(Wines&Vines) - The Nielsen Co. has long been known for tracking what consumers watch on television. Today marketers of packaged goods rely on Nielsen to track what consumers buy in stores. At the Wines & Vines Packaging Conference on Aug. 19, Nielsen will reveal the results of an exclusive study that evaluates consumer perceptions and behaviors related to wine package design and branding.

This month, Nielsen conducted a study of more than 2,500 consumers to understand the impact of package design within the wine category. According to Andrew Haney, vice president of Nielsen Design Solutions, the research involved a 360° assessment of select top-selling packages using cutting-edge design technologies that included eye-tracking and simulated choice scenarios about purchasing decisions.

When Haney presents the results for the first time during the second annual Wines & Vines Packaging Conference, he will cover highlights from this research, including:

• The role of package design: How much power does packing have to help or hurt a brand?

• Nielsen’s comprehensive framework for evaluating design, including specific metrics such as standout, brand equity and conversion.

• Most-preferred designs within the wine category.

• Category-specific “dos” and “don’ts” for package design.

• Best practices for capturing attention, conveying specific personality profiles and driving purchase, supported by specific industry examples.

Previous study of vodka

In a similar study that examined leading vodka brands, Nielsen was able to calculate whether a product’s appearance raised or lowered a consumer’s expectation for that brand. It revealed that in some cases the brand image of a product was high in the consumer’s mind but slipped when they looked directly at the package, and vice versa in other cases.

In its report “Package Design Trend Watch: The Vodka Aisle,” from March 2015, Nielsen observed, “Numerous studies have shown that consumers become attached to a vodka brand due to marketing and advertising, rather than the quality of the actual product. Standing out on shelf and having a bottle that effectively communicates the brand’s attributes more often than not drives purchase behavior.