The “High Protein” nutrition claim as a source of the health halo effect among young, sports-oriented consumers

This bachelor’s thesis examined the influence of the “High Protein” claim on the decision-making of young Czech adult consumers with active lifestyles. The study tested whether consumers attribute additional, unverified qualities to a product based on a marketing claim about its high protein content on the product packaging. This cognitive bias, described in the thesis as the health halo effect, was observed. The research was conducted as a quantitative questionnaire survey of respondents aged 18 to 30. The methodology involved simulating a shopping environment, in which respondents were instructed to evaluate selected aspects of two displayed products, only one of which featured a marketing claim on its packaging. The results of this section were compiled into the Health Halo Index, which was then used to test statistical dependencies using Pearson’s chi-square test. The results confirmed a strong cognitive bias among most participants, and subsequent analysis revealed that the intensity of the health halo effect depends on the attention paid to the packaging and on consumers’ purchasing preferences. The study demonstrated that front-of-package nutritional claims function as a heuristic shortcut, leading the target group to set aside rational assessment of nutritional facts and to rely solely on a marketing claim.