Using color–odor correspondences for fragrance packaging design

•People show fairly consistent odor–color correspondences.•Appropriateness of packages is largely determined by the fit of its major color.•Buying intentions are determined by liking for fragrance and liking for package.•Buying intentions are independent of fragrance–package congruence.•Women do not buy fragrances they like for female friends.

Fragrance companies may use colors in packaging design to communicate the properties of their fragrances. Packages with matching colors may have an additional advantage: some studies suggest that consumers prefer offerings for which all sensory impressions are congruent. Hence, we investigated whether consumers are more likely to buy fragrances with a matching package.For five fragrances we created a package, based on a harmonious combination of three colors that obtained high odor–color goodness-of fit ratings in a previous study. Packages were identical in design, except for the colors used. The appropriateness ratings for the five packages were indeed found to be related to the ratings for its major colors.Subsequently, we assessed the degree to which participants were likely to buy different fragrance–package combinations. However, buying intentions were not affected by the degree of matching between fragrance and packaging. Instead, they were typically dependent on the degree of liking for the fragrance and, to a lesser extent, on the degree of liking for the package.