Does Eco-Score create a halo effect?

In many ways, eco-labelling is just as contentious a subject as its nutritional counterpart. While many key stakeholders believe that they will nudge consumers in the right direction, it is also argued that their significance can be easily overstated . Some guidelines have even been labelled ‘misleading’ by non-profit organisations, sparking further debate. One key question remains: do they influence consumers enough to change their views of a product? A recent study published in the journal Food Quality & Preference looked at the effect that Eco-Score – an eco-labelling scheme used in a similar way to Nutri-Score for nutritional labelling – had on consumer perceptions of products using it, and their eventual buying decisions. Using Eco-Score on products on products can, according to the study, impact consumer perceptions of a product positively in ways that even the creators of Eco-Score may not have bargained for. How does the Eco-Score impact consumer perception? The study explored how using Eco-Score impacted consumer perceptions of a range of attributes, including environmental friendliness, tastiness and healthiness. The researchers created three fictitious products – spaghetti, strawberry yoghurt and crisps – and analysed whether consumers’ perceptions were affected by the presence of Eco-Score on the packaging. Consumers in Germany were shown these products in a random order: some labelled Eco-Score A, some Eco-Score C, and some Eco-Score E. Participants were asked to assess their perception of the environmental impact of the product on a seven-point scale. Alongside this, they were also asked how they perceived its healthiness and tastiness. In environmental terms, the Eco-Score had the desired affect on all three products, as all three were perceived as more environmentally friendly when given Eco-Score A rather than E. However, the positive perceptions associated with Eco-Score did not end at its impact on perceptions of environmental friendliness. Products labelled with Eco-Score A were generally perceived as tastier than those labelled with Eco-Score E, despite the fact that Eco-Score has nothing to do with taste! The correlation between Eco-Score and perceptions of health was even clearer. Consumers perceived products labelled with Eco-Score A as healthier than those labelled with Eco-Score C, which in turn were seen as healthier than those labelled with Eco-Score E. The Eco-Score’s influence extends beyond the boundaries of its remit as a sustainability label. It has influenced consumer attitudes towards other aspects of a product. It has, as the researchers hypothesised, the halo effect. Furthermore, Eco-Score E was shown to have a more significant negative impact on perceptions than the positive impact of Eco-Score A, potentially suggesting that negative labelling is more effective than positive. How does the Eco-Score impact purchase intentions? Alongside consumer perceptions of the product, purchase intentions were also measured, again on a seven-point scale. Those who perceived a product as more environmentally friendly, due to Eco-Score A, were likely to have a higher purchase intention than otherwise, with Eco-Score E leading to a lower purchase intention. Eco-Score E was also shown to have a negative impact on purchase intention when linked poorly to perceived tastiness and perceived healthiness. Sourced From: Food Quality & Preference 'Does the Eco-Score lead to a halo effect? Influence of a sustainability label on product perceptions and purchase intention' Published on: 26 June 2024 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2024.105246 Authors: V. Büttner, B. Gassler, R. Teuber