The interaction effect of packaging color and cognitive style on consumer purchase intention
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21294866 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Zhifen Xu (0000-0003-1656-3484, Business College, Xinyang Normal University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 128 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 171-190 |
| Publication date | 2026-01-16 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | British Food Journal (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0007-070X • E-ISSN: 1758-4108 |
| Publisher | Emerald (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1108/bfj-03-2025-0285 |
| OpenAlex | W4414266894 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 42 |
Purpose It is important for marketers to identify the typical color of food in the minds of consumers and provide packaging colors that match them. Past research findings on the effectiveness of matching packaging color to food have been inconsistent. In this study, we demonstrated how matching packaging color and typical color affects consumer purchase intention. Design/methodology/approach In two online studies, participants viewed package images of apples (Study 1) and chocolate (Study 2). For each product, participants rated the packaging color, and we manipulated the product package image. Findings For consumers with adaptive cognitive styles (ACS), packaging color analogous to the typical color of food increases purchase intention by enhancing perceived naturalness. For consumers with innovative cognitive styles (ICS), packaging color in high contrast to the typical color increases their purchase intention by improving perceived novelty. Practical implications The results suggest that companies should focus on the consistency between the cognitive styles of consumers and packaging color. Originality/value This study differentiates packaging colors into analogous and high-contrast color from the typical color of food products. And it provides a new theoretical framework to explain the inconsistencies in research on packaging color matching effects by introducing and validating cognitive style as a key moderating variable and perceived naturalness and novelty as mediating mechanisms of differentiation
Cognition · Cognitive style · Consistency (knowledge bases) · Focus (optics) · Matching (statistics) · Naturalness · Novelty · Product (mathematics) · Color perception and design · Consumer Behavior in Brand Consumption and Identification · Consumer Packaging Perceptions and Trends
Adaptors and innovators
How can health look tasty? Effects of packaging color saturation on beverage health and taste expectations depend on color match
The Effect of Packaging Color and Health Claims on Product Attitude and Buying Intention
Parental mediation in the age of mobile technology
Beyond one-size-fits-all
Persuasive packaging? The impact of packaging color and claims on young consumers’ perceptions of product healthiness, sustainability and tastiness
Regulatory focus and food choice motives. Prevention orientation associated with mood, convenience, and familiarity
Preference for natural
Head versus Heart
| Highly cited | No |
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