Package appearance matter: Facial expression and Galvanic Skin Response analysis approach

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study reveals the importance of package design and brand in the choice of over-the-counter (OTC) analgesic. Various packages for analgesic products were tested on 40 respondents and autonomic body reactions were measured. The product tested was private Australian brands of Paracetamol from Coles and Woolworth, Priceline, a chemist brand, Herron a local brand and finally the well-known global brand Panadol. Eye tracking, facial expression analysis as well as Galvanic Skin response were found in strong correlation with respondent preference and purchasing intention. A heat map analysis for each package reveals that for most of the products the focus was not on the price. Time to First Fixation (TTFF) revealed that the eye fixation on price came last with the time spent looking at the price was low as compared to the time spent on the other areas of the packaging and this for both males and females. For most of the drugs, the focus (time spent) is majorly on the brand name and the benefits and tablet usage information.