Effects of Organic Food Labels on Consumer Preference

As the demand for organic food skyrockets, so do questions about what drives consumers to choose one jar of tomato paste over another. Is it the word “organic”? The color? The label placement? Researchers at Afyon Kocatepe University set out to find answers, and RealEye made it possible - without a lab or special equipment. All data was collected through regular webcams.

‍

The Goal: Understanding Unconscious Reactions to Organic Labels

The study aimed to uncover what really catches consumers' eyes when shopping for organic products. Instead of just asking participants how they feel, researchers used RealEye's webcam-based tools to capture what people really noticed, in real time. The researchers wanted to know:

• Do people look at organic labels more than others?
• Does this attention lead to a higher chance of buying the product?
• Do men and women react differently to these labels?

(You can read more about the importance of hypotheses in our article here!)

‍

The Method: Surveys Meet Neuromarketing

The research combined classic surveys with neuromarketing tools offered by RealEye:

• Eye-Tracking captured where people looked, how long they stayed, and how often they revisited product labels.
• Facial Coding analyzed expressions like smiling or surprise while participants viewed jars labeled “organic,” “natural,” or with no label at all.

The study was done with 31 participants. They viewed three tomato paste jars - one with an organic label, one with a natural label, and one with no label. Each product was shown for 10 seconds.

‍

What Did RealEye Reveal?

1. Attention to Labels: People paid the most attention to the organic label compared to the natural or unlabeled jars. They also focused on the words “organic” and “natural,” not on the shape or color of the jar.
2. Emotional Reactions: The facial coding showed mild smiling when people looked at the organic product. Most expressions were neutral, but there was a small positive emotional response for organic labels.
3. No Gender Differences: Eye-tracking data and emotional reactions were similar for both men and women.
4. No Strong Link to Purchase Intent: Even though people paid more attention to the organic label, this did not directly lead to a higher intention to buy the product. Factors like price and availability mattered more.

‍

RealEye helped prove that people do notice “organic” when it’s clearly labeled. Even subtle emotional responses - like a smile - can signal a preference. For marketers and product designers, the message is clear: label design matters. And now you can measure that with confidence, thanks to RealEye :-)

‍

Why This Matters

RealEye gave researchers an easy and reliable way to study how people respond to organic food labels. It allowed to collect all the data quickly and remotely, without needing expensive lab setups. This made it possible to measure visual attention and emotion in a real-world setting. RealEye also helped track what people actually looked at and how they reacted - two things that surveys alone can’t measure.

The results show that label design is important, but not the only factor that influences buying decisions. Price and availability still play a big role.

This kind of research is useful for marketers, product designers, and food brands that want to better understand what drives consumer decisions.

‍

You can run a similar study!

Follow the steps below to start your own experiment with RealEye:

1. Go to RealEye Dashboard and create or log in to your account.
2. Purchase the License of your choice (https://www.realeye.io/pricing). If you need any custom adjustments, contact us at contact@realeye.io. We are happy to help!
3. Activate your license by following the instructions in the RealEye License Activation Guide

‍

‍

‍Ready to set up your own study? Visit RealEye Support page to learn more and keep us posted on your results! 🚀