Page 9 - PR Communication Age January-June2020

Why we buy? – The

Silent Persuasion of

Colours in Advertising

as a Predictor of

Consumers Purchase

Intent

Abstract ber of advertisements presented to consumers makes the
impact of each advertisement diminish as consumers are
Colour is one of the fundamental aspects of human percep-
tion and has shaped our discourse for centuries. The first spoilt for choice and sometimes overwhelmed by a large
selection of advertisements. The effect that companies
colour pigments were a combination of animal fat, burnt
could achieve with simple textual newspaper advertise-
charcoal, chalk and soil; created about 40,000 years ago.
With the passage of time and the advent of the ‘Market- ments now requires tremendous efforts in terms of concep-
tualizing captivating images & videos. Thus, advertisers
ing Era,’ the importance of communicating values to the
have to optimize all aspects of advertisements from copy,
consumers has only increased. The digital age opened up
design to delivery in order to produce results for their cli-
advertising opportunities even for small companies but also
increased clutter. The sheer volume increase in the num- ents. Among the various methods available for brands to
reach their target market, the visual appeal is the most ubiq-
uitous and impactful tool and colour plays a significant role
About the author in that segment. Colour carries both meaning and adds to
the visual impact. Secondary data suggests that colour is
Dr. Shivaji Banerjee one of the first of the visual stimuli we process. This study
Management Department, was conducted with the aim to understand the degree of
Faculty of Commerce, perceived importance colour holds in the minds of consum-
St. Xavier’s College (Autonomous), Kolkata ers and its relationship with other factors such as layout,
font, message/copy & past brand associations; and to un-
Yogesh Choudhury derstand the difference between universal and specific
3rd Year Student meanings of colour and validate their existence and vari-
B. Com Hons. ability with age and gender. To attain the objectives, nec-
St. Xavier’s College (Autonomous) essary hypotheses have been developed and tested. A thor-
Kolkata
ough analysis of secondary data, research papers and an-

PR COMMUNICATION AGE January - June 2020 9