Author:

Abstract:

The evocative potential of images has been increasingly recognized as one of the most efficient and versatile marketing instruments in the brand-consumer communication. It remains one of the major driving forces for new conceptual solutions and technological developments in marketing. At the same time, the growing body of research provides empirical evidence that the relation between pictorial and verbal cues is far from straightforward and may vary depending on the specific marketing settings. In the proposed paper, we explore the role of package imagery in the retention of (fictitious) Dutch brand names for coffee. As a starting point, we discuss the selection of verbal and pictorial expression of the frames relevant for coffee as a product with highly salient perceptual attributes. The main goal of the presented case study is to analyze the effects of different types of images (photo vs. pictogram) on the recall and recognition of brand names. The effect of the image type is tested both in congruent and incongruent combinations with the verbal cues, i.e. images supporting the frame activated by the brand name vs. images activating an irrelevant or competitive frame. The preliminary results reveal that while supporting images are recognized significantly more often than non-supporting, the image type does not appear to have a significant effect. Furthermore, there is evidence that both image types may have a distracting effect resulting in lower recognition compared to no-image condition. We propose a cognitive interpretation of the results in terms of information processing and framing theory.