Sonic Packaging: How Packaging Sounds Influence Multisensory Product Evaluation

While packaging designers have traditionally focused predominantly on stimulating the eyes of the consumer, it is important to note that packaging sounds can also exert a profound influence over our experience and behaviour. In this chapter, we focus on how the sounds that are produced when the consumer interacts with product packaging, both at the point of purchase and at the point of consumption, can affect their hedonic and sensory product evaluations. First, the relative importance of sound, in comparison to the other senses, is discussed in the context of the different stages of user-packaging interactions. Next, we provide examples of the influence of packaging sounds—both at the point of sale and during consumption—with a focus on how marketers can use “signature” brand sounds in order to both communicate functional attributes of the product and to stand out from the competition in the marketplace. At the same time, we review those studies that have examined the influence of packaging sounds on the sensory and hedonic experience of the consumer. We close the chapter by looking at some of the key opportunities associated with combining sound with other sensory cues. We also address the future trends in packaging sounds, including sound’s role in nudging/assisting peoples’ healthy/ecological lifestyle choices. Finally, we briefly touch on the topic of augmented packaging sounds.

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