The effects of inner packaging color on the desirability of food

Product packaging plays a significant role in the interactions between manufacturers, retailers, and consumers. Marketers manipulate the exterior of the packaging to influence consumer expectations, experiences, and behaviors. Yet there has been limited, if any, research on the effects of inner packaging color (IPC) on post-purchase, pre-consumption behaviors. Study 1 explored interaction effects between IPC (white vs. red vs. blue) and health consciousness (HC) on the desirability of food. Study 2 explored interaction effects between IPC (red vs. blue) and health consciousness (HC) on the desirability of food. Study 3 explored whether perceived pleasure mediates the interaction effect of IPC and HC on the desirability of food. The results showed that merely changing the IPC of a food item can increase its desirability among high-HC individuals. In contrast, IPC increases the perceived pleasure of a food item for both low-HC and high-HC individuals, and perceived pleasure mediates the interaction effect of IPC and HC on the desirability of food. This study will assist marketers to explore a range of possibilities for inner packing color on both the physiological and cognitive aspects of consumer behavior relating to food products. For example, marketers could consider the relational effects of inner packaging with a range of different colors, as well as exploring internal and external color packaging combinations and their impact on post purchase pre-consumption behaviors.