Abstract (EN)

Within the wide range of virtual consumption experience (TV commercials, online shopping), consumers can see or hear a product, but cannot touch it. If numerous studies have focused on the visual dimension of the packaging, the sense of touch has been the least studied sense in marketing and the auditory modalities (sound) have been largely neglected. In this research, we suggest that the sound of a packaging can create an evaluative response about its physical features even though the haptic sense is not activated. We also expect physical features of a packaging wrap to influence customers’ evaluation of the product. Using an experimental study, we show that consumers effectively use auditory cues to infer packaging and product quality.