When multi-labelling backfires. The influence of sustainability FOP labels valence and orientation

To inform and encourage responsible consumer choices, the use of sustainability (i.e., health and/or environmental), front-of-package labels on food products is becoming increasingly widespread. While the benefits of a single label are well-documented, less is known about the effects of multi-labelling – when multiple front-of-package labels are displayed on packaging – especially when these labels differ in valence (i.e., positive versus negative) and orientation (i.e., self-oriented versus others-oriented). Through two experimental studies, we examine how consumers respond to multi-labelling in this context. We show that conflicting labels, displaying opposite valences, cause confusion, regardless of their orientation, without affecting purchase intentions. Furthermore, they reduce moral satisfaction when both are others-oriented, which decreases purchase intentions. Finally, same-valence labels, regardless of their orientation, do not impact the mediating psychological mechanisms (moral satisfaction and consumer confusion) but instead directly influence purchase intentions, positively when both labels are others-oriented and negatively when the labels differ in orientation. In line with Kahneman's dual process theory, consumers process multi-labelling differently depending on labels valence and orientation: similar-valence labels seem to prompt automatic processing (System 1), whereas opposite-valence labels appear to require more deliberate cognitive processing (System 2). These findings provide new insights on multi-labelling, offering practical implications for managers and policymakers seeking to optimize labelling strategies for health and environmental sustainability.