Abstract

Recently, products with unusual color names have attracted consumers’ attention. However, despite the growing interest and importance of color names in practice, academic research on color names is very limited. Based on the theory of congruity theory, this study aims to determine the influence of color name on consumer responses when the color name would not match the existing consumer’s schema. In particular, this study focuses on consumer experience of control deprivation and aims to reveal that consumers who have experienced lack of control may prefer plain color names to unique ones. Specifically, it is predicted that consumers who feel high level of anxiety in the event of a lack of control would prefer products with a more consistent color name with their schema, that is, a more plain color names. The hypothesis of this study was supported after surveying 177 college students. These findings have expanded existing research areas and provided practical implications.