Balancing the environment and customer value: evaluation of the attractiveness of label-free plastic bottles for green tea

Purpose As a measure against plastic waste, Coca-Cola and Evian have begun introducing label-free plastic bottles. Food labels have long been recognized as an important marketing tool, but there is a lack of research on label-free products. To address this gap, this study examined the influence of label-free design on product attractiveness in the Japanese green tea market. Design/methodology/approach If existing products are used in an experiment, respondents would be subject to brand image bias. Hence, by mechanically combining the main design elements (cap shape, bottle style, decoration line, logo and label) with an orthogonal array, the conditions for bottles with and without labels are completely aligned. The authors conducted an online survey and applied the chi-square test to the attractiveness of 18 designs presented in random order. Findings Label-free designs were more attractive to consumers than labeled designs. The effect was higher among female, middle-aged and older adults; those with higher annual income and low-frequency purchasers. Practical implications Practitioners should adopt a label-free design that can satisfy both environmental considerations and customer value. It would be a formidable challenge to change the longstanding emphasis placed on label design, but this study demonstrates the value of doing so. Originality/value This is the first study in the package design literature on the advantages of label-free plastic bottles. The authors also applied an orthogonal array used for many years to optimize objective numerical values in marketing research.