CONSUMERS’ PERCEPTION OF PRODUCT NAMING AND PACKAGE DESIGN IN AKURE, NIGERIA

Abstract

Having ascertained that Product naming is not a new phenomenon in creative graphic communication; its relevance to a successful package design should not be overlooked. The basic intention of this study is to incorporate product naming into effective branding of indigenous products, especially Non-Alcoholic Beverages (NAB). This study is aimed at appraising consumers’ perception of product naming in relation to package design in Akure with the view of achieving the following objectives. Firstly, to identify selected NAB packages locally available based on package form and product naming styles. Secondly, to assess the level of influence of product naming styles of selected NAB on consumers’ acceptance. Thirdly, to evaluate the autonomous effect of product naming styles on consumers’ perception of the package design. Finally, to recommend product names for product package design that could be useful for the labelling of indigenous NAB products. The research hypothesizes a significant relationship between product naming and consumers’ perception of package design. This study is basically quantitative research associated with survey and evaluation. It entails visitation to Akure shopping mall for the observation of the displayed NAB package design. There are two groups of sampled respondents, namely the consumers and the Delphi participants. Accompanied with a visual display of stimuli, responses are collected from both groups by using questionnaire through simple random sampling (n=204 consumers determined by Yamane formula) and purposive sampling (n=5 Delphi participants). Research instruments adopted for the study include Likert scale questions incorporated with closed ended questionnaires, a Sony DSC-W510 digital camera, and a visual display (VD) of the selected NAB. It also involves a pilot test carried out on 20 participants for the purpose of identifying and improving potential problem in questionnaire design and instrumentation. Fogg Behaviour Model (FBM) for measuring the level of persuasiveness has been adopted. Data gathered are analyzed by using Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS 17). From the findings, product naming styles and package designs are not fixed categorically or stereotyped for the branding of a particular NAB. Naming styles assist consumers’ acceptance of the selected NAB. The display of anonymous package design to consumers reveals that age determines what type of perception they conceived about the product. The study also reveals that some unpopular naming styles are easily recalled during recall task given to the consumers. From the findings, product nomenclature for the selected NAB is critical and the establishment of standard for its design specification is yet to be formed. Through conceptual prototypes of indigenous NAB package design the recommended names are evaluated and the result of the Delphi differs from that of the survey. It is recommended that consumers’ perception of names on anonymous package design should be a contemporary research area. Companies, advertisers and other stakeholders should lay more emphasis on consumers’ perception in the creation of brand names for new product and rebranding of existing products. Graphic design training institution should encourage the incorporation of product naming strategies with the graphic design profession in order to expand the scope of graphic design at the lower level. This will help curb the dropout rate of designers from the profession due to the present undesirable state of the country in terms of job opportunities. Moreover, this study suggests a product naming chart that could guide stakeholders in making choice of befitting product name for a typical indigenous product (appendix E).