Saturate it till you make it. The combined role of color saturation and type of sustainable claims on purchasing behavior
(A2020-64547)

AUTHORS

Laura Grazzini, University of Florence; Giampaolo Viglia, University of Portsmouth; Franklin Velasco Vizcaíno, Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Diego de Robles SN, Circulo de Cumbayá Quito

KEYWORDS

color saturation; sustainable claims; actual purchasing behavior

ABSTRACT

This paper investigates how package color saturation paired with an environmental or a self claim affects purchasing behavior. Drawing from Construal Level Theory, we expect that a low (high) saturated package color matched with an environmental (self) claim will maximize consumers’ purchasing behavior. Two experiments - including a field in the lab - provide evidence for this relationship, showing processing fluency as the underling mechanism. Results indicate that a match between a low (high) saturated package color and an environmental (self) type of claim increases consumers purchase intentions (Study 1); and actual behaviors (Study 2). We also show that this effect elicits processing fluency, which in turn positively affects consumers’ purchase behaviors. The paper offers clear managerial implications by investigating the actual behavior of consumers and providing evidence of the appropriate combination of color saturation and type of sustainable claims that boosts purchasing behavior.