Presenting a Model for Color Effectiveness in Marketing Using Consumer Neuroscience: A Sequential Exploratory Mixed-Methods Approach

This study was conducted to present a model for the effectiveness of colors in marketing and applied neuroscience laboratory methods to test this effectiveness. Therefore, after identifying and exploring the cognitive and emotional impacts of colors as stimuli, a model was presented and its findings were tested quantitatively in the laboratory utilizing the tools of consumer neuroscience.

The research methodology followed a sequential exploratory mixed method approach which included three phases: the first phase consisted of a qualitative study, the second phase was a quantitative characteristics study, and the last phase was the final quantitative laboratory study. The first qualitative phase which applied precise tools of consumer neuroscience in a laboratory setting, resulted in the generation of categories and their respective interconnections. The research approach, in the qualitative phase, was inductive, and the research strategy was the classic grounded theory or Glaser approach. To elicit experts’ opinions in the field of marketing, university teachers in the fields of marketing, cognitive science, and neuroscience were interviewed and to elicit experts’ opinions in the field of graphics, CEOs of advertising companies, advertising managers, and design managers of such companies were interviewed. The applied sampling methods were non-probability purposive (judgmental) and theoretical sampling. In the quantitative and laboratory phase, the Tobi eye tracking device and Tobiprolab software were used to measure attention and processing, and the facial movement coding system and face reader software were used to measure emotions and arousal.

In the qualitative phase, the resulting model from theoretical coding included three components: the effectiveness of colors on corporate using neuroscience, the cognitive effectiveness of color on the consumer which was caused by attention, and the emotional effectiveness of color on the consumer which was caused by arousal. In the first qualitative phase, called the “visual and environmental advertising”, some colors such as blue, red, orange, and purple were applied to test the effectiveness of cognition and arousal towards the corporation. Research findings in the qualitative phase showed that for measuring corporate advertising and marketing effectiveness, applying organizational visual and environmental colors like blue, red, orange, and purple is useful in creating more attention and processing in the target market as well as more arousal among consumers. In the second phase, a four-plat visual advertising was designed and in the third phase, laboratory tests related to consumer neuroscience were done. Research findings in this phase showed that the most attention and processing belonged to orange, blue, purple, and red colors respectively. Also, changes in arousal and valence of research participants were tested using a facial movement coding system and Face Reader software.

From the point of marketing, Organizations by creating their organizational color, which is based on the correct application of cognitive and emotional responses of their consumers and then testing these responses more exactly by applying consumer neuroscience, can benefit from the advantage of utilization of precise neuroscience tools. We should keep in mind that organizational and advertising colors have cognitive and emotional impacts on the contacts of the organization and the correct selection of these visual elements plays an important role in creating brand awareness.