Food tastes better served up in sexist packaging. That was the (frankly depressing) conclusion of a study published in British journal Social Psychology earlier this year.
Researchers found that men preferred the taste of a blueberry muffin when it came boxed in macho packaging plastered with football players and labelled ‘Mega Muffin.’ Whereas women favoured (and were willing to pay more) for the same muffin presented with pictures of pretty pink ballet dancers and called ‘Health Muffin’.
It’s proof that, like it or not, gender stereotypes filter into our subconscious in all kinds of absurd ways and not least when it comes to the way our food is packaged.
Measuring just how influential gender can be is one of the areas we’d like your help with for The Grocer’s 2015 Packaging Survey, in association with easyFairs.
Will men only pick up a cake packed in steely grey wrapping? Are women more enticed by bold health claims and bows on their packs of cereal? Or is it all a load of nonsense? You tell us.
And while you’re at it, talk to us about your take on all the other crucial trends in fmcg packaging at the moment. We’d like to hear about the major focuses in innovation for 2016, the increasing importance consumers place on the sustainability of what they chuck in their trolleys, and how much cash brands are willing to splash in the midst of a brutal supermarket price war.
As thanks for taking a few minutes out of your day, there’s also the chance to win a £100 Virgin Experience Card. Simply fill in the survey (it will take less than five minutes) by clicking here and your name will be entered into a prize draw.
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