data were split by gender, the results suggested that men had a preference for regular and sharp visual shapes. Another relevant finding is that perception of perfume packaging can be influenced by age. Young participants mostly preferred abstract visual shapes for perfume presentations. The results of the choice task indicated that young participants were more sensitive to variations in design than mature participants. Furthermore, they associated most of the packaging designs with more than one type of smell. The findings can be useful for successful perfume packaging design, especially when young consumers are the main target audience.