Increasing purchase intention while limiting binge-eating: The role of repeating the same flavor-giving ingredient image on a front of package

Food managers face the dilemma of having to increase their product sales products without increasing risk for obesity. Here we posit that a strategy based on repeating front-of-package images of a flavor ingredient can help solve this dilemma. Prior literature reports positive benefits in terms of purchase from displaying one or more front-of-package flavor-giving ingredient images but offers limited insights into the effect of repeating the same flavor-giving ingredient image. Based on four experiments, we found a differential effect of flavor-giving ingredient images repetition on consumption and purchase intention only when cognitive resources were available. The more flavor-giving ingredient images, the lower product consumption (Study 1), but the easier mental flavor imagery, and the stronger purchase intention (Study 2). Specifically, the increase in flavor mental imagery produced by image repetition induces sensory-specific satiety that drives more intention to purchase (Study 3). These findings are of interest for both reducing obesity due to overeating and designing front-of-package imagery.