Exercise Cultural Sensitivity in Color Use

Anybody who tells you retailing is exactly the same regardless of culture is failing to pay close enough attention. Yes, the fundamental principles, such as always delivering value for price, are the same. But the devil is in the details. For instance, exercise cultural sensitivity when selecting color schemes for your store décor, product packaging, and media advertising.
     There are some universals in how shoppers tend to respond to colors. Reds create excitement associated with fast movement and enhanced appetite. In a McDonald's, red means you eat more quickly, leaving space sooner for the next customer. In a Target store, red means you pile your purchases into the cart more quickly.
     On the other hand, blues are associated with leisurely, deliberative shopping. People prefer ads with a backdrop of blue to those with a backdrop of red. American Express named its credit card Blue because their market research showed the color was associated with positive feelings about the future.
     Perhaps another advantage of blue for the American Express card is in building its brand image as the international card. University of British Columbia research found that blue's appeal crosses cultures widely.
     That's not the case with all colors. For example, in most of North America, white brings to mind purity and cleanliness, while in most Asian countries, white is associated with death. Shoppers in India, Japan and many parts of Europe think of black as a negative color, but in the Middle East, black has generally positive associations.
     Even colors with near universal appeal don't work well in every culture. Show consumers from throughout the world green product packaging and you'll probably hear descriptions like new, organic, healthy, and refreshing. Green has a particular appeal in most Muslim cultures. Except in the Middle East, that is. There, avoid green schemes.

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