Consumer neuroscience on branding and packaging: A review and future research agenda

Abstract

In an environment of extreme competition, it is essential to have a differentiated brand that adds value to consumer communications through packaging. Neuroscience research techniques have undergone remarkable development, facilitating the understanding of consumer brain mechanisms in the choice and purchase decision-making process. This article presents the first systematic and specific literature review of the branding and packaging from the consumer neuroscience viewpoint. The main objective is to carry out analysis focused on the study of packaging and branding from the field of consumer neuroscience. We used a hybrid methodology. First, a descriptive bibliometric study is applied based on the Web of Science platform, where results confirm that the study field is in a phase of an exponential growth and with high fragmentation of the literature, consistent with its multidisciplinary origin. Using data mining for nodal network analysis with the VOSviewer programme, four clusters of authors and five thematic areas of interest were identified. Finally, a content review provided a list of more than 50 relevant findings in the study field, which are presented through a novel classification approach based on key mental processes in branding and packaging research (attention and memory, emotions and motivation, and reward and decision-making systems). Thus, it has been possible to classify, order and discuss them, facilitating a comparative analysis and suggesting a possible future research agenda. This research intents to be a guide for branding and packaging professionals and researchers who are interested in learning about the use of consumer neuroscience techniques and theories.