Research Insight | Consumers Prefer Gloss over Matte—With One Big Exception
Companies such as Apple, BMW, Microsoft, and many other brands offer both glossy and matte designs of their products. But what do consumers actually prefer?
A Journal of Marketing article shows consumers generally prefer products with a glossy surface over a matte finish, not only for new products but for preowned items as well. In one study, consumers were willing to bid higher for a glossy (vs. matte) product (a new display tray). In addition, a glossy (vs. matte) secondhand product (a used tote bag) tended to have higher click-through rates on an online secondhand marketplace.
The preference for glossiness is driven by “newness.” In the firsthand market, glossiness heightens the recency perception of the product (i.e., a shorter time since the product was manufactured). In the secondhand market, consumers prefer glossy products because gloss signals pristineness (i.e., the product is clean or untouched).
Preferences for glossiness reverse, however, for products in which quality and value improve with age. For example, Cabernet Sauvignon tends to be rated more favorably when packed in matte (vs. glossy) bottles.
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What You Need to Know
- Companies in the firsthand market can be strategic in their choice of glossiness for product introductions, updates, and upgrades.
- When promoting secondhand or refurbished items, visually emphasizing restored glossiness helps overcome certain consumer biases and concerns about the condition of used goods.
- Brands can adopt more matte textures and finishes in product categories where aging is a desirable trait (e.g., red wine, Parmesan cheese, fine leather).
Abstract
Consumers demonstrate a preference for products with glossy surfaces. This research examines how and why product glossiness influences consumers’ product preference in the firsthand versus secondhand markets. Six studies demonstrate that consumers generally prefer products with a glossy, as opposed to a matte, surface in both firsthand and secondhand markets. The preference for product glossiness is driven by the heightened recency (pristineness) perception of glossy products in the firsthand (secondhand) market. In addition, in line with these mechanisms, the positive effect of product glossiness on consumer preference is reversed for time-enhanced products (i.e., product quality and value improve with age) in the firsthand market and diminished when diagnostic prior product usage information is available to consumers in the secondhand market. Findings in this research contribute to a deeper understanding of visual marketing and product newness by verifying how visual glossiness induces two different interpretations of product newness in the firsthand and secondhand markets. This research offers practical implications for product design and presentation in the firsthand market, as well as refurbishing and resale strategies in the secondhand market, suggesting ways to communicate a consistent brand image and enhance product preference more effectively.
Jiaqi (Flora) Song, Linying (Sophie) Fan, and Yuwei Jiang, “The Glossy Premium: Effects of Product Glossiness on Consumer Judgments of Firsthand and Secondhand Products,” Journal of Marketing. doi:10.1177/00222429251383926