Tesco Value porridge oats VS Tesco finest porridge oats.
Tesco Value porridge oats at 75p (1kg).
By instantly looking at the product the consumer is aware that it is a Tesco value product. This is because the colours and the font act as codes that are associated with Tesco’s, therefore the consumer decodes this and understands it is one of their value products. The information on the front is minimal along with the packaging; it is presented in the simplest form without any reference to taste and quality. The packaging also signifies the value of the product; it looks cheap and doesn’t benefit the consumer in terms of its storage.
Tesco Finest porridge oats £1.49 (750g).
This product’s main focus point is the bowl of porridge that entices the consumer, it looks appealing which signifies that the product will taste good. The word ‘finest’ is in a different font to the rest which makes it stand out, as well as the product information clearly displayed in the middle of the box. It gives the consumer nutritional information as well as where it has been grown, this informs the consumer that the product is of a specific quality. The image in the background of the oats in a field is an encoder that denotes the natural environment and emphasises the ‘100% wholegrain’ of the product. By letting the buyer see images of where it has been grown acts as a signifier of quality and it seems like it has come straight from the fields rather than being in a factory for a long period of time therefore putting emphasis on the ‘finest’.
The Tesco Value oats offers a higher quantity for price than the finest oats, which leads the buyer to think that the standard is low therefore the price is low. In relation to social differences the quality of the value product seems as if it would be for people who could only afford the cheapest end of the range, as the overall look is plain and it hasn’t been designed to entice the consumer. Whereas the finest oats box appears to have had more time and thought put into the product which suggests quality. However, the consumer doesn’t know which one is of a better quality in terms of taste and what will satisfy their personal needs. The value product could taste the same or even better than the finest product, nevertheless the finest oats is more appealing but the buyer will get less quantity for the price. Therefore a contrast in social difference is created just from the design of a product, neither of the oats can be defined by its taste through the packaging but consumers assume that the finest product will be the better one.
