It’s Not What You Serve, It’s How You Serve It

Does serving prime rib on a paper plate make it taste like puppy food? Does serving wieners on Wedgewood make them taste wonderful? Maybe so, according to researchers from the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan (U-M), Ann Arbor. Their study, “Does Touch Affect Taste? The Perceptual Transfer of Product Container Haptic Cues” (published online ahead of print in the Journal of Consumer Research) found that some consumers believe the quality of a food or beverage container makes a product taste better—or worse.

The researchers tested nearly 1,000 college students in four separate experiments on how touch affects taste. Participants drank mineral water from either firm or flimsy cups, and were asked about the water’s taste.

“Although the paper plate and plastic cup may be less aesthetically appealing to a consumer, rationally speaking, the product containers should not affect actual quality or taste of the products within those containers,” says Aradhna Krishna, professor of marketing at U-M.

But some subjects did perceive differences in the flavor of the mineral water. The researchers concluded that those who were not influenced by the feel of the product are haptically oriented, meaning they like to touch things, and are therefore more in tune to when touch matters and when it doesn’t.

“People who inherently like to touch and feel objects do so very often, compared to people who do not care as much about touching,” Krishna says. “Over time, they develop an expertise in understanding when touch is related to the inherent product quality and when it is not. While they might like touching objects, they are less likely to be ‘misled’ about product quality created by differences in haptic input.”

The well-honed touching skills of some subjects prevented them from being led to believe a flimsy cup held inferior water, or a sturdy cup offered a superior drink.

Krishna and Morrin say their study has considerable managerial significance beyond its theoretical contribution to sensory research—from the material quality to the shape and design of a product and its packaging.

The findings could have a significant impact on the bottom line, according to Krishna. “Our research suggests that a good understanding of the effect of haptic cues is clearly important for managers for their product and packaging decisions,” she says. “If the haptic feel of bottles and cups in which drinks are served and/or sold affects brand inferences, taste perceptions and reservation price, then evidently the choice of material for packaging and for dispensing drinks has implications for managerial profits.”