How can health look tasty? Effects of packaging color saturation on beverage health and taste expectations depend on color match

Purpose It is of significant interest to marketers to identify visual product cues that signal high tastiness and healthiness, as both characteristics are of substantial importance to consumers. One such cue is the saturation of the packaging color. However, past studies found diverging effects of packaging color saturation on consumer tastiness and healthiness judgments. In this study, we investigated a possible moderator of the saturation effect: the match between the primary packaging color and the color of the main product ingredient. Design/methodology/approach In two online studies, participants viewed pictures of fruit juices (Study 1) and hydration drinks (Study 2). For each product, participants rated the expected taste and healthiness. We manipulated the color saturation and color match of the product pictures. Findings When the packaging color matched the main ingredient (e.g. orange juice in an orange package), consumers expected products in normal versus low saturated packages to be healthier and tastier. When the packaging color did not match the color of the main ingredient (e.g. orange juice in a red package), the positive effects of saturation on health and taste were reduced or even disappeared. Practical implications The results suggest that managers can optimize product health and taste perceptions by using moderately saturated packaging colors, particularly when the packaging color aligns with the main ingredient’s color. Originality/value Our research offers a possible explanation for diverging effects of color saturation on product judgments. We show that whether and to what extend color saturation affects health and taste judgments might depend on the match between the packaging and ingredient color.