Can packaging color influence consumers' willingness to pay?: evidences of the Au Naturel-Colored packaging effect

Color is omnipresent in marketing activities as stimulus to influence consumers' responses. Indeed, it is an important source of information to evaluate and choose products. A great deal of research has looked at color and perceptual, emotional, attitudinal, dispositional, and behavioral consumers' responses. This research aims to analyze the relationship between packaging color and consumers' willingness to pay. Specifically, this research introduces the concept of Au naturel colors and propose a set of hypotheses concerning the effect of au naturel-colored packaging on consumers' willingness to pay. This is an important area to look at and has received little attention in prior works. Results of four experimental studies show that packaging featuring au naturel colors (vs. other colors) will increase consumers' willingness to pay through an emotions-based mechanism and that product category (in terms of perceived dangerousness for consumer's health) and cognitive load moderate this relationship. This research may contribute to advance the understanding of the role of packaging colors in consumer's product experience and to support firms and policy makers in defining marketing strategies and consumer protection systems.