Are You Selling the Right Colour? A Cross‐cultural Review of Colour as a Marketing Cue

Should a marketer adopt a pan‐cultural or a culture‐specific approach when using colour in marketing? Colours exercise powerful effects and induce reactions based on both instincts and associations. Colours alter the meanings of the objects or situations with which they are associated and colour preferences can predict consumers' behaviour. This article reviews the psychological and socio‐cultural associations and meanings of colour(s) in a cross‐cultural marketing perspective and outlines their role as a marketing cue. Because cultural values, marketing objectives and desired customer relationship levels influence the choice of colour in corporate and marketing communications, it is argued that a cross‐cultural perspective of colour research and application is imperative for developing global marketing strategies.