Color Triggers (2)
Color even enhances the perceived flavor and desirability of the food we eat. For example, orange juice with enhanced orange hue was preferred over naturally colored orange juice and was thought to be sweeter. This was also true for strawberries, raspberries, and tomatoes. The redder they looked, the more they were preferred.[13]
In one experiment, the flavor of coffee was manipulated by the color of the serving container. Two hundred people were asked to judge coffee served out of four different containers—red, blue, brown, and yellow. All containers contained the same brand of coffee, yet the coffee in the yellow container was found to be ‘‘too weak.’’ The blue container coffee was dubbed ‘‘too mild.’’ Seventy-five percent of respondents found the coffee in the brown container to be ‘‘too strong’’ while 85 percent found the red container coffee to be ‘‘rich and full-bodied.’’[14] A similar experiment was also done with women and facial creams. Subjects were given pink and white face creams, which were identical except for their color. One hundred percent of the women surveyed said that the pink cream was more effective and milder on sensitive skin.[15]
In another experiment, researchers gave subjects laundry detergent to test for quality. Of course, all of the boxes contained the exact same detergent, but the outsides of the boxes were different colors. The test colors were yellow, blue, and a combination of both. After a two-week testing period, the test groups reported that the soap in the yellow boxes was ‘‘too harsh’’ and the detergent in the blue boxes was ‘‘too weak.’’ The detergent in the combination yellow and blue boxes was ‘‘just right.’’ The findings indicated that the yellow represented strength while the blue represented antiseptic power.[16]
Original research into Cheer laundry detergent produced similar results. Louis Cheskin conducted research on three different color flecks in Cheer: red, blue, and yellow. Again, the detergent was the same, but the colors were different. As the research unfolded, subjects determined that the yellow flecks did not clean clothes enough, the red flecks were too strong, and the blue flecks were best for cleaning clothes. Colors play a large role in the success of a product, its packaging, or its persuasive ability. Color communicates and triggers emotions, moods, thoughts, and actions, all without words.[18]
Explore the following list to see some common color associations:
Red: strength, power, anger, danger, aggression, excitement
Blue: coolness, truth, loyalty, harmony, devotion, serenity, relaxation
Yellow: brightness, intelligence, hostility, wiseness, cheerfulness, loudness
Green: peacefulness, tranquility, youthfulness, prosperity, money, endurance, growth, hopefulness
Orange: brightness, unpleasantness, sun, warmth, bravery, invigoration, radiation, communication
Purple: royalty, passion, authority, stateliness, integrity, mysticalness, dignity
White: plainness, purity, coldness, cleanliness, innocence, hygiene
Black: desperation, wickedness, futility, mysteriousness, death, evilness
Gray: neutrality, nothingness, indecision, depression, dullness, technology, impersonality
[9]R. Feinberg, ‘‘Credit Cards As Spending Facilitation Stimuli,’’ Journal of Consumer Research (1986): 348–356.
[10]K. Fehrman and C. Fehrman, Color: The Secret Influence (Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 2000), 141.
[11]Ibid, p. 142.
[12]Ibid, pp. 12-13.
[13]Ibid, p. 84.
[14]Ibid, p. 144.
[15]Ibid, p. 144.
[16]Ibid, p. 145.
[18]Ibid, p. 145.
Use Association to Persuade and Influence
The Law of Association is a powerful tool in helping you influence and persuade your audience. If used correctly, you will be able to create the desired feelings, emotions, and behavior in your prospects. It is in this way that you can use association to bring about the best experiences and create a persuasive environment. Whatever your subject is drawn to, impressed by, or desirous of, seek to incorporate it into your message, your product, or your service.
Taken From : Maximum Influence : The 12 Universal Laws of power Persuasion
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