Abstract
This study looks at the use of cartoon characters on packaging and its consequences on product cognition with a sample of Chinese high school students. By compiling secondary research, this paper investigates how these characters influence the recognition of a product, trust in it, and the intention to purchase. The results revealed that popular, emotionally appealing cartoon characters make significant improvements in product recognition and product trust that are favorable toward the intention to purchase. More importantly, it plays with cultural relevance: the more the character relates to Chinese culture, the more effective among students. These insights have important implications for marketers on how strategic the use of cartoon characters in branding campaigns should be. Targeting age groups and using digital platforms will help marketers increase the emotional bonding of young consumers and, as a consequence, their engagement. This study underlines the fact that cartoon characters can build a strong emotional bond with youth in China, hence influencing brand engagement and purchase decisions. Therefore, marketers are encouraged to add culturally relevant characters in order to obtain maximum impact and relevance with local appeal.
Published Version
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