The Impact Of Product Transparency On Consumer Brand Perceptions

In the current market,transparent appearance is becoming more popular and is increasingly used in product and packaging design(e.g.,transparent frames).However,previous researches have focused on the effects of product transparency(transparent vs.opaque appearance)on food consumption quantity,product evaluation,purchase intention,and consumption decision.There is a paucity of understanding of how consumers’ brand perceptions are affected by product transparency and what are the underlying mechanisms of these effects.Given this,based on the spillover effect,this research investigates the impact of product transparency(transparent vs.opaque)on consumer perceptions of brand innovation,brand reliability,and brand attitude.Additionally,this research examines the moderating effects of product typicality(typical vs.atypical),product claims(lightweight vs.control),and regulatory focus(promotion vs.prevention)on the main effects.This research consists of five sub-studies aimed at investigating the effects of product transparency on consumer brand perception and brand attitude.In the pilot study,we found that transparent products led to greater perceptions of interestingness,while opaque products elicited stronger perceptions of heaviness.Study 1 demonstrated that the effects of product transparency on brand innovation and reliability perception were mediated by perceived interestingness and heaviness.Specifically,transparent products led to higher levels of interestingness and brand innovation,while opaque products led to higher levels of heaviness and brand reliability.Study 2 showed that the relationship between product transparency and brand innovation perception was moderated by product typicality,with product typicality influencing the effect of product transparency on perceived interestingness.And the effect of product transparency on brand innovation perception disappeared for atypical products.Study 3 demonstrated that product claims moderated the relationship between product transparency and brand reliability perception through its impact on perceived heaviness,with lightweight claims reducing the effect of product transparency on perceived heaviness.Study4 revealed that consumer regulatory focus moderated the relationship between product transparency and brand attitude,with promotion-focused consumers showing a preference for transparent products and prevention-focused consumers preferring opaque products.In theoretical terms,this study expands existing research in four aspects.Firstly,from the perspective of sensory marketing,this study establishes the connection between product transparency and brand perception,expanding the scope of research on product transparency.Secondly,this study further expands the research on the antecedents of brand perception from the perspective of product appearance design.Thirdly,this study demonstrates the mediating effects of perceived interestingness and perceived heaviness,revealing the underlying mechanism through which product transparency influences consumers’ brand perception,which is a complement and verification to research on spillover effects.Fourthly,this study examines the boundary conditions of the effect of product transparency on consumers’ brand perception and brand attitude,demonstrating the moderating effects of product typicality,product claims,and regulatory focus,which enriches research on product typicality,product claims,and regulatory focus.In practical terms,this research has important value for the selection of product appearance and the development of brand strategy for enterprises,which can help product designers,companies,and marketers to better understand the impact of transparency on consumers and better apply transparent elements to marketing activities.