Industry and marketing like to put a face on products. Numerous studies show that humanization has a positive effect on product ratings and the likelihood of purchase. However, a study published by the University of Innsbruck shows in several studies and experiments that consumers like to buy humanized foods, such as chocolate beans with a face or gingerbread men, but they are hesitant to eat them.
Entire marketing and advertising concepts are based on what is known as ‘anthropomorphism’, such as chocolate beans or eggs with human features, chips, croquettes, etc. They are based on numerous studies demonstrating the sales-promoting effect of humanized products.
“I don’t want to bite into something with a face on it”
When a study was published in 2015 showing that people are not only buying more, but are actually eating more cookies with painted faces, marketing expert Roland Schroll of the University of Innsbruck’s Department of Strategic Management, Marketing and Tourism found it “strange”. he said. “Because I personally don’t want to bite into something with a face on it.” Therefore, he began to investigate the phenomenon more closely.
In several studies and experiments that Schroll conducted in the US and Austria, he recorded the reaction of consumers to foods with human properties. He showed that consumers do not like to eat them. “When products are humanized, we ascribe human characteristics to them and give them the ability to feel pain,” Schroll said. It seems immoral to eat them.
Better Faceless Chocolate Beans
He conducted several studies with humanized and normal apples. For example, test participants indicated that they had less desire to eat an apple after previously seeing an ad featuring an apple with facial features. They would therefore enjoy the apple less. When other subjects were offered faceted and non-faced chocolate lenses, they tended to opt for the non-faced ones.
In another experiment, participants were asked to imagine Christmas shopping, where they were given a choice between a gingerbread cookie in the shape of a Christmas tree and a human figure. It turned out that people would rather buy the gingerbread man. However, when the subjects were presented with the gingerbread in these two forms, they preferred to reach for the tree.
“Cold” people have fewer problems
These effects were mainly seen in people who classified themselves as more “warm-hearted”. On the other hand, those who rated themselves “cold” had fewer problems biting food with their faces.
Because the 2015 study that sparked Schroll’s interest in these questions was conducted in South Korea, he has shown in additional experiments not part of the current publication that the phenomenon is also culture dependent. In Asian cultures, humanization would have a positive effect on consumption, in the West it would be more negative, he emphasized.
Counterproductive Healthy Diet Strategy
The ramifications of the research depend on what you want to achieve, Schroll emphasized: “If I want people to buy a product, humanizing it can be a positive strategy. But if my main concern is, for example, reducing the consumption of healthy If you want to increase nutrition, then that is rather counterproductive.”
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
