Consumer Choices: More than Meets the Eye

Or it it? Why do consumers make the choices they make? Is it really based on all the reasons that we think it is? People say that they only order "healthy" when they eat out or that they only want to put organic beauty products on their face or that they will only drink the wine made with the very best grapes. But are these the things that ultimately guide our spontaneous purchasing decisions? Or does it have a lot more to do with what we don't consciously think about?

Take product packaging for example. I'm no wine connoisseur myself, but I frequently purchase a bottle to drink with dinner. (Yes, I'm 21.) How do I chose which bottle to buy when the entire aisle 5 at Safeway is filled from top to bottom with various wines with names written in French, Italian, Portuguese and more?

Ultimately, I will be the first to admit, it comes down to aesthetics. Hey, that bottle has a picture of a crazy chicken on it - that seems appealing, or at least entertaining. Or hey, that bottle is shaped differently than the others-it looks kind of short and stubby - let's take pity on it and buy that one. What makes one bottle look classy and another look cheap? Is there any real basis for these distinctions? You decide...