Packaging has always played a pivotal role in consumer decision-making. Specifically, the color of the visual elements placed on product packaging have garnered significant attention for their potential to influence consumer perceptions and behaviors. Color is believed to have emotional/psychological associations across cultural and societal contexts.
On the one hand, research has noted that the use of grayscale does not elicit an emotional response (Clarke and Costall, 2008) and this may be because they’re considered passive colors (Bottomley and Doyle, 2006). Conversely, Jacobs et. al (1991), found that black is associated with being expensive and powerful. Based on the conflicting evidence, we contend that attitudes toward a product, including perceptions of quality, are enhanced when a wider range of colors are employed. As such, we posit that:
H1: Color (versus lack of color, i.e., black and white or grayscale) package labeling influences perceptions of product quality.
Empirical investigations have demonstrated younger people\u27s tendency to prefer black and white and older people\u27s tendency to dislike black and gray (Lee, Gong, and Leung, 2009). While the research in this domain remains limited, we posit the following:
H2: The use of black and white in package labeling induces a higher (lower) perception of the product\u27s quality among younger (older) people.
POPAI (1978), reported approximately two-thirds of American shoppers make decisions at the point of purchase, relying on the packaging to support their purchase decision(s). Product packaging and consumer perceptions of brands/products have been reported to be directly correlated (Burke, Garber, and Jones, 2000), and our study aims to observe any similar effects of color on consumer perception of a different dimension: qualityhttps://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/uresposters/1466/thumbnail.jp
