Abstract

There has been a rise in the marketplace of newer generation plant-based meat alternative products that cater to flexitarian and meat eating consumers, as they try to resemble real meat as much as possible. However, there is little research on these ambiguous food products. The goal of this thesis was to better understand how marketing and packaging elements influence consumers’ perceptions of plant-based meat alternatives (e.g., taste, health, and environmentally friendly perceptions, predicted consumption, etc.). Online experiments manipulating product names and packaging colors were used to test the hypotheses. Study 1 found that a product named plant-based was viewed as more environmentally friendly and healthier, and had a higher trial likelihood than the product named meat alternative. Mediation analyses revealed that perceived product health and environmental friendliness mediated the relationship between product name and predicted quantity consumed, such that the plant-based name resulted in more positive perceptions but decreased predicted consumption. Study 2 found an interaction effect between product name and package color on trial likelihood, predicted satiety, and environmental goals, with marginal effects of perceived environmental friendliness. The product named meat alternative paired with a red product package resulted in higher ratings of trial likelihood, perceived environmental friendliness, and environmental goals, while the product named plant-based with a red product package was rated as being more satisfying. A moderated-mediation revealed an interaction effect of product name and packaging color on predicted consumption through environmental goals. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed, as well as directions for future research.