Evaluating bottles and labels versus tasting the oils blind: Effects of packaging and labeling on consumer preferences, purchase intentions and expectations for extra virgin olive oil

The objective of this research was to assess Northern California consumer liking, purchase intent and sensory and nutritional expectations for commercial extra virgin olive oils based on their packaging and labeling, and to compare those ratings to hedonic and purchase intent ratings for the same oils tasted blind. A set of 18 commercial extra virgin olive oils was evaluated by two groups of Northern California consumers under different conditions. One group (N = 102) visually assessed the bottles and labels and then indicated their liking and purchase intent for the oils, among other variables. Another group (N = 110) tasted the oils blind, and then indicated their liking and purchase intent for the oils. We uncovered two preference segments in the evaluation of the bottles and labels (packaging study), both of which liked the California EVOOs, but differed in their liking of the imported oils. Consumers in segment 1 liked mostly California EVOO bottles, while consumers in segment 2 also liked some of the imported oils, particularly those from Italy. The preference map generated from the hedonic ratings in the packaging study was quite different from that generated from the blind hedonic ratings, with California oils faring much better when 'fully dressed', likely because of the desirable features of their packaging, the possible familiarity of the consumers with them, the desire of most consumers to buy local, and maybe most importantly because many consumers in the blind tasting study disliked bitter and pungent oils, and/or actually liked oils that were somewhat rancid. Region of origin was the variable that showed the biggest impact on the overall liking of the bottles and labels in the packaging study. California EVOOs were significantly preferred over most of the imported oils, overall and for preference segment 1. Consumers were willing to pay more for the oils in the packaging study than they expected to pay in the blind tasting study. Purchase intent followed similar trends to overall liking in the packaging study, and it was inversely related to the purchase intent recorded in the blind tasting study.