Changcong Zeng’s scientific contributions

The exponential growth of the market for convenience foods has added facilitation to many people’s lives; however, consumers continue to hold mixed views regarding the quality and safety of such foods. Marketers should explore persuasive strategies to counter these negative perceptions and encourage the consumption of convenience foods. This study conducted two online experiments from the perspective of visual persuasion and design to examine the effects of typeface and the inclusion of brand certification in label designs on consumers’ purchase intentions, guided by the dual processing model. The findings indicate that handwritten labels are more effective than machine-written labels are in enhancing consumers’ purchase intentions of convenience foods. These enhanced purchase intentions are related to stronger perceptions of a human presence and confidence in the product when handwritten typeface is used. In addition, a moderated serial mediation analysis revealed that brand certification labels, which serve as a traceable source of product quality and credibility, positively influence consumers’ perceptions of human presence, further boosting consumers’ confidence in a product and their purchase intention. The positive effect of handwritten typeface is particularly pronounced when a label does not include a brand certification, and the presence of such a certification tends to weaken the effect of typeface. These findings clarify the application of the dual processing model and offer theoretical insights and practical guidance for packaging design and marketing strategies for convenience foods.