Colour me blind

Perceptions come into being because of two factors. One, Exposure to stimuli, and two, the sensory organs kicking into action.

Marketing stimuli that affect consumer perceptions include, the nature of the product, its physical attributes, package design, brand names, advertisements and commercials, choice and sex of models among others.

One key characteristic that can get a stimuli to be selected, organised and interpreted is its colour. Our eyes are attuned to picking out certain colours quickly over others, organising and interpreting them in a way where it either favours the product and gets it to fall out of favour. The use of colour can act as a potent tool for marketeers in getting the consumer's attention and forming perceptions in way that lead to favourable attitude and then to an actual sale.

The use of colour has worked for 2 wheeler marketers in India. The success of pink TVS Scooty has demonstrated the use of colour in attracting customers. Sales of Scooty soared and at present, the girly pink version alone contributes 30% of the annual sales of 22,000 units. Last year Scooty extended its palette to 99 colours and 85% of them, particularly colours centered on red, violets and blue are doing well (10% contribution to sales). And remember, this despite the fact that coloured scootys cost Rs.999 to Rs. 1,899 for the extra zing.

Even men , have fallen for colour. As against the colour red and black being favourites among male mo'bike riders in the past, today, the colours in vogue are yellow, green and purple. Yellow has become the most preferred colour among men, especially in the premium segment of bikes (150 cc +) where the customer is in the age group, 18-30 years. Colour stickers too are being used innovatively to create that unique look on a bike.

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