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Impact of Snack Food Packaging Design Characteristics on Consumer Purchase Decisions

April 2023
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The recent growth in snack food types has led to increasing demand for attractive snack food packaging. To attract consumers’ attention successfully, it is essential to influence their decisions by meeting their packaging needs. This study examines the interrelationship between different packaging design characteristics and their influence on consumers’ purchase decisions. Twenty-five design professionals and 121 students participated in the study. A survey developed for applying the Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) method was used to evaluate the importance of design characteristics. The results showed that color, shape, image, line, and typography were the five most essential design characteristics influencing consumer purchase behavior, and that image is the most significant impact factor on consumer purchase decisions. Surprisingly, materials and technology have little influence on consumers’ decisions. Therefore, enhancing these packaging design characteristics can improve the interaction between snack food packaging and consumers and increase food sales.

Conceptual framework.

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Packaging design characteristics.

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Causal relation diagram of the study.

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The relationship among the packaging characteristics.

…

Respondents’ Information.

…

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Original Research

SAGE Open

April-June 2023: 1–15

ÓThe Author(s) 2023

DOI: 10.1177/21582440231167109

journals.sagepub.com/home/sgo

Impact of Snack Food Packaging Design

Characteristics on Consumer Purchase

Decisions

Haiying Wang

, Muhamad Abdul Aziz Ab Gani

, and Chang Liu

Abstract

The recent growth in snack food types has led to increasing demand for attractive snack food packaging. To attract consu-

mers’ attention successfully, it is essential to influence their decisions by meeting their packaging needs. This study examines

the interrelationship between different packaging design characteristics and their influence on consumers’ purchase decisions.

Twenty-five design professionals and 121 students participated in the study. A survey developed for applying the Decision-

Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) method was used to evaluate the importance of design characteristics.

The results showed that color, shape, image, line, and typography were the five most essential design characteristics influen-

cing consumer purchase behavior, and that image is the most significant impact factor on consumer purchase decisions.

Surprisingly, materials and technology have little influence on consumers’ decisions. Therefore, enhancing these packaging

design characteristics can improve the interaction between snack food packaging and consumers and increase food sales.

Keywords

snack food packaging design, consumer purchase decisions, design characteristics, DEMATEL method

Introduction

With economic development, social progress, and cul-

tural prosperity, people’s living standards have gradually

improved. The number of snack food packaging cate-

gories has increased dramatically; therefore, people must

distinguish them by packaging. However, there is more

to packaging than the mere distinguishing of food prod-

ucts. Food packaging is also as a medium for brand com-

munication (Yangang, 2021). They can reflect food

attributes (Bublitz et al., 2010) and brand values (Orth &

Malkewitz, 2008), and invoke consumer resonance. It is

different from other market communications, such as

advertisement. While advertising can indeed arouse

strong emotions, exceptional packaging has a more direct

and personal connection with customers (Labrecque

et al., 2013). Packaging can reinforce a brand’s marketing

communication in a personalized way, even though

advertisement may have brought your target customers

to the store or website (Ambrose & Harris, 2017).

Furthermore, when choosing a snack, consumers start to

touch the packaging until purchase. They cannot see

authentic food; they only know food information

through packaging (Chandon, 2013; Rettie & Brewer,

2000). Therefore, proper design characteristics can better

convey brand information and contribute to brand suc-

cess (Chrysochou, 2010). Packaging is a powerful mar-

keting tool in retail. Design characteristics can promote

consumers’ purchase behavior and transmit sensory

information (e.g., flavor) while buying, but it also

impacts their sensory experiences (e.g., flavor) after buy-

ing. In addition, packaging characteristics affect food

sales, such as shape, image, size, and materials (Togawa

et al., 2019). In general, consumers have limited time to

read the textual information provided to them. However,

visual elements (e.g., color, image, and shape) might

directly affect consumers’ decisions and initially attract

their attention, creating the primary impression for the

content of food (Silayoi & Speece, 2007). As a result,

packaging design characteristics are expected to

Universiti Teknologi MARA Perak Branch, Bandar Seri Iskandar, Malaysia

Universiti Teknologi MARA, Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

Corresponding Author:

Haiying Wang, College of Creative Arts, Universiti Teknologi MARA Perak

Branch, Bandar Seri Iskandar 32610, Malaysia.

Email: haiying5213@gmail.com

Creative Commons CC BY: This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License

(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) which permits any use, reproduction and distribution of

the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access pages

(https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage).

significantly impact food-related decisions and behaviors

(e.g., Chrysochou & Grunert, 2014; Machiels & Karnal,

2016; Koo & Suk, 2016). Past studies have shown that

establishing an association between brand and consumer

through packaging is increasingly necessary. Some quali-

tative research (e.g., focus group discussions, interviews

etc.) can help brands to revamp their packaging, thereby

enabling consumers to make prompt decisions when they

buy food. Some quantitative research (e.g., regression

analysis, reliability analysis and conjoint analysis) can

provide helpful information based on packaging charac-

teristics and help marketers improve the influence of

packaging (Silayoi & Speece, 2007). However, these

methods are limited and do not determine the relation-

ship between packaging design characteristics.

In addition, current studies have revealed that packa-

ging material and appearance are significant snack food

packaging characteristics, although consumers’ percep-

tions about packaging go beyond its primary function of

packaging (Prakash et al., 2019). Previous studies have

demonstrated that eco-friendly packaging can promote

consumers’ purchase intentions (Prakash & Pathak,

2017). Moreover, design characteristics can stimulate

consumers’ senses and affect their purchase decisions.

However, due to increasing consumers’ demand year by

year, the market cannot satisfy their requirements, and

novelty and diversity have been urgently sought. The

degree of the impact of design characteristics on consu-

mers’ decisions is not clear. Therefore, researchers endea-

vored to examine this aspect in this study. This study

aimed to determine whether consumers’ purchase deci-

sions are positively affected by snack food packaging

characteristics (shape, color, line, typography, image,

materials, and technology) and the relationship between

them. This research addresses this objective by analyzing

data from 25 design experts and 121 students via the

Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory

(DEMATEL) method and exploring the causal relation-

ship between the seven design characteristics to under-

stand consumers’ decisions more effectively.

Literature Review

Snack food packaging has become a critical component

of the sales process, significantly impacting consumers’

buying decisions (Spruit & Almenar, 2021). As the market

provides an increasing number of options for consumers

when buying snacks in the supermarket. Meanwhile, com-

petition among numerous snack food packaging has

increased in recent years. Previous research has indicated

that consumers regard packaging as ‘‘the silent salesman

on the shelf’’ (Rettie & Brewer, 2000).

Furthermore, packaging is one of the most crucial

means of communication for a brand (Schifferstein et al.,

2021). Testa et al. (2021) suggested that packaging had

an impact on consumer purchasing decisions, according

to past studies. It has been claimed that snack food

packaging may evoke a positive response from potential

consumers (Chitturi et al., 2022). Packaging materials

and packaging technology also impact consumer pur-

chase decisions (Deliya & Parmar, 2012). Furthermore, a

strong connection has been discovered among typogra-

phy, image, and packaging design lines (Vila-Lopez &

K€

uster-Boluda, 2021). Sousa et al. (2020) discovered a

link between packaging color and packaging design. As a

result, the impact of packaging material, packaging tech-

nology, packaging color, shape, image, line, and typogra-

phy on consumer purchasing decisions are investigated

in this study.

Color

Color is one of the essential merchandising factors in

snack food packaging design and one of factors that can

attract consumers’ attention. First, color can create the

illusion of time; For instance, red creates the impression

of a longer psychological time than blue. Therefore, most

food packaging chooses orange, yellow and red. These

colors are not only to make people excited, but also to

make people feel that time is long. That is to say, color

can prolong the time that it interacts with consumer

(Wang & Gani, 2022).

Moreover, color creates the illusion of having weight.

Although there is no difference in the physical properties

of white and black, in the psychological sense, it can pro-

duce an illusion of nearly twice the weight difference in

identical packages differing only in color. For example,

even though milk is much heavier than puffed foods,

most consumers choose white packaging, which looks

lighter (He & Zhang, 2021).

Finally, color can influence consumer’s taste judg-

ment. Different taste sensations are also found to be asso-

ciated with different colors. Japanese colorist Kojiro

Naito has experimentally concluded that sweet taste is

associated with yellow, sour with green, bitter with black

and salty with cyan (Spence & Levitan, 2022). According

to research, children prefer sweet foods. Additionally,

taste expression has been found to be either firm, smooth,

soft or crunchy. Lighter colors represent smooth and soft

foods, while darker colors represent rich and complex

foods. Together, these findings suggest that color has a

stimulating and suggestive effect on children’s psychology

and physiology (Mead & Richerson, 2018).

Shape

Packaging shape is a significant factor in the current fier-

cely competitive food industry. Some research on

2SAGE Open

packaging shape has revealed a practical approach for

identifying and distinguishing snacks. This approach

suggests a perception-based classification, and also offers

deductions related to other snack characteristics

(Schifferstein et al., 2022). Shape is considered an essen-

tial factor in consumer decision-making, and it can help

manufacturers gain an edge over competitors in the same

field. Emotions, attitudes, and purchase behaviors can

be influenced by packaging shape (Pantin-Sohier, 2009).

According to Sung (2021), packaging with a shape that

is significantly different from the standard is more acces-

sible, and thereby invites greater attention from consu-

mers. More complex geometric shapes appear larger

than simple geometric shapes of the same size and

height, which can be advantageous (Garber et al., 2009).

Furthermore, rectangular shapes are larger than circular

shapes (Demirkıran & Cetkin, 2021).

In addition, previous studies have shown a connection

between shape and flavor. They discovered a relationship

between sweet flavors and circular shapes. Moreover,

sour and bitter tastes are more closely associated with

angular and pointed geometries (Pich et al., 2020).

Spence and Ngo (2012) revealed a relationship between

strict shapes and higher bitterness and an association

between dairy and mint flavors and circular shapes.

Image

Image plays a crucial role in snack food packaging

design, and is used by both designers and marketers. It

takes center-stage in the composition of most snack food

packaging (Simmonds & Spence, 2017). The image on

snack food packaging is a visually exciting and significant

element (Ampuero & Vila, 2006; Liao et al., 2015;

Rebollar et al., 2015). Consumers’ opinions of the brand

are also impacted by the image portrayed on snack food

packaging (Schifferstein et al., 2021) and conduce greatly

to attract consumers’ attention (Zhou et al., 2021).

Previous research has shown that consumers would gen-

erate different emotional responses for all kinds of images

(Liao et al., 2015). Furthermore, it is an element with

much potential for designers. The study has revealed little

snack food packaging without images was identified

(Simmonds & Spence, 2017). Images are used by

designers and marketing teams to a great extent depend-

ing on food styles and standards. As a result, a packaging

might include a picture of the food inside and images of

things that are only indirectly related to the food (such as

humans, plants, or animals), or a combination of the

two. It is imperative to display the food contained in the

packaging because it allows consumers to see the appear-

ance of the food. The exterior design of food is a visual

indicator used by consumers to infer whether it has spe-

cific quality attributes (Simmonds & Spence, 2017).

Line

Rudolf Arnheim stated that representing things with con-

tour lines has become the most straightforward and most

customary technique for human mental states (Longhai,

2002). As an essential component of packaging design,

lines play the most critical role in creative and linguistic

expression. Its varied forms and visual esthetics bring dif-

ferent feelings to the audience and enhance the artistic

effect of the overall packaging design (Kemp, 2021).

Modern packaging design comprises various design styles

and intrinsic concepts; however, the design elements are

inseparable from the line. Based on the practicality of the

packaging design, they are combined with the overall

design style and design concept of the packaging, based

on the laws of the formal beauty of the line, to seek the

most suitable form of expression and to use the different

forms of the line effectively in the design (F. Zhang, 2021).

Additionally, whether it is the use of independent forms

of the line or a combination of different forms, in practice,

the thickness, straightness, length, and shape of the line

need to be considered in the creation of an effective design.

combinations of form produce different artistic effects of

the packaging design, and different ways of arrangement

and layout of the display form also affect the overall visual

quality of the packaging design (Hening, 2021).

Finally, the expressions and creative rendering of the

line are continuously explored to express people’s pursuit

of beauty and emotion to the greatest extent possible.

Hence, lines play a significant role in visual packaging

esthetics in impacting a consumer purchase decision.

Typography

Typography is a significant factor in packaging design.

Color can grasp consumers’ attention; the image can sti-

mulate interest. However, typography in packaging design

is key to helping consumers comprehensively understand

the brand name and food information. Typography leg-

ibility is an essential criterion in packaging design, which

determines the read speed and accuracy of obtaining infor-

mation for consumers. Providing consumers with a quick

and accurate overview of the food requires typography

with logical, orderly, prioritized, holistic, lively, and good

visual flow (Li & Chen, 2017).

For efficient communication, the text on the food

package is crucial. Only the correct content combined

with correct typography will make this communication

effective (Munyaradzi Mutsikiwa, 2013). Typography

has several design characteristics. According to research

in information design, design qualities of typography can

have implications (e.g., appearing graceful, fresh, or

modern) above and beyond the denotative content pres-

ent in the writing (Sarmento & Quelhas-Brito, 2022).

Thus, typography can combine the potential information

Wang et al. 3

conveyed by layout, font, etc., with the information of

the text content and communicate with consumers about

food features. When the two correspond (e.g., a ‘‘softness

font’’ is used to symbolize ‘‘soft’’ goods such as women’s

products), the perception about the message is strength-

ened (Sarmento & Quelhas-Brito, 2022). When typogra-

phy is aligned with food features, consumers are more

likely to respond rapidly (Xu, 2021). As a result, the visi-

bility of the food is improved by appropriate

typography.

Packaging Material

Previous research has shown that consumers believe that

if the snack food packaging material looks so poor, the

food quality would be inferior (Weligama Thuppahige &

Karim, 2022). Thus, consumers prefer to buy food

packaging with superior quality material. Moreover, the

material is characteristically used to reflect the nature of

the food it contains. For instance, when the packaging

texture is smoother, consumers believe the food within it

to be soft and silky (Spence & Ngo, 2012).

Consumers also believe that the packaging material

has a significant environmental influence (Escursell et al.,

2021). They can determine whether the food is safe from

the environment-related impact on the packaging mate-

rial. As such, consumers usually consider snack food

packaging to be comprised of sustainable material, which

would be more-or-less natural and of higher quality,

thereby attracting their attention (Magnier et al., 2016;

Steenis et al., 2017).

Packaging Technology

Consumer preferences have resulted in the innovation

and development of new packaging technologies

(Dobrucka et al., 2015). Demand for convenience foods

continues to be driven by the aging of our population

(Risch, 2009), diminished cooking skills of the average

consumer, and limited time available for home meal pre-

paration (Bender et al., 2022). The rise in earnings of tra-

ditional economically less developed countries has led to

improved living standards, including a significant

increase in the consumption of snack food packaging

(Mahalik, 2014). Food processing and packaging tech-

nologies have improved because of this advancement.

Packaging has allowed us to have a wide variety of

foods year-round that would not be possible without the

protection of the package. Foods have a longer shelf life,

resulting in less loss owing to spoilage (Dobrucka &

Cierpiszewski, 2014). In recent years, packaging has pro-

gressed beyond its initial function as a means of food pre-

servation. It now serves as a critical marketing tool for

creating shelf appeal, delivering food information, and

establishing brand image and awareness (Kour et al.,

2013). An extended shelf life can be achieved using a

modified, controlled atmosphere, and intelligent packa-

ging that transmits content quality indicators (Yan et al.,

2022). This development responds to an increase in con-

sumer demand for mildly preserved, fresh, tasty, and

convenient food products with prolonged shelf-life and

controlled quality (Dobrucka et al., 2015). Future packa-

ging may be more than just a physical container to save

food from the surrounding environment (Cushen et al.,

2012).

Conceptual Framework

In recent years, researchers have increasingly focused on

snack food packaging design and the ways in which it

can impact consumer purchase decisions (Kapoor &

Kumar, 2019). A number of studies have found that

snack food packaging design elements (color, shape, etc.)

have positive effects on consumer purchase decisions

(Figure 1). As Becker et al. (2011) show, visually attrac-

tive packaging color is crucial for motivating consumer

purchase decisions. Color is an important component in

sensory marketing strategies and affects consumer beha-

vior and perceptions (Rathee & Rajain, 2019). Moreover,

previous research has shown that the judgment of consu-

mers is significantly influenced by packaging shape for

food information and stimulated consumer purchase

decisions (Poslon et al., 2021). In addition, the appear-

ance of food is a visual indicator used by consumers to

infer whether it has specific quality attributes (Simmonds

& Spence, 2017). Thus, the image of snack food packa-

ging can directly stimulate consumers’ senses and pro-

mote their purchase decisions. Furthermore, according

to previous research, line, typography, and material in

packaging design directly impact consumers’ purchase

decisions (Halabi, 2021; Lockshin & Corsi, 2012;

Paramita & Sanjaya, 2020). Thus, the following hypoth-

eses were proposed:

H1: Color has a positive effect on consumer purchase

decisions in packaging design.

H2: Shape has a positive effect on consumer purchase

decisions in packaging design.

H3: Image has a positive effect on consumer purchase

decisions in packaging design.

H4: Line has a positive effect on consumer purchase

decisions in packaging design.

H5: Typography has a positive effect on consumer

purchase decisions in packaging design.

H6: Material has a positive effect on consumer pur-

chase decisions in packaging design.

H7: Technology has a positive effect on consumer pur-

chase decisions in packaging design.

4SAGE Open

Methodology

A mixed method, comprising both quantitative and qua-

litative approaches was used in this study which was

based on the Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation

Laboratory (DEMATEL) method and in-depth inter-

views. This study was divided into three stages. In the

first stage, seven snack food packaging factors were iden-

tified through a literature review and expert survey. In

the second stage, the impact interrelationship among

these design factors was determined through the

DEMATEL method. In the third stage, the findings of

this study were verified through in-depth interviews.

Data Collection

A total of 25 experts (18 women and seven men, aged 25–

38) were recruited to validate the identified variables of

snack food packaging. Criteria such as practitioners who

had at least 5 years of practical experience in the packa-

ging design industry or academicians who had at least a

master’s degree in the relevant research field were deter-

mined for selecting the experts (Appendix A1). The

experts received an e-mail with a set of questions (Google

forms) with a guide on which design characteristics are

the most important in food packaging (Appendix A2).

Although they had the opportunity to add other packa-

ging design factors, they did not agree on new factors.

They finally reached a consensus that these elements

(color, shape, image, line, typography, material, and

technology) were the most significant factors in packa-

ging design, which were then used in the next stage.

A total of 121 students (83 female and 38 male stu-

dents, aged 18–32) from a graphic design major at a

Chinese public university were participated in this survey

(Table 1). All of these students took courses in packaging

design. The respondents received the questionnaire via

the class email group and filled it out online (Appendix

A3). For this purpose, researchers provided them with

some information about the aim of this research, and

they were guaranteed ethical principles. Out of the 200

approached students, 121 students agreed with partici-

pate and complete the questionnaire. Next, the collected

data were analyzed using the DEMATEL method to

determine the most important and influential snack food

packaging elements.

Figure 1. Conceptual framework.

Wang et al. 5

Data Analysis

The DEMATEL is a method proposed by the Bastille

National Laboratory in 1971 to analyze the structural

relationships of elements in complex systems based on

graph theory and matrix theory. This method analyzes

the logical relationship between the factors of a system.

The direct influence matrix is constructed to quantify the

degree of influence of each factor on other factors, to

obtain the degree of cause and centrality of each factor,

and to provide a basis for the next step of system evalua-

tion model construction. With the help of this approach,

it is easier to comprehend practical solutions to a specific

problem or a set of related issues. This approach outper-

forms conventional methods by stressing the relative

importance of one element to another and highlighting

the connection between numerous elements (Maqbool

et al., 2020). For example, Alzahrani et al. (2022) used

the DEMATEL approach to examine the connection

between service quality and users’ intentions to keep

using mHealth (the use of mobile phone applications for

healthcare). Moreover, the DEMATEL approach was

used to assess the interaction among corporate communi-

cation, consumer perception, consumer behavior, and

product packaging, which can promote sustainable con-

sumption (Tseng et al., 2021). Therefore, the DEMATEL

method was adopted in our study to explore consumer

purchase decisions and study the relationships among

variables.

This research is categorized as belonging to the posi-

tivist paradigm in terms of its philosophical founda-

tions. It is applied in terms of the research orientation.

A literature review and expert surveys were utilized to

identify the factors in accordance with the goals of this

study. As a result, seven major criteria were determined

(Figure 2).

Step 1. Defining the Measurement Scale and Packaging

Design Attributes. Respondents were asked to fill out ques-

tionnaires about the impact level between two factors in

packaging design. The researchers used the Likert scale

to define the relationships between packaging design

characteristics (PDCs), such as the influence of color in

food packaging design on consumers’ purchase decisions.

Scores ranging from 0 (no influence) to 4 (high influ-

ence) (Table 2) were computed. Furthermore, to facilitate

data computation, researchers coded every packaging

design characteristic (Table 3).

Table 1. Respondents’ Information.

Variable Percentage

Gender

Male 38

Female 83

Age

18–20 years old 32

21–26 years old 66

27–32 years old 23

Education

Bachelor’s degree 86

Master’s degree 35

Figure 2. Packaging design characteristics.

Table 2. Comparison Scale of the DEMATEL Method.

Numeral Definition

0 No influence

1 Low influence

2 Medium influence

3 High influence

4 Very high influence

Table 3. Coding of Packaging Design Characteristics.

PDCs Description

C1 Color

C2 Shape

C3 Image

C4 Line

C5 Typography

C6 Packaging material

C7 Packaging technology

6SAGE Open

Step 2. Calculate the Average Direct Relation

Matrix. Researchers computed the average value of parti-

cipants’ evaluation to define a direct-relation matrix. A

was represented the degree of factor i affect factor j. This

study did not consider the direct influence of the factors

themselves, thereby the diagonal of the factor direct

influence matrix A was set to be 0 (i6¼ j,i,j=1, 2, .,

n). For each participant, an n3nnon-negative matrix

can be established as Xk=[Xk

ij ], where k is the number

of participants with 1 łkłH, and nis the number of

factors related to packaging design characteristics. The

average matrix A= [aij] was constructed to help incorpo-

rate all opinions from H participants as follows:

Ri=X

i=1

tij(j = 1, 2, ...,n) ð1Þ

A=½aij=1

k=1

ij ð2Þ

The finalized the average initial direct relation matrix

was established (Table 4). Based on this information,

researchers proceeded to the next step of the calculation.

Step 3. Calculating the Normalized Direct Relation

Matrix. After obtaining the initial direct relation matrix,

the following formula was used to calculate the normal-

ized direct relation matrix (see Table 5 above). Each ele-

ment in matrix Nfalls between zero and one.

N=kAð3Þ

k= 1

max

1łiłnPn

j=1aij

,i,j=1,2...,n ð4Þ

Step 4. Calculating the Total-Relation Matrix. After the nor-

malized direct relation matrix Nwas derived, the identity

matrix could be used to obtain the direct indirect matrix

Tor the total relation matrix (Table 6).

T = lim

k!‘

N+N2+... +Nk



=N(1N)1ð5Þ

Step 5. Producing a Causal Diagram. To define the influ-

ence index of each attribute, calculating the sum of rows

(Di) and sum of columns (Ri) of the total relation matrix

T, respectively, where i, j = 1, 2, .,n.D

Iis represents

the sum of the other attributes affected by attribute i;R

is represents the sum of attribute i affected by the other

attributes.

Di=X

j=1

tij(i = 1, 2, ...,n) ð6Þ

Ri=X

i=1

tij(j = 1, 2, ...,n) ð7Þ

Using Equations 6 and 7, the sum of the rows and

that of the columns were separately formed as vectors D

Table 4. The Average Initial Direct Relation Matrix.

C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7

C1 0 3.58 3.36 2.78 3.43 3.21 3.12

C2 2.16 0 2.34 3.16 2.34 3.06 3.24

C3 3.68 3.24 0 2.28 3.36 2.58 3.12

C4 3.04 3.46 2.92 0 1.68 2.56 2.34

C5 2.26 1.12 2.89 3.26 0 2.61 3.42

C6 1.22 1.06 1.21 0 1.32 0 2.36

C7 1.56 1.04 2.46 1.52 0 1.32 0

Table 5. The Normalized Direct Relation Matrix.

C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7

C1 0 0.184 0.173 0.143 0.176 0.165 0.16

C2 0.111 0 0.12 0.162 0.12 0.157 0.166

C3 0.189 0.166 0 0.117 0.173 0.132 0.16

C4 0.156 0.178 0.15 0 0.086 0.131 0.12

C5 0.116 0.058 0.148 0.167 0 0.134 0.176

C6 0.063 0.054 0.062 0 0.068 0 0.121

C7 0.08 0.053 0.126 0.078 0 0.068 0

Wang et al. 7

and R to draw the causal relation diagram. The diagram

was obtained using the horizontal axis, presented by

(D+R), called ‘‘prominence,’’ which represents the

importance of the criterion. Similarly, the vertical axes

(D-R), which was the degree of relation, divided the cri-

teria into two groups: cause and effect. If the value of

(D-R) was positive, the factor was placed in the causal

group, and if it was negative, the factor was placed in the

effect group. Based on this, the causal relation diagram

is depicted in Figure 3.

Results

Results Analysis

According to the responses from 25 design experts and

121 students, researchers could identify the relationship

between seven types of packaging design characteristics

and their respective degrees of effect and causal associa-

tion. Researchers obtained the initial direct relation

matrix by calculating an average value based on opinions

of the participants (Table 4). There was no direct impact

of the characteristics on themselves, and the diagonal val-

ues were removed; the remaining values were the degrees

of impact from the different design characteristics.

Furthermore, the initial direct relation was normal-

ized, the maximal value of the sum of the row as the reci-

procal of k, according to Equations 3 and 4. Next, to

obtain the total relation matrix, and calculated the value

of T based on Equation 5 using MATLAB software.

Finally, the values of D and R were obtained using

Equations 6 and 7, respectively, and subsequently,

D + R was calculated by adding them, and likewise, D-

R by subtracting them.

As shown in the diagram (Figure 3), the causal rela-

tionship of the seven design characteristics was clearly

established. The (D-R) value of five factors which were

in the cause group: C1-color, C2-shape, C3-image, C4-

line, and C5-typography, was positive. The results show

that consumers’ decisions were affected by these five fac-

tors, and the effect of these factors on other factors was

more remarkable than the impact that others exerted on

themselves. In contrast, the (D-R) values of material and

technology were negative, whereas they were in the effect

group. The results revealed that these design factors

impact themselves more than they influence other fac-

tors; that is, they were affected by other factors, necessi-

tating their potential in packaging design.

Based on Table 7, the importance of the seven factors

could be prioritized as C3.C1.C2.C4.C5.C7.C6

based on (D + R) values. Moreover, we can see that C3-

image was the most crucial factor with a value of 6.1747

and ranked the highest. It could affect other factors, but

it would be not affected by other factors. The packaging

material was the least essential factor, with a value of

4.1625. With regard to importance, C1-color, C2-shape,

C3-image, C4-line, and C5-typography were active influ-

encers based on the D-R values. Significantly, C1-color

and C3-image were found to affect all other factors.

Moreover, C2-shape and C4-line did not affect C5-typo-

graphy. In addition, C2-shape and C5-typography were

mutually not influenced by each other. Finally, C6-

Table 6. The Total Relation Matrix T.

C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7

C1 0.3723 0.5164 0.5499 0.4705 0.4762 0.5463 0.5997

C2 0.4081 0.2983 0.4402 0.4232 0.3721 0.4702 0.5244

C3 0.5156 0.4872 0.3856 0.4369 0.4607 0.5028 0.5794

C4 0.4542 0.4651 0.4737 0.295 0.3605 0.4625 0.5005

C5 0.4047 0.3483 0.4533 0.4178 0.2573 0.4398 0.5197

C6 0.1976 0.1832 0.2106 0.1353 0.1831 0.1507 0.2834

C7 0.2452 0.2202 0.2932 0.2253 0.1564 0.2463 0.2071

Figure 3. Causal relation diagram of the study.

8SAGE Open

packaging materials and C7-packaging technology did

not affect the others, but were affected.

In summary, based on Figures 3 and 4, the study

found some potential impacts in snack food packaging

design. The results showed that color, shape, image, line,

and typography were the most important impact factors.

Therefore, researchers should emphasize on these five

causes. Color and image were two key factors in the

design characteristics because they were caused and not

affected by the other factors. Shape, line, typography,

material, and technology are all involved in color and

image. Therefore, in packaging design, designers must

consider color and image when designing other charac-

teristics. Meanwhile, consumers first pay attention to the

two factors of color and image, which provide them with

intuitive information about the food. Furthermore,

shape was not related to typography; it was revealed that

researchers did not need to consider packaging shape

while designing typography and shape. Generally, the

designer would not focus on material, and technology

when designing the other five factors. However, to per-

fectly present these five characteristics to consumers,

producers need to carefully select packaging materials

and packaging technology. Therefore, color, shape,

image, line, and typography would affect consumers’

decisions. When these five packaging characteristics are

improved, sales increase.

Verification of the Findings

To verify this study’s findings, the researchers selected 7

of the 25 experts who were interviewed in-depth to

explore the interrelationships among snack food packa-

ging variables. All of them had at least 10years of experi-

ence researching relevant art design and packaging

design domains. They all had PhD. degrees from reputa-

ble universities. The researchers designed an interview

instrument including 14 questions (Appendix A4) that

were formulated based on the findings. With the consent

of the interviewees, researchers conducted face-to-face

interviews, which lasted 30 to 40 min for each expert.

Finally, all seven experts considered that image was the

most significant factor in packaging design. Five experts

considered that material and technology were not impor-

tant factors and could not influence others. In addition,

they agreed that color was important and could influence

others. As can be seen from Table 8, the interview results

were consistent with those calculated using the

DEMATEL method (based on aggregation of results of

the seven experts, the score ranging from 1-low influence

to 5-very high influence).

Discussion

Key Findings

First, this research identified the significant packaging

characteristics that affect consumers’ buying intention,

the causal relationship in these factors, and the ranking

that affects the degree of packaging factors, using estab-

lishing the DEMATEL model. The findings from this

study suggest that consumers purchase snacks following

their preferences, especially for color, shape, image, line,

and typography; these design characteristics may influ-

ence their purchase decisions.

Table 7. Impact Relationship.

Factors Code D R D +R D-R Impact

Color C1 3.5313 2.5977 6.129 0.9336 Cause

Shape C2 2.9365 2.5187 5.4552 0.4178 Cause

Image C3 3.3682 2.8065 6.1747 0.5617 Cause

Line C4 3.0115 2.404 5.4155 0.6075 Cause

Typography C5 2.8409 2.2663 5.1072 0.5746 Cause

Packaging material C6 1.3439 2.8186 4.1625 21.4747 Effect

Packaging technology C7 1.5937 3.2142 4.8079 21.6205 Effect

Figure 4. The relationship among the packaging characteristics.

Wang et al. 9

More specifically, image has the most significant influ-

ence on consumers’ purchase decisions. This research

demonstrated a causal relationship between color and

image: color harmony depends on its distribution in an

image (Lu et al., 2021). Chiang and Yu (2010) claimed

that using appropriate colors in images is an essential fac-

tor that affects consumers’ perception. Different colors

and images are likely to develop different moods and dee-

pen brand image. For instance, children are more likely

to be attracted to cartoon images and bright colors. In

addition, image and shape influence each other. Different

packaging shapes attract different consumers. One study

showed that a unique shape made it easier to capture

consumers’ curiosity. However, people are inclined to

obtain food information through images in packaging.

Therefore, it is essential to place the image in a conspicu-

ous position suitable for the shape of the packaging

(Folkes & Matta, 2004). Furthermore, line and typogra-

phy are significantly impacted by image. For example,

different styles of images should be matched with the cor-

responding typography, and the lines need to change with

the edge lines of the images (Wang & Gani, 2022).

Additionally, typography has a positive impact on consu-

mers’ purchase behavior. In most cases, straightforward

typography can help buyers understand the food infor-

mation quickly, which helps the producer convince them

to purchase (Hussain et al., 2015). In addition, the rela-

tionship between typography and material affects consu-

mers’ purchase behavior. It is possible to match

typography with a material focus on the same group. For

example, straightforward typography and good material

are usually used for high-end food, whose consumers are

from a high social class (Sung, 2021). Moreover, material

and shape are closely linked. Packaging material leads to

some environmental issues such as waste disposal of

packaging materials. The rational use of packaging struc-

ture can reduce the use of materials and thereby reduce

the influence on the environment (Wikstro

¨m et al., 2014).

Finally, one unanticipated finding was that material

had the lowest influence on packaging design. A previ-

ous research has shown that consumers’ perceptions are

potentially affected by packaging materials (Spence &

Ngo, 2012). If a drink container appears flimsy, consu-

mers would negatively assess the food inside (Becker

et al., 2011; Biggs et al., 2016). However, this finding was

unexpected, and suggests that packaging materials are

not the main factor in packaging design, because they

will not significantly impact consumers’ choices.

Theoretical Implications

First, previous research has revealed that packaging

characteristics have significant impact on consumers’

decisions, such as color, image (Al-Samarraie et al.,

2019). But the packaging factors that influence consu-

mers’ decisions are far more than these. Therefore, this

study proposed a new framework for packaging charac-

teristics, which are categorized into seven types: color,

shape, image, line, typography, material and technology.

It demonstrated that the importance of these packaging

characteristics in the marketing communication. By

applying this framework, it will constantly stimulate con-

sumers’ purchase desire.

Second, in the past studies, lack of research shows the

relationships among design characteristics in the packa-

ging design field. The present study found four relation-

ships in packaging design characteristics: (a) color and

image affect other factors, (b) image and line will not

affect typography, (c) image will not affect typography

each other, (d) material and technology will not affect

other factors. The above results are statistically signifi-

cant through matrix values.

Third, this study shown that the ranking of the impor-

tance for design characteristics. Through the results of

DEMATEL method, it is found that image has the great-

est influence on consumer purchase decision, but mate-

rial and technology have little influence on consumer

purchase decision. In this study, interview was used to

further confirm research results. Compared with the sin-

gle DEMATEL method or alone interview method, this

approach of combining DEMATEL and interview

Table 8. The Degree of Influence of Packaging Factors on Each-Other.

Factors

Impact degree provided by the interviewees

Aggregation

Int1 Int2 Int3 Int4 Int5 Int6 Int7

Color 5544554 4.6

Shape 4554355 4.4

Image 5544555 4.7

Line 4454332 4

Typography 4545343 4

Material 3321432 2.1

Technology 3443223 2.6

10 SAGE Open

performs better to provide more accurate and objective

results.

Finally, previous researchers used the DEMATEL

method to explore consumer behavior in various contexts

(e.g., online shopping), rather than in the context of retail

(e.g., store and supermarket). However, this study focuses

on the retail context. Therefore, this theoretical contribu-

tion is adopting DEMATEL approach that strengthen

the existing literature, especially in the retail context.

Practical Implications

First, this study found that color significantly influences

consumer purchase decisions in snack food packaging

design (Hypothesis 1). For example, packaging color can

invoke associations of the food color and taste in consu-

mers. Moreover, harmonious colors can stimulate consu-

mers’ positive emotions. Therefore, it can help

consumers make more informed choices. Second, the

data analysis results revealed that shape was one of the

key factors among snack food packaging characteristics

(Hypothesis 2). For instance, regular-shape packaging is

easy for consumers to store, while special-shaped packa-

ging is more likely to attract consumers’ attention. Thus,

shape can increase consumers’ purchase intentions.

Third, the results of the data analysis indicated that

image plays an important role in snack food packaging

design (Hypothesis 3). A better packaging image can

improve brand image. As a result, marketers can impress

consumers with the brand by vigorously promoting its

image. For instance, the amiable image of Grandpa

KFC gives people a warm and reliable impression.

Fourth, line is an important characteristic in snack

packaging design (Hypothesis 4). For example, fine lines

not only play a decorative role but also define the gra-

phic area and provide a clearer understanding of food

information. Finally, this study demonstrated that typo-

graphy is an important factor affecting consumers’ deci-

sions (Hypothesis 5). It can help consumers notice brand

names and important food information at first glance,

thus influencing consumers’ purchase decisions.

Furthermore, snack food packaging characteristics

can enhance brand image in consumers’ hearts. For

example, at present, some snack food packaging has

visual confusion, and similar foods cannot be distin-

guished by brand in a short time. Therefore, snack food

packaging should be studied in China to enhance brand

recognition. In addition, this study showed that it can

strengthen communication with consumers via proper

food packaging characteristics, which are more likely to

establish interaction and brand loyalty among consu-

mers. For example, most snack food packaging in the

current market cannot directly stimulate consumers’ five

senses. When consumers are affected by visual elements,

they are more likely to establish an emotional connection

between the five senses of food and their purchase deci-

sions. Moreover, research on the impact of snack food

packaging characteristics on consumers’ decisions may

also reveal consumers’ demands and preferences. This

study suggests that packaging material and technology

have little impact on consumers’ behavior. Therefore,

packaging producers should decrease the cost of material

and technology and increase the cost of packaging

appearance design. This can help marketers reduce the

environmental impact of packaging materials, assisting

them to retain consumers as consequence.

Limitations and Further Research

Aside from the implications, this study also has some

limitations. First, the respondents of this research were

young, but different age groups had different perceptions

and preferences; these findings may not necessarily gener-

alize to others. Thus, future research could use the same

method across other groups (e.g., older adults, middle-

aged group, children group, etc.), to expand on these

findings. Second, there were seven packaging characteris-

tics that are discussed in this study, leaving out a few oth-

ers, such as label information, brand name, etc. These

factors may be studied in the future.

Third, this research was conducted in the Chinese con-

text, but the Chinese market is significantly different

from that of other countries. China is a developing and a

multi-ethnic country, whose consumers’ conceptions and

preferences are different. Therefore, future studies could

be conducted in other regions and across fields (e.g., cos-

metics, cigarettes, and electric products). Finally, this

study did not relate to the consumer satisfaction survey

and other needs investigation, such as function and struc-

ture. Future research may survey the use experience of

consumers and consumer expectations.

Conclusion

This study used the DEMATEL method to identify the

feasibility of critical packaging design characteristics.

This study aimed to determine which packaging design

characteristics affect consumers’ purchase decisions and

the causal relationship between them. The most promi-

nent finding from this study was that color, shape, image,

line, and typography were significant impact factors for

consumers’ purchase decisions. The second significant

finding was that image had the highest prominence fac-

tor, and color can affect the other factors (shape, line,

typography, packaging material, and packaging technol-

ogy). However, they were not affected by other factors.

A particular contrary finding was that packaging

materials and packaging technology were affected by,

Wang et al. 11

but could not affect the others. These findings have sig-

nificant implications for understanding how to design

snack food packaging that satisfies consumer demands.

Moreover, this research would be a good reference to a

wide range of areas including marketing and graphic

design. Some design characteristics in snack food packa-

ging were critically discussed in these findings, which

would increase consumers’ purchase desire.

In addition, this study provides necessary insights into

snack food packaging design by targeting aspects related

to the appearance of food characteristics. The association

between the different packaging design characteristics

obtained in this study could increase consumers’ interac-

tions with snack food packaging. Further studies could

assess the long-term effects of food packaging design and

consumer satisfaction analysis.

Appendix

Appendix A1. Demographics of Experts.

Variable Frequency Percentage

Gender

Male 7 28

Female 18 72

Age

25–30 years old 7 28

30–35 years old 10 40

35–38 years old 8 32

Organization Type

Practice 10 40

Academia 15 60

Education

Bachelor’s degree 3 12

Master’s degree 13 52

PhD. 9 36

Experience(years)

3–5 years 9 36

5–10 years 9 36

More than 10 years 7 28

Appendix A2. Experts Survey Identifying Snack Food Packaging Design Elements.

Researchers have identified the following elements through a literature review. Please select 0 or 1 (0 signifies irrelevance and 1 signifies

relevance).

Impact elements for packaging design Irrelevance 0 Relevance 1

C1: Color

C2: Shape

C3: Image

C4: Line

C5: Typography

C6: Material

C7: Technology

12 SAGE Open

Declaration of Conflicting Interests

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with

respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this

article.

Funding

The author(s) received no financial support for the research,

authorship, and/or publication of this article.

ORCID iDs

Haiying Wang https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0248-7820

Muhamad Abdul Aziz Ab Gani https://orcid.org/0000-

0003-1454-4853

Chang Liu https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3162-2358

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Appendix A3. One hundred Twenty-One Students Survey for

Identifying Interrelationship Between Snack Food Packaging

Design Elements Impact on Consumer Purchase Decisizons.

The researchers prepared the following questionnaire, and all

items were measured based on a five-point Likert-type scale

ranging from no influence (0) to very high influence (4).

Critical Factors C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7

Color C1

Shape C2

Image C3

Line C4

Typography C5

Material C6

Technology C7

Appendix A4. In-depth Interview Questions.

Question

Q1. How long have you been working in packaging design?

Q2. Have you designed packaging for a well-known brand?

Q3. What degree have you obtained related to art design or

packaging design?

Q4. What do you think is the most important factor in packaging

design?

Q5. Do you think there are interrelationships between the seven

factors? Please provide some examples to support your answer.

Q6. What packaging factors do you think have no impact on

others? Please tell me the reason.

Q7. What packaging factors do you think have impact on others?

Please provide the reason.

Q8. Please explain whether and how packaging color can