Warm or cold colored product packaging? : The impact of color temperature on product preference and perceptions of warmth and competence

Abstract

Careful color selection is an inevitable part when it comes to packaging design. Research within the field of social psychology suggests that nonverbal cues such as colors can activate warmth and competence perceptions of brands and products. Further, it is indicated that stimuli other than the physical experience of warmth and coldness can exert similar priming effects to those when one’s physical temperature is modified in some way. Building on extant research, the present research wishes to examine whether temperature nuances within colors on product packaging activate perceptions of warmth and competence, and if so, whether it affects consumers’ product preference and attitude towards products. In addition, the present research investigates whether consumers’ product preference and attitudes towards products are affected by non-physical warmth and competence priming through written contexts. A series of two studies demonstrate that color temperature indeed impacts warmth and competence perceptions of products. Congruent with the hypotheses, results show that warmth cues (i.e., warm color temperature nuances) increase a product’s perceived warmth. However, contrary to the hypotheses, similar effects on perceived competence are not present for products conveying competence cues (i.e., cold color temperature nuances). Finally, the findings indicate that contextual priming of warmth and competence does not significantly impact product preference or attitude towards the product. This paper carries notable implications for marketing managers, marketers, scholars, and designers, especially within the field of packaging development and design, where one can utilize color temperature nuances to communicate the desired brand perception. Keywords: color temperature, product packaging, competence, warmth, brand perception, product preference, priming