What colour do you feel? Cross-modal interactions between colour and texture of food

Abstract

This research explores the cross-modal interaction between colour and perceived texture, and links its influence with standard marketing metrics. In line with our expectation, we find that colour interacts with actual texture to affect an individual’s overall perception of texture. Specifically, we show that changing hue from red to blue dampens the perception of particular types of texture. Further analysis of the effects of colour on marketing metrics shows that the effect on pleasure and intention to purchase is mediated by the cross-modal perceptions of texture. These results contribute to emerging marketing literature on cross-modal sensory interactions and consumer behaviour.