Introduction

With the trend of healthy consumption, high-quality bottled water has become a priority selection of daily beverage among consumers. According to statistics, in 2019 consumers paid about 200 billion yuan in purchasing bottled water, making it the largest segmented product category in the soft drink industry with a market share of 34.5% (FORWARD Business Information Co. Ltd., 2020). Product manufactures adopting differentiation strategies have attracted their target customers at different levels of demand, focusing on product features such as packaging and functionality to develop new markets for their products. Nielsen data showed that 64% of customers purchasing a new product are promoted by the packaging of the product (The Nielsen Company, 2018). The value of attractive packaging in stimulating consumer purchasing behaviors far exceeds the value of advertising. Among various factors influencing consumer purchasing decisions, product packaging plays a critically important role in affecting consumer purchasing behaviors, which needs to be further explored.

Some studies have thoroughly investigated the influences of the packaging color of bottled drinking water on consumers’ purchase intentions (Beneke et al., 2015). Chitturi et al. (2022) performed a progressive experiment on the cap color and bottle shape of bottled drinking water and verified the influences of product color and shape on the consumer perception of quality. With the environmental issues brought about by market expansion, Beneke et al. (2015). Elisa De Marchi et al. (2020) and Galati et al. (2022) explored the positive influences of plastic bottles made from sustainable bioplastics alternatives and environmentally friendly products on the purchase attitudes and intentions of consumers, further promoting the relevant research. Some other studies have inclined to analyze and discuss aspects such as container design (Arboleda and Arce-Lopera, 2015; H.-C. Chang et al., 2018) and ecological design (Y. Zhu et al., 2019) of bottled drinking water. However, most studies have neglected other relevant factors that could influence consumers’ purchase decisions.

The bottled drinking water market is one of the fastest-growing consumer markets and most scholars have reached a consensus on the positive correlation between packaging design and perceived product quality. In addition, some scholars argued that novel product design can positively trigger product value (Talke et al. 2009). However, few studies have been conducted on the influences of overall factors such as product knowledge of bottled water and customer perception on the purchase intentions of consumers. Particularly, only recently have the influences of design-driven attribute on the purchase intentions of consumers been discussed in relevant literature in the field of product design and marketing. There are very few empirical studies conducted on these influences, which remain to be a significant research topic. In this study, the influences of product knowledge (sensory experience, brand image and design-driven attribute) on the purchase intentions of consumers were systematically described. Particularly, this study has filled the gap in the analysis of design-driven attribute and provided a further reference for clarifying the influence of product knowledge on customer perception. This study aims to analyze relevant factors of product knowledge, especially the influence of design-driven attribute on the purchase intentions of consumers. Specifically, an S-O-R conceptual model framework was introduced in this study to investigate characteristic factors of bottled water design.

With the specific features of bottled drinking water design taken into consideration, in this study, product knowledge was used as an antecedent variable that influences the purchase intentions of consumers, and customer perception was used as a mediating variable to construct a research model of influencing factors of consumers’ purchase intentions. Research hypotheses were established and tested in this study to explore the influencing factors of product knowledge on the purchase intentions of bottled water consumers and further understand consumer psychology. Therefore, the primary objective of this research is to analyze product knowledge and validate the influence of design-driven attribute on the purchase intentions of consumers. The second objective of this study is to examine the influences of perceived value and emotional attitude on the purchasing behaviors of consumers.

Theoretical basis and study assumption

S-O-R model

Mehrabian and Russell (1974) have developed the S-O-R(Stimuli-Organism-Response) theoretical model on the basis of the S-R(Stimuli-Response) theory. In this model, they proposed that various factors in the environment can stimulate the internal states (emotional responses) of organisms (consumers), eventually leading to behavioral responses of organisms. Based on the influences of stimuli on consumer behaviors proposed in the theoretical S-O-R framework, scholars have conducted various research in different fields. Especially, they used advertisements, community features, and user-generated contents on online platforms (such as Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter) as stimuli (S) in exploring the impulsive purchase behaviors (R) of Z-generation consumers under the positive influence of customer participation (O) (Ul Islam and Rahman, 2017; L. Zhu et al., 2020; Djafarova and Bowes, 2021; Lee and Chen, 2021). Vieira (2013) verified the dependence of consumer responses on consumer emotions in a store environment, further revealing the close relationship between consumer emotions and consumers’ entertainment motivations in shopping. Altinigne and Karaosmanoglu (2017) discussed the importance of website atmosphere. They especially emphasized the critical influences of complex visual cues on the purchase decisions of consumers. In the research of environmental psychology, factors of environmental atmosphere primarily refer to such physical factors as hue, sound, smell, taste, and texture perceived through the senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch (Krishna, 2012). In a retail environment, through the collection and evaluation of product information, consumers’ attention can be attracted, and visual sensory stimuli usually play the most important role in retail marketing (Huddleston et al., 2018). In previous research, stimuli were divided into two categories: objective stimuli and social psychological stimuli (Slama and Tashchian, 1987). Compared with social psychological stimuli, objective stimuli are more related to food (Liang and Lim, 2020).

When perceiving product attributes, consumers can experience different perceptual stimuli. For example, color, shape, label, and price are search attributes of a food product, touch and taste are its experience attributes, and safety and environmental protection are a food product’s trust attributes (Girard and Dion, 2010). Therefore, in retail, as a kind of physical stimulus, products themselves affect consumers’ emotional responses and their purchase intentions. S-O-R model was used in this study to investigate the influences of product knowledge of bottled drinking water on consumers’ purchase behaviors. Also, this research primarily focused on the relationships of product stimuli (sensory, brand-image, and design-driven perceptions of the packaging design of bottled drinking water), consumers’ emotional attitudes, and perceived quality with the purchase intentions of consumers.

Conceptual model and research hypothesis

Based on the S-O-R theory, the explanatory logic of stimuli-organism-response was established in this study. This model has been widely used in the commercial and marketing activities ((Wu and Lai, 2022; Cao et al., 2023). However, the S-O-R model was less used in the FMCG industry. In this study, this model was applied to investigate the influences of different product knowledge on the purchase intentions of consumers. Through the conceptual framework applied in this study, it can be predicted that three dimensions of product knowledge (sensory experience, brand image and design driving) can exert positive influences on purchase intentions of consumers and further enhance their product brand loyalty. In addition, it was speculated in this study that perceived product value and emotional attitudes among consumers play a mediating role in their purchase intentions.

Product knowledge and perceived value

People perceive things in their lives through their senses. Nowadays, most companies are using sensory attributes to differentiate their products from competitive products. Sensory branding is a new approach in brand marketing utilizing human senses. It is a practical tool for modern brands in product packaging and product development to create a better brand experience among consumers (Thomson, 2016). With human senses involved in brand experiences, brands are connected with consumers, thus tapping consumers’ emotions and exerting a great influence on them. Multiple senses (sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch) are usually involved in an all-around sensory experience, with feelings, ideas, and subjective concepts created. Consumer perceived value refers to how a consumer evaluates consumer goods through a certain concept (Boksberger and Melsen, 2011). With a wide presence, perceived value is reflected in various stages of purchase processes (before-purchase, during-purchase, in-use, and after-use stages) (Sánchez et al. 2006). The relevant stimulation caused in brand experiences reflects how effectively consumers perceive brands’ distinctive functional attributes, such as design, identity, and packaging, through their contacts with these brands. Meanwhile, through sensory stimulation, consumers’ curiosity about new things is satisfied (Sheth et al., 1991). Perceived value interacts with both subjects (customers) and objects (products) in consumer behaviors (Benhamza Nsairi, 2012). With their expectations satisfied, consumers’ sensory value can be realized through their sensory experiences. A lot of studies have shown that consumer sensory experience is associated with consumer emotion, determining consumers’ preferences for certain products (Ferrarini et al., 2010). Therefore, the following hypothesis was proposed in this study:

H1a: Sensory experience has a positive influence on perceived value.

A good brand image can enhance product value. Previous research has verified that online store image and perceived value can influence the purchase intentions of consumers (E.C. Chang and Tseng, 2013). Studies of Zhu and other scholars showed that the country of origin image of a product has different influences on consumers’ perceived value in different dimensions and significant influences on functional and emotional values among consumers. It can be seen that product images can influence consumers’ perceived value in different dimensions. Accordingly, this study explored the influences of brand image on the perceived value of consumers, with the following hypothesis proposed:

H1b: Brand images can positively influence the perceived value of consumers.

Relevant research on design-driven innovation has been performed in different industries, involving various aspects such as design practice, design management, and innovation strategy investigated. Design-driven products have broadened the user-centered design concept and achieved a comprehensive balance among user needs, technological development, and product semantics (De Goey et al., 2019). Moreover, these products have provided different insights of perceived value in different fields. Design-driven products have provided consumers with added value that is beyond the intrinsic value of products. Furthermore, added value can create an emotional bond between customers and brand manufacturers, resulting from the evaluation of consumers on the product attributes and their own preferences. The core value of a product is to satisfy the needs of consumers. More importantly, products should tap consumers’ potential needs. Among consumers who believe that design-driven products have greater significance than normal products, the added value of design (advertisement, brand, packaging, etc.) has become a crucial factor enhancing the perceived value of consumers and promoting their purchasing behaviors. Therefore, the following hypothesis was proposed in this study.

H1c: Design-driven products have a positive influence on perceived value of consumers.

Product knowledge and emotional attitude

The embodied cognition theory emphasizes a balanced unity between an individual’s physical experience and his emotional state (Krishna, 2012). Belk argued that, when making purchase decisions, consumers are stimulated by external factors in their behaviors, and these external factors can further affect internal perceptions of consumers and bring about certain changes in their emotional attitudes, thus impacting their purchasing decisions (He and Li, 2016). Some research has explored the role of sensory experience in the process of product purchasing. For example, Lv and Wu proposed that a positive sensory experience can arouse consumers’ psychological emotions and that emotional responses of consumers are based on their extraordinary sensory experiences (Lv and Wu, 2021). In an experiment investigating the influences of beverages’ visual appearances on tasting experiences of consumers, a conclusion was drawn that different visual cues have different influences on the taste of beer among consumers (Reinoso-Carvalho et al., 2019). Apparently, sensory experiences can arouse or enhance positive emotions of consumers (Hultén, 2011). Therefore, in this study, the following hypothesis was proposed.

H2a: Sensory experience has a positive influence on emotional attitude of a consumer.

As a kind of brand asset, brand image creates an intimate emotional connection between products and consumers and helps cultivate consumers’ product preferences effectively. Perception of brand image is an antecedent condition for product identification and loyalty. With it, a series of consumer emotional attitudes and behavioral responses can be formed (Bauer et al. 2008). Shokri and other scholars argued that consumers with high levels of brand image recognition present more positive emotional attitudes (Shokri and Alavi, 2019). Brand images help establish a relationship between consumers’ personal values and brands, thus reinforcing positive attitudes of consumers toward brands and promoting more active and effective consumer behaviors (Coelho et al., 2018). Therefore, it was argued in this study that in terms of FMCG, consumers with high levels of brand image recognition are more likely to present a more positive attitude toward products. With this consideration, the following hypothesis was proposed in this study.

H2b Brand image positively influences emotional attitude of a consumer.

When consumers purchase innovative products, they will take into account their gains and losses brought about by brand manufacturers, as well as their own preferences and emotional factors. Consumers previously gaining very satisfactory experiences in purchasing a certain product will take a more positive emotional attitude towards that product, thus leading to more repeat-purchase behaviors among these consumers. Therefore, the following hypothesis was proposed in this study.

H2c: Design-driven products have a positive influence on consumers’ emotional attitudes.

Product knowledge and purchase intention

According to Smith and Beatty, product knowledge refers to all the information a customer can obtain on a certain product during his purchase decision-making process, including subjective knowledge, prior experience, and objective knowledge (Beatty and Smith, 1987). There are multiple channels for consumers to purchase FMCG. Therefore, during their product information-gathering processes, consumers with less product knowledge are inclined to depend on external product cue information like brand and packaging (Malhotra et al., 2006). For example, Anetoh and other scholars have explored the significant influences of malt beverages’ sensory attributes on the purchase intentions of consumers (Anetoh et al. 2020). Before product purchasing, consumers will try to collect product knowledge. If it is difficult for them to make an objective judgment on product purchasing, external cue information will influence their purchase intentions to a large extent. In contrast, consumers with more product knowledge will use more internal cue information to judge products (Schreier and Prügl, 2008). Based on the above discussion, it is proposed that consumers’ perceptions of product contents and information could enhance their purchase intentions. Accordingly, the following hypotheses were proposed in this study.

H3a: Sensory experience positively influences purchase intention of a consumer.

H3b: Brand image has a positive influence on purchase intention of a consumer.

H3c: Design-driven products have a positive influence on purchase intention of a consumer.

Perceived value, emotional attitude, and purchase intention

Perceived value is the most crucial factor influencing purchase decisions of consumers (Chen and Tsai, 2008; Hsin Chang and Wang, 2011; Fang et al. 2016). It is closely related to consumers’ needs. Based on different dimensions of consumer needs, scholars have defined perceived value from various perspectives. VA Zeithaml and some scholars argued that perceived value can be viewed as an overall assessment of consumers’ perceptions of products or services during their purchase processes (Zeithaml, 1988). Consumers perceiving high value of a product will develop a positive attitude towards that product, thus presenting a strong intention to purchase such a product (Chu and Lu, 2007). Research showed that both perceived value and emotional value of consumers can positively affect their purchase intentions. Consumers are likely to pay attention to perceived value and functional value of products or services with different dimensions (Neslin et al., 2006; Chi and Kilduff, 2011; Li et al., 2012). In this study, the mediating effect of perceived value on purchase intention has been explored. Therefore, the following hypothesis was proposed.

H4: Perceived value can positively influence purchase intention of a consumer.

Consumer purchase intention refers to the motivation of a consumer to purchase a certain product sold by a retailer (Mullet and Karson, 1985). Previous research has shown that at the purchase decision stage, consumers’ perceptions and emotions will respond to the brands of products they consider purchasing (Morris et al., 2002). Consumers with a more positive emotional attitude towards a product are more likely to purchase that product (Cyders and Smith, 2008). Also, investigating emotional experiences of consumers during their product purchasing processes can help understand their relevant purchase behaviors and intentions (Juodeikiene et al., 2018). Product evaluation in relevant cases shows that emotional perceptions of consumers are associated with their positive purchase intentions and both positive and neutral emotional attitudes of customers can effectively stimulate their purchase intentions. Among the vast contents of commercial information, the promotion content that can elicit emotional responses from consumers can significantly influence their purchase intentions (Morris et al., 2002). Therefore, the following hypothesis was proposed in this research.

H5: Emotional attitude has a positive influence on purchase intention.

Based on the above theoretical analysis and research hypotheses, the research model utilized in this study is shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
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Theoretical model based on SOR.

Research Design

Measurement variable and questionnaire

All dimensional measurements involved in this study were performed with reference to the relevant mature scales of consumer behaviors and design conceptions introduced in the existing literature. In order to ensure that measurement items can reflect consumer perceptions, their contents were adjusted based on product characteristics and consumers’ actual purchase experiences and under the advice and guidance of relevant experts. Therefore, a final scale with six dimensions of sensory experience, brand image, design driving, perceived value, emotional attitude, and purchase intention was adopted in this study. In order to ensure the reliability and validity of the scale, a small-scale survey was conducted before questionnaires were formally distributed. Based on the feedback received in this pre-survey, three vague question items with low reliability were removed from the questionnaire, with a final formal questionnaire obtained. The final questionnaire consists of three parts. Items in the first part are to investigate the perceptions of consumers on design-driven products. Items in the second part are to investigate the purchase intentions of consumers on design-driven products. Meanwhile, items in the third part are to collect the basic information of consumers, including such demographic information as gender, age, and education background, as well as their monthly purchase times and the time they spend on each purchase. A total of six latent variables and twenty-three measurement items are included in each questionnaire. In order to ensure the internal validity of measurements, at least three question items are set for each variable in the questionnaire, as shown in Table 1. A uniform Likert five-level scale is used in the questionnaire. Based on their own purchase experiences, interviewees can score these question items, with a score of 1 representing “not satisfied at all” and a score of 5 representing “completely satisfied.”

Table 1 Survey items and references.
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Data collection and sample description

The formal questionnaire survey was conducted in Nanjing, China, spanning from September to October 2022, during which a total of 350 questionnaires were distributed. It utilized a dual approach, combining field distribution in parks and supermarkets with the dissemination of questionnaires via an online platform. In terms of sampling methodology, convenience sampling within the framework of non-probability sampling was employed to execute an intercept survey targeting consumers who have previously purchased design-driven FMCG products. Prior to initiating the formal survey, it was deemed crucial to verify that respondents had indeed engaged in the consumption of design-driven products. To ensure the representativeness of the sample, the survey encompassed both weekends and weekdays. In order to ensure the scientific and objective nature of this study, invalid questionnaires with incomplete information, too short a completion time, and too many repetitive answers were removed. Then, a total of 322 valid questionnaires were selected, with a validity rate of 92%. In terms of respondent gender, 169 questionnaires were submitted by female interviewees, accounting for 52.5% of all questionnaires collected in this study. In terms of age distribution, 18 questionnaires were submitted by interviewees below the age of 18, accounting for 5.6% of all questionnaires collected in this survey. Also, 110, 106, 66, and 22 questionnaires were submitted by interviewees of 18–25 years, 26–30 years, 31–40 years, and over 40 years old, respectively, and accounted for 34.2%, 32.9%, 20.5%, and 6.8% of all questionnaires collected, respectively. The youth group was the main group of people surveyed in this research, with questionnaires submitted by young people of 18–30 years old accounting for 67.1% of all questionnaires collected. These age distributions met the requirements of this research. In terms of consumer attitude, 82.3% of respondents submitting valid questionnaires in this survey were somewhat or very concerned about the appearance design of the bottled drinking water product in question, while those remaining respondents were indifferent (12.1%) or never concerned about (5.6%) the appearance design of the product. These statistical characteristics of survey samples described above are consistent with those characteristics of consumer groups described in the authoritative investigation report. Therefore, survey data collected in this study can reflect the characteristics of the consumer group in question. With these data, accurate and reliable research conclusions can be well reached.

In this study, skewness and kurtosis coefficients were utilized to test whether sample data follow a normal distribution. The test results show that the absolute values of skewness coefficients obtained fall into a range of 0.468–0.905 and the absolute values of kurtosis coefficients obtained fall into a range of 0.019–0.816. Therefore, absolute values of skewness and kurtosis coefficients of sample data obtained in this research are lower than 2 and 7, respectively (Hair et al., 2010; Demir, 2022). This indicates that measurement data of all questionnaire items applied in this study follow an approximate normal distribution and these data can be used in hypothesis tests under a structural equation model.

Model assumption

A regression model was applied in this study to validate the relationship between product knowledge and purchase intentions of consumers. The dependent variables used in this study have three effective hierarchical options, making them multi-value ordinal variables. Based on the results of variable selection mentioned above, a spatial econometric model of consumer purchase intention effect was constructed as follows:

$$\gamma {{PI}}_{{i}}={\beta }_{0}+{\beta }_{1}{Product}1+{\beta }_{2}{Product}2+{\beta }_{3}{Product}3+{\beta }_{4}X+{\varepsilon }_{{i}}$$
(1)

In this equation, \(\gamma {PI}\) represents the dependent variable; \({\beta }_{0}\) represents a constant term; β represents the independent variable to be estimated; and \({\varepsilon }_{{i}}\) represents a random disturbance term. Furthermore, a variance inflation factor (VIF) method was applied in this study to test the multi-collinearity relationships among all explanatory variables. A maximum VIF value of 4.956 was obtained among all explanatory variables. This value is below the critical threshold of 10, indicating the absence of multi-collinearity relationship ((Diamantopoulos et al., 2008)). Empirical Mediating Models 1 and 2 were established in this study for the test of mediating effects, with the addition of perceived value and emotional attitude on the basis of product knowledge hypothesis. This study borrowed the mediating-effect sequential testing method proposed by Benny and Kenny to test the possible mediating effects between explanatory variables and explained variables. The models applied in this study are as follows:

Mediating Model 1:

$${M}_{{i}}={\vartheta }_{0}\,+\,{\vartheta }_{1}{Product}\,+\,{\vartheta }_{2}X+{\varepsilon }_{{i}}$$
(2)
$${{PI}}_{{i}}={\omega }_{0}+{\omega }_{1}{Product}+{\omega }_{2}{M}_{{i}}+{\omega }_{3}X+{\varepsilon }_{{i}}$$
(3)

Mediating Model 2:

$${m}_{{i}}={\vartheta }_{0}\,+\,{\vartheta }_{1}{Product}\,+\,{\vartheta }_{2}X+{\varepsilon }_{{i}}$$
(4)
$${{PI}}_{{i}}={\omega }_{0}+{\omega }_{1}{Product}+{\omega }_{2}{m}_{{i}}+{\omega }_{3}X+{\varepsilon }_{{i}}$$
(5)

In these equations, \({M}_{{i}}\) represents the mediating variable of perceived value and \({m}_{{i}}\) represents the variable of emotional attitude (other variables are consistent with those variables applied in Model(1)). \({\beta }_{{i}}\) and \({\omega }_{1}\) reflect the overall and direct effects of product knowledge on the purchase intentions of consumers, respectively. Significant \({\beta }_{1}\), \({\vartheta }_{1}\), \({\omega }_{1}\) and \({\omega }_{2}\) and \({\omega }_{1}\) < \({\beta }_{1}\) indicate the presence of a partial mediating effect. An insignificant \({\omega }_{1}\) indicates the presence of a complete mediating effect.

Empirical Study

Reliability and validity tests

In order to ensure the validity of research hypotheses and the reliability of research results, reliability and validity tests were performed on the scales applied in the research. Reliability indicates how consistent, stable, and reliable the scale results can be, and validity represents the fit degrees of questionnaire items to measurement results. In terms of reliability, all Cronbach’s a coefficient values of observation indicators obtained in this study were over 0.8, falling into a range of 0.863-0.907. A large Cronbach’s a coefficient value indicates a greater relevance of corresponding question items of each observation scalar. A usual Cronbach’s alpha coefficient value falls into a range of 0-1. An alpha coefficient value of higher than 0.5 indicates an acceptable reliability of the scale, and an alpha coefficient value of higher than 0.6 indicates a considerable reliability of the scale. With an alpha coefficient value of higher than 0.7, it can be judged that the scale has a very high reliability. The measured coefficient values of the scale used in this study are all over 0.8, indicating excellent internal consistency of question items of each observation scalar used in this survey. With the SPSS Statistics 25.0 software, explanatory factor analysis was conducted to perform KMO and Bartlett’s sphericity tests on the scale, with a KMO statistic value of 0.868 and a significance Bartlett’s sphericity test value of 0.000 obtained. All CR values of six latent variables measured in this study are higher than 0.8. Except for relatively low AVE values of brand image and purchase intention, AVE values of other latent variables are all higher than 0.6, indicating a good data aggregation effect and a good variable structure convergence degree of the scale. All test results mentioned above indicate that it is suitable to use the scale to perform a factor analysis (See Table 2).

Table 2 Test results of reliability and convergence validity of survey data.
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Model fit test

In order to ensure the scientific nature of this study, an AMOS 25.0 software was used to perform an overall goodness-of-fit test on the model through a maximum likelihood estimation method. A result of CMIN/df = 1.075 and RMSEA = 0.015 ( < 0.08) was obtained, indicating a good fit degree of the model. A comprehensive review of all indicators showed that the research model has a good overall fit degree to the measured data (See Table 3).

Table 3 Model fit indices and their common criteria.
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Path analysis and hypothesis test

Results of path analysis

Based on the S-O-R model, a model of influencing mechanisms of product knowledge of design-driven FMCG and customer perceptions on consumer purchase intentions was constructed in this study. In order to verify those relevant hypotheses proposed in this model, a structural equation model was established in this research through mathematical analysis. Then, based on the results of path analysis, all theoretical hypotheses proposed in this study were verified, with a structural equation model constructed. Subsequently, the structure of the model and its corresponding path coefficients were measured, as shown in Fig. 2. The maximum likelihood method was used to verify path coefficients among variables, and causal relationships between variables in the structural model were evaluated primarily based on the regression results of path coefficients. That is to say, the corresponding critical ratio C.R. and P-value of each path coefficient of the structural model were calculated. Usually, a C.R. ratio with an absolute value of higher than 1.96 indicates a significant relationship between variables at the significance level of 0.05 and a P-value of lower than 0.05 indicates that a hypothesis has passed the test (See Table 4).

Fig. 2
Fig. 2
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Structural equation model.

Table 4 Path analysis results of structural equation model.
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Hypothesis test and analysis

The results of path analysis show that Hypotheses H1a, H2c, H3a, and H4 in the model have not passed the test, and all other hypotheses are significant at the significance level of 0.05, indicating that they are valid hypotheses. A Bootstrap test method was used in this research to test the mediating effect. The Bias-corrected Percentile and Percentile methods of error correction were applied to estimate the mediating effect at a 95% confidence interval. A confidence interval not containing zero indicates the presence of a mediating effect. All summarized results of hypothesis tests are listed in Table 5. Path analysis showed that there are significant mediating effects in the paths of “Brand image-perceived value-purchase intention” and “Sensory experience-emotional attitude-purchase intention,” thus supporting Hypotheses H6b and H7a. In order to explore the relationship between customer perception and purchase intention, it is necessary to further investigate whether these are full mediating effects or partial mediating effects. Data analysis showed that there is no direct effect in the path of “Brand image-purchase intention,” indicating a partial mediating effect of perceived value. Meanwhile, there is no direct effect in the path of “sensory experience - purchase intention”, indicating a full mediating effect of emotional attitude. Therefore, it can be concluded that Hypothesis H6b partially holds, and Hypothesis H7a holds.

Table 5 Test results of mediating effect.
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Discussion

The results of hypothesis tests conducted in this study are described as follows:

1) Sensory experience has a significantly positive effect on emotional attitude (β = 0.171; p < 0.01). The results of path analysis show that sensory experience could influence emotional attitude. This indicates that Hypothesis H2a can be verified, but Hypothesis H1a is not supported. Sensory systems of consumers can stimulate their internal reactions and satisfy their emotions, which is consistent with the findings of Zha et al. (2022) in studies of product brand. However, after consumers know and trust a product through sensory experience, they will not thus get satisfied. The reason is that although experience needs of consumers are satisfied, there is still interference from external environmental factors. This is the very reason why a should-be positive correlation between consumers’ sensory experiences and their perceived value does not exist. With the ever-weakening concept of “functional value” and the ever-reinforcing concept of “emotional value” among consumers, more attention has been paid to their specific needs to satisfy their psychological or sentimental preferences during their product purchase or consumption processes. Thus, meeting those personalized, interactive, and subjective needs of consumers has become an important trend in the development of modern consumption theories. This is consistent with the result of previous studies that emotional experiences of consumers are derived from their emotions or feelings (Brakus et al., 2009).

2) Brand image has a significantly positive influence on perceived value (β = 0.243; p < 0.001). Also, it has a positive influence on emotional attitude (β = 0.209; p < 0.001). Therefore, Hypotheses H1b and H2b can be verified. Tangible and functional brand attributes can be intuitively perceived by consumers. The brand image of a product determines the expectations of consumers on the quality of the product. In most cases, consumers believe that product appearance, producer image, and product function are the influencing factors of product quality. Thus, it is necessary for manufacturers to highlight the importance of brand image. The personality characteristics of a brand facilitate the establishment of consumers’ attachments to the brand. The strong preferences formed in the minds of consumers are exactly the basis for brand creation, and their subjective perceptions have a direct or indirect impact on their emotional attitudes toward a brand. Some other studies have shown that brand image has a significant and direct influence on customer value and satisfaction (Haase et al. 2018), which is further improved and enriched in this study.

3) Design-driven attribute has a positive influence on perceived value (β = 0.239; p < 0.001). However, it does not significantly affect emotional attitude (β = 0.116; p > 0.05). Therefore, Hypothesis H1c is supported, while Hypothesis H2c is not supported. New product functions and elements are developed on the basis of their original functions, thus improving their added value. Consumers perceive product value in a subjective manner. The fresh and unfamiliar information of design-driven products will encourage consumers to reassess the quality, practicality and cost-effectiveness of these products, and design innovation will enhance the recognition of perceived value among consumers (Conti et al., 2019). The reason for the insignificant role played by emotional attitude is that with the rapid upgrading and renewing of products and their increasingly diversified attributes, consumer conceptions will be overshadowed by the novel information and design language conveyed in products, thus blurring the conceptions of consumers on design-driven products and making them fully uncertain about these products. This finding is different from the results of previous studies (Beltagui et al. 2012). A comparison of path coefficients of sensory experience, brand image, and design-driven attribute on perceived value and emotional attitude shows that brand image has a bigger influence on perceived value than design-driven attribute, and design-driven attribute has a bigger influence on emotional attitude than brand image and sensory experience. This indicates that newer and better products or services created with design-driven strategies can better meet customers’ expectations and exert a positive influence on consumer behaviors. Also, it shows that meeting the needs of consumers in the emotional consumption era is an important means of creating product value.

4) Emotional attitude can positively affect purchase intention (β = 0.171; p < 0.05). On the contrary, perceived value has no significant effect on purchase intention (β = 0.073; p > 0.05). Therefore, Hypothesis H5 is supported, while Hypothesis H4 is not supported. According to the S-O-R theory, the external stimulation of product knowledge on consumers will inevitably cause changes in their internal perception attitudes. Whether consumers are effectively stimulated by FMCG or not, their individual complex psychological activities will be aroused. Based on their subjective cognition, consumers will make emotional evaluations, which can eventually affect their behavioral intentions and encourage them to make purchase decisions. Generally speaking, there should be a positive correlation between perceived value and purchase intention. However, such a correlation was not observed in this research. A possible reason is that value attributes of FMCG have made consumers weigh perceived benefits of the products or services to be purchased and the costs to be paid, with the decision that the consumer surplus they could obtain can not meet their expectations, thus making their corresponding judgment on the purchase.

5) Brand image (β = 0.161; p < 0.05) and design-driven attribute (β = 0.138; p < 0.05) have a positive influence on purchase intention, while sensory experience has no significant effect on purchase intention. Thus, Hypotheses H3b and H3c are supported, while Hypothesis H3a is not supported. Brand image and design-driven attribute are external factors of a product that help consumers interpret product information. They are symbols of product quality that can be directly perceived by consumers. A strong brand image can enhance consumer confidence with outstanding products and services (Islam et al., 2023). A stronger brand image leads to lower perceived risks and greater purchase intentions among consumers. This conforms to the mediating role played by perceived value between brand image and purchase intention. Therefore, consumers can be impressed only when they really perceive the value of products. Consequently, their purchase intentions will be aroused. This aligns with the value dimension-oriented principle proposed in the consumer value theory (Rousta and Jamshidi, 2020). Only with perceptual experiences, consumers cannot fully grasp the specific information of products. Therefore, external cues of design-driven products can help consumers identify some functional indicators of products, thus affecting their purchase intentions. Emotional attitude plays a mediating role between sensory experience and purchase intention. Therefore, the sensory stimulation caused by products will ultimately affect the cognition of consumers through their emotional attitudes, leading to the formation of their purchase intentions. With consumer purchase intention used as an outcome variable, this study explored the influences of antecedent variables such as sensory experience, brand image, and design-driven attribute on consumer perceived value and emotional attitude and clarified the significant influencing intensity and path of each independent variable on consumer purchase intention. Firstly, this study has supplemented and enriched the model explanation with important theoretical content. Secondly, it has provided practical evidence for the innovation of design-driven products. A design-driven product that precisely grasps consumers’ specific perceptions can significantly influence their purchase intentions. A possible reason is that consumers with better experience perception will develop a cognitive affirmation on brand image and emotionally accept design-driven products. Therefore, their purchase intentions will be positively affected.

Conclusion

Conclusion and enlightenment

The primary achievement of this study is that it has analyzed the relationship between product knowledge of FMCG and purchase intentions of consumers, revealing that brand image and design-driven attribute have a significantly positive effect on purchase intentions of consumers. The study results show that emotional attitude plays a full mediating role between purchase intentions of consumers and their sensory experiences. On the other hand, the study shows that sensory experience and perceived value are not correlated with purchase intention, while perceived value has a partial mediating effect on purchase intention. This research has provided empirical evidence and innovatively incorporated the elements of current design-driven product and consumer purchase intention into a consumer response model. It suggests designers to create more visually appealing products that can better satisfy consumer preferences, thus improve purchase intentions of consumers to a maximum extent.

The major theoretical contribution of this study is as follows. This study has constructed a theoretical model of influencing mechanism of design-driven product knowledge on consumer purchase intention. It has further explained the paths and working mechanisms of brand image and sensory experience influencing consumer purchase intention through perceived value and emotional attitude, respectively, and verified the presence of mediating effects in these working mechanisms. Meanwhile, this study has tested the validity of product knowledge strategy and expanded the application of the SOR model in the FMCG industry. In this study, meaningful reference and evidence have been provided for FMCG brands to deeply analyze the specific needs of consumers, accurately design products based on brand and product characteristics and appropriately select promotion contents for marketing activities. In terms of management practice, the results of this study have confirmed the value of design-driven strategy, suggesting that corporation management can deliberately pursue higher degrees of product design elements in developing new products to enhance the competitiveness of their companies in the industry. The study also shows that emphasis on product knowledge can improve emotional attitudes of consumers in their product purchasing processes and enhance their perceived value of products, thus satisfying their potential needs to a maximum extent. Therefore, promoting products with a stronger sense of design than those of competitors can help companies achieve more advantageous marketing performance. Brands utilizing the design-driven strategy can differentiate their products from competitors’ products more effectively, thus creating a more distinctive image and ultimately influencing purchase intentions of their customers.

Research limitations and prospect

Various factors have led to some limitations in this study. Limited model and relevant scales were developed in this study with reference to the research results of various scholars. This study has only investigated the purchase intentions of consumers of bottled drinking water in the FMCG industry, making its results not universally applicable in other industries. In order to further verify the applicability of the study model, future research should investigate more suitable products as its study objects. Also, insufficient sample data and limited study objects were used in this study. Therefore, research objects in a wider range and at a higher level should be applied in future studies. Although multi-layer independent variables with a comprehensive coverage range were involved in this study, there are still some uncertainties in terms of influencing factors of consumers’ purchase intentions. The influences of the price and sustainability elements of design-driven products on consumer purchase intention have not been discussed in this study. Selection of independent variables will be affected by uncertainties. Furthermore, certain variations exist in the purchase processes of consumers, leading to consumer behaviors not consistent with the expected results. More variables should be introduced in future studies to investigate the relationships among designers, consumers and stakeholders of design-driven products more thoroughly. In the future, researchers of this study will continuously and actively investigate consumers’ behaviors.