"The researchers began with a deceptively simple question: Can something as subtle as a wine label's gender cues change how women perceive, taste, and even purchase wine? Two complementary experiments were designed to determine the answer, one in a controlled lab setting and the other that mirrored real-world shopping choices. Together, the studies offered a revealing look at how visual design primes expectation and shapes sensory experience."
"In the first experiment, participants-all women in the United States-were invited to taste a wine presented under two different guises. The liquid inside the bottle was identical, but the labels were not. One carried feminine design elements, soft color palettes, elegant fonts, and a visual rhythm that suggested delicacy and refinement. The other leaned masculine, with stronger lines, darker hues, and bolder typography. Each participant saw only one version, unaware that another existed."
Two experiments tested whether feminine versus masculine visual or textual cues on wine labels change women's expectations, taste perceptions, liking, and purchase decisions. One experiment used a controlled lab tasting where identical wine was shown with either feminine or masculine label design. Participants recorded expectations about sweetness, fruitiness, and complexity before tasting and then rated flavor, aroma, and overall appeal. A second experiment simulated real-world shopping to observe purchase choices influenced by label aesthetics. Results show that label gender cues altered expectation and sensory experience and influenced buying behavior. Effects persisted even among participants with wine expertise.
Read at Psychology Today
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