The impact of visual and verbal communication through album covers on involvement and emotional value

: a study based on the legacy of Amália Rodrigues, the best-selling artist of portuguese history

Abstract

We live in a “visual” world. A world of first impressions, where those are determining factors in the actions people take every day. Thus, packaging plays a significant role in product success, influencing individuals’ behaviors and feelings. What concerns music albums, these are no exception. Indeed, a cover becomes the calling card of the album, and its elements may impact consumers differently. But how do visual and verbal communication through album covers impact consumers?Specifically, to what extent are they involved and emotionally connected with the product by perceiving its package? This research, based on the legacy of Amália Rodrigues, sought to answer these questions, focusing on (1) the image of the artist as the visual element, and (2) scarcity messages as the verbal one. To reach solid conclusions, a focus group and a survey questionnaire were conducted. The results from the first were used to design the main study, in which six different stimuli were randomly assigned to the respondents. They could be confronted with limited or non-limited editions of music albums, whose covers included (or not) the image of the artist. Findings suggest that the artist’s figure enhances the involvement that consumers have with the product, as well as the feeling of positive emotions. Moreover, displaying scarcity message simpacts both variables in a positive way. Given that, artists and their managers should take advantage of this visual and verbal communication, and strategically invest in creating products with these characteristics.

Date of Award	25 Jan 2022
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Paulo Romeiro (Supervisor)