Plain packaging on energy drinks - A quantitative study examining the effects of generic packaging of energy drinks on consumer attitudes and perceptions

Abstract: In today's society, children and young adults are frequently the subjects of marketing attempts to promote products and brands, even those of documented risk to the consumers' health. Marketers are aware of the importance of branding and product packaging, concepts linked to the products success, and thus, for the rapidly expanding market of energy drinks, packaging is used as a vehicle for brand communication. This thesis aims at applying the concept of plain packaging, generally associated to tobacco products, on energy drinks to examine whether it can be a mean to effectively reduce the attractiveness of the product, and as a result decrease consumption. A quantitative experiment was conducted through a survey with the purpose to examine what effect different degrees of plain packaging on energy drinks would have on the following variables of investigation: perceptions of product, attributes of typical user, expectations of taste, attitudes towards brand, and purchase intention. In conclusion, primary findings from the research imply that plain packaging does neither affect the customers' attitudes and perceptions of product, typical user or taste, nor does it affect purchase intention negatively, but rather positively. One of the discussed reasons for this is the decreased differentiation between brands that plain packaging is a result of; a consequence not in favor for neither the customers nor brands. Supporting this, findings showed significant differences between brand attitudes in original can versions - differences that were gradually lost when packaging became plainer. Due to methodological and conceptual limitations of the research, it is proposed that further research is conducted on the subject to assess whether plain packaging is a suitable approach to monitor the consumption of energy drinks, or if there are other means for achieving this.