Cues Speak Louder Than Words: Empirical Evidence from Consumer Market of
Pakistan
Abstract
The aim of this study is to probe into the impact of extrinsic
packaging cues (brand name, price, country of origin and precautionary
label) on the quality perceptions of the consumers when the intrinsic
qualities are not experienced yet. Consumer knowledge is used a
moderator in the study. The study also aims to investigate the influence
of the consumer knowledge as a moderator on the relationship between
food packaging cues and perceived product quality. Survey was conducted
using mall intercept method (n= 478) with a self- administered five
point Likert scale questionnaire in Rawalpindi and Islamabad. SPSS and
PLS were used for analyzing the data. In order to ensure the internal
consistency of the variables Cronbach’s alpha was used.
Among all the variables which were studied in
theoretical framework, precautionary label came out to a strong
extrinsic in contributing to the formation of product quality
perceptions. Additionally, brand name and Price are also considered as
important quality determining extrinsic cues. On the other hand, Country
of origin as an extrinsic cue turned out to cast no impact on the
quality perceptions in Pakistani consumer market. Among the interaction
paths, consumer knowledge held a significant role for brand name and
country of origin with perceived product quality.
This study comprises of number of research limitations. The mall
intercept method was utilized in which sample control is difficult. The
data was collected from Rawalpindi and Islamabad which might pose a
problem for generalizability. Along with the limitations, this study
presents horizon for the future researchers by presenting a model of
research which could be extended to other marketing contexts.
The research revealed that, the schema of
extrinsic packaging cues cast a deep impact on the product quality
perceptions. The results imply that practitioners need to embed the
extrinsic cues much intelligently as they tend to produce prior to the
usage quality perceptions regarding the product. This study puts forth a
significant understanding regarding the utility of extrinsic packaging
cues in the determination of product quality perceptions. The paper
provides insights from Pakistani market.