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 postpurchase, 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.

Introduction

Packaging color entices and influences consumer perceptions, and it significantly affects the identification of products/brands (Labrecque and Milne, 2012). Due to its importance, companies may consider and carefully select the colors they use in the promotion of their products. Choosing an inappropriate color can result in misrepresentation of merchandise and potentially deter consumers from the product (Piqueras-Fiszman and Spence, 2015). Through packaging color, brands can create an effective visual identity (Kauppinen-Räisänen and Luomala, 2010), form strong bonds with a target audience, and position themselves advantageously amongst competitors (Kim et al., 2018). If this is the case, then it could be possible to alter the perceived pleasure and desirability of food by manipulating the color of the product packaging (inner and exterior) (Piqueras-Fiszman et al., 2012). Yet, there has been limited research on the effects of inner packaging color (IPC) on consumer behavior (e.g., avoidance, consciousness, pleasure, desirability) when related to food products. Packaging has a physical dimension, which is composed of either outer or inner packaging layers, as well as a functionality dimension, which is composed of either purchase or consumption packaging layers (for packaging design taxonomy, see Krishna et al., 2017). This research refers to the inside of the outer packaging of a product (e.g., consumption packaging), which mostly affects consumers at the time of consumption.