The Role of Visual versus Textual Front-of-Package Labels in Shaping Consumers’ Cognitive and Behavioral Outcomes: An Eye-Tracking Study
(A2026-133418)

AUTHORS

Megha Choudhary, Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay; Dinesh Sharma, Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay/Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay; Arti D. Kalro, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay; Jagriti Krishnan, Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay/Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay

ABSTRACT

The rise in the consumption of packaged foods has increased consumer health concerns, making front-of-package labels (FOPLs) an essential tool for communicating nutritional quality. Through the theoretical lens of processing fluency theory, this study examines how FOPL presentation format (visual versus text) shapes consumer attention and purchase intention, and how these effects are moderated by consumer nutrition knowledge. Using an experimental eye-tracking design (n = 70), we find that visual FOPLs attract significantly greater attention than textual FOPLs. The findings reveal that increased attention reduces purchase intention, suggesting that when consumers with low knowledge struggle to interpret the information they notice, the resulting difficulty may lower their willingness to buy. The negative effect of attention weakens as consumer knowledge increases. These findings suggest that although visual FOPLs capture attention effectively, their impact on purchase decisions depends on consumers’ nutrition knowledge and their ability to interpret the information. This highlights the need for policymakers in developing countries to strengthen consumer knowledge alongside improving label design.