Roses are Red and Violets are Blue - Everywhere? Cultural Differences and Universals in Color Preference and Choice Among Consumers and Marketing Managers

This paper describes research examining the similarities and differences in the effects of color across cultures. Consistent with the literature, Study 1a suggested that cultural differences in hue choice do emerge when there are clear, salient social norms prescribing appropriate color usage, which differ across cultures. However, in the absence of such norms, hue choices reflected people's general hue preferences, which were similar across the two cultures examined. Study 1b examined hue preferences in a wide variety of cultures, and further documented both their similarity and that blue was the most preferred hue. Study 1c provided support for a link between the feelings (e.g., relaxation, excitement) that the hue elicits and preferences, with the preference for blue being linked to the feelings of relaxation that it evokes across cultures. Study 2 showed that actual color choices made in a variety of marketing situations, by managers in ad agencies from Hong Kong and Canada, reflected consumer preference for blue hues. Overall, the conceptual framework and the findings suggest that most aspects of color preference are likely to be culturally universal and applicable across cultural groups and marketing settings. Managerial implications are discussed regarding standardizing versus adapting color usage across cultures