The Effect of Color on Perception of Individual and Brand Personality Traits and Approach-Avoidance Behaviors: An Implicit Theory Perspective

Abstract

The objectives of this study were three-fold: a) to examine the effect of color (red/blue) on perceptions of individual/ brand personality traits (introverted/extroverted); b) to examine whether the above effect is moderated by the perceiver’s implicit theory (entity/incremental) of the perceiver; c) to examine how individual and brand personality perceptions influence approach-avoidance behaviors (interactional and purchase intent). Data was collected using an online experiment with 227 undergraduate students. Results revealed that the perceiver’s implicit theory significantly interacted with color to affect perceptions of brand personality, but not individual personality. Incremental theorists perceived brand logos in red to be more extroverted in personality and brand logos in blue to be more introverted in personality, compared to entity theorists. Results showed a significant influence of individual personality perceptions on interactional intent and brand personality perceptions on purchase intent. The more extroverted (introverted) the perception of person and brand, the higher (lower) the interactional and purchase intent.