Orange Is the New Black? The Effect of Color Choice on Brand Coolness in Online Fashion Branding - A Comparison Between Sportswear and Luxury Fashion

Abstract

In branding, both coolness and color play a crucial role in shifting decision-making processes of consumers. Particularly in the fashion industry, these concepts constitute relevant tools to communicate trendiness, thus enabling brands to create a desirably cool brand image. The present research aims to fill a void in academia through bridging the gap between brand coolness and colors as design cues. Hereby a modern approach was chosen to investigate how the colors used in a fashion brand’s imagery on Instagram influence perceived brand coolness. Linking established brand coolness dimensions to prevalent occurring colors in fashion branding, specifically orange and black, relevant conclusions were derived. The empirical results indicate that the color orange carries the ability to enhance specific coolness dimensions. This effect was particularly pronounced on a hedonic fashion context. Additionally, examining predictive outcome variables, orange was found to induce a tendency to amplify brand attitude, brand trust as well as purchase intention. Throughout these findings, further differences were exposed in relation to participants’ gender, education, and fashion preferences, presenting an opportunity for future investigations on this topic. Despite acknowledging the research’s limitations, valuable insights were discovered regarding the impact of color on perceived brand coolness ultimately shaping consumer behavior.