The interactive effects of colors and products on perceptions of brand logo appropriateness

TLDR

The study investigates how color influences brand meaning through two experiments: one testing congruity between product type and color, and another examining the impact of red and blue on mixed‑type products and brand image. The authors conducted two experiments, one assessing congruity between product type and color, and another testing how red and blue affect mixed‑type products and brand image. They found that an appropriately chosen color can immediately add value to a brand, and that consumers judge colors congruent with a brand’s positioning as more appropriate.

Abstract

This article explores the role that color can play in building brand meaning with two experiments. Without prior conditioning, we demonstrate how an appropriately chosen color for a brand name (logo) can bring inherent and immediate value to a brand. Experiment 1 explores the notion of congruity, showing that it is more appropriate for functional products to be presented in functional colors, and sensorysocial products in sensory-social colors. Experiment 2 examines the effect of red and blue on brands of products that can be classified as both functional and sensory-social, and the ability of color to enhance a brand's desired image. When people know how brands are attempting to position themselves, people consider colors congruent with those positions to be more appropriate.