The promise of color in marketing: use, applications, tips and neuromarketing

In our daily lives, we are constantly exposed to many stimuli, some of which influence our behavior without full awareness. One of these stimuli is color. In particular, our purchasing decisions are guided by individual color preferences. Color preferences influence various daily tasks. For example, people make decisions within 90 s of their first interaction with products, and approximately 60-90% of the evaluation of a product is based solely on its color properties. However, these types of behavior often escape consumer awareness, so marketing may need the help of neuroscience. Thus, it is necessary to place color preferences at the center of marketing strategies. However, few attempts have been made to unify the literature on the contribution of different color characteristics and the role of consumer characteristics. This article reviews scholarly articles that focus on the use of color in marketing, identifying salient features and highlighting limitations. Practical implications and future directions for this area of research are outlined, with a particular interest in neuromarketing. The results obtained will be useful for both basic research and companies that want to operate consciously in the use of color.