WSU Study Shows Power of Reference Numbers on Product Packaging

By Eric Hollenbeck

A WSU study has revealed a surprising factor that influences consumer preferences: numbers in product packaging labels. This research not only challenges the conventional wisdom that round numbers dominate consumer choices, but also delves into the global implications of numerical perception on consumer decisions.

Implications from the study can potentially boost product appeal and sales, the authors say.

Published in the Journal of Business Research, the study investigates how hexadecimals (multiples of 16) and duodecimals (multiples of 12) impact consumer preferences in product sizing and labeling, disputing the traditional belief that round numbers dominate consumer choices. Lead author Kunter Gunasti, an associate professor of marketing at the Carson College of Business, says manufacturers and marketers around the world should rethink their packaging strategies to account for these insights.

“The prevalence of these reference numbers in packaging size decisions is staggering,” Gunasti says. “Our findings suggest that 12 and 16, and their multiples, have a psychological edge in influencing consumer choices. They provide a sense of completeness, a critical factor in preference formation.”

Gunasti says the research has particularly strong implications for markets dominated by nonmetric, customary systems of measurements like the imperial system used in the US.

Consumers tend to prefer a 16-fluid-ounce package over one that is 17 fluid ounces when nonmetric labels are used, according to the findings. In contrast, a 500-milliliter package is more favorable than one that is 473 milliliters when metric labels are prevalent.

“Multiples of 16 offer a sense of completeness in nonmetric measures, much like multiples of 10 do in metric measures,” Gunasti says.

The study highlights a marked preference for products with reference numbers for package sizes. It also explores how a perceived sense of product completeness affects consumer preference.

“Our study offers insights that can help in aligning product sizes with consumer psychology, enhancing product appeal and potentially boosting sales,” Gunasti says.

Coauthors on the paper were Timucin Ozcan, associate professor at James Madison University, and Elizabeth Howlett, Carson College professor of marketing.