When creepy crawlies are cute as bugs: Investigating the effects of (cute) packaging design in the context of edible insects

Studies have repeatedly demonstrated the powerful effects product packaging cues like graphics, colors, or claims can have on consumers' product expectations and sensory perception. However, the role of packaging in the context of insect consumption (entomophagy) has hardly received any scholarly attention. We address this issue by investigating how visual insect depictions on the packaging of edible insects affect the perception of disgust-a negative emotion motivating avoidance behavior-and willingness to try the product in a laboratory experiment (N = 72). Furthermore, we look at entomophagy from the perspective of young German adults. Based on theoretical and empirical considerations, we propose and demonstrate that insect-based food products are perceived as less disgusting when the packaging contains a cute or no (as compared to a realistic) insect image, and we also find that packaging design influences assumptions about target groups. We do not observe effects of packaging design on willingness to try the product. However, willingness to try was very high to begin with (83.3%), and of those who refused, most stated allergies or dietary constraints as causes. Contrary to previous research, we find that structural barriers (e.g., lack of opportunity or availability) are considered as more important reasons for not having consumed insects before than disgust. To our knowledge, our study is one of the first experimentally investigating the effects of (cute) packaging in the context of entomophagy. Our findings also offer interesting opportunities for further research and have direct implications for the marketing of edible insects.

Automated summary

This study experimentally investigates the effects of packaging on the perception of disgust and willingness to consume insect-based food products. The findings suggest that a cute insect image on the packaging can alleviate consumers' disgust and influence assumptions about target groups, but packaging design does not impact the willingness to try the product.