Charles Spence, professor of experimental psychology at Oxford University, conducted an interesting study about the impact that packaging used for food can have on consumers. Professor Charles Spence; Twelve years ago, he noticed something interesting about the potato chips he had been snacking while sitting at a bar. Each of the potato chips has a certain crunch. In these chips, the crack heard in each bite is constant and consistent. Upon this, Charles Spence wondered if the crunching sound in chips had been different, would the taste of these chips be different to people and started to take the necessary steps to work on this issue.

Charles Spence designed an experiment involving each participant biting the same potato chips. Participants in the experiment will all consume the same potato chips, but the crackling sound they will hear will be different. All of the subjects reported that each chips had a different level of freshness, even though they consumed the same freshness and the same flavor. Charles Spence concluded from this experiment that food perception is largely influenced by multiple senses, not simply taste. Other examples Spence obtained in this regard; It is stated that when strawberry flavored candies are presented in white instead of black packages, they are 10% sweeter by consumers, while coffee is twice as dense and much less sweet when served in a white glass instead of transparent. The experiment and findings obtained by Charles Spence also apply to packaging used in food. Because packaging also appeals to our multiple senses.

Years ago, a Coke brand introduced a white Coke can in contrast to the usual packaging design. In order to promote the conservation of polar bears, the white Coke box with simple pictures of polar bears has been met with unexpected complaints by customers. Contrary to popular belief, people did not complain about the packaging design, instead claiming that the product had a worse taste and thought they had changed the formula of the cola brand in question. These complaints caused the Coke company to withdraw the white box design. The white coke box is the best example of how the visual presentation of food packaging can subconsciously affect the flavor or texture of a product. Everything from colors to the opening mechanism of the package (for example, a sharp opening of a metal box or a softer opening system) can affect customers’ perception of the product they consume. For this reason, companies need to analyze what works for their brands in the most accurate way.

In order to ensure that customers have the most effective experience with the products, companies must pay close attention to the color, shape and usage mechanism of the packaging they will use. As a result, customer psychology plays an important role in packaging design and its impact on consumers.