Dissertation presented as the partial requirement for obtaining a Master's degree in Information Management, specialization in Marketing IntelligenceDespite people’s intentions on eating healthier, obesity rates have been on the rise. The increase in
caloric intake and energy-dense foods between main meals (unhealthy snacks) represent an
accounting explanation for increased obesity. Evidently, people often rely on their perceptions rather
than on nutritional information, thus visual properties of snacks, including color variety, might be an
important cue to promote healthy snacking choices. Research exploring the impact of color variety on
the perceptions of snacks is limited, particularly in adults. This research addresses this gap by
investigating, through an experimental approach, the influence of high color variety (vs. low color
variety) on adults’ perceptions of taste, desire, and healthiness for healthy and unhealthy snacks.
Participants were randomly exposed to one of four different snacking images: healthy or unhealthy
snacks containing high or low color variety. Both healthy and unhealthy snacks were perceived as
tastier when high in color variety (vs. low color variety) and the influence of high-color variety was
associated with a stronger desire for healthy snacks. While no influence of color variety was found on
the perceived healthiness of unhealthy snacks, healthy snacks high in color variety were perceived as
healthier. The implications of this research for companies, consumers, and the public health
community are discussed
