Convey Intensity With Saturation

Color often implies strength.

Saturated colors are typically used for:

• Storms on maps
• Warning signs
• Large amounts in graphs

Not surprisingly, researchers noticed that product images are more saturated for products that convey strength or potency (e.g., strong, powerful, effective; Labrecque et al., 2024).

And they confirmed a causal effect: More saturation? Stronger product.

For example, students used less hand sanitizer with a vibrant color because they believed a smaller amount was needed (Labrecque et al., 2024).

How to Apply

• Adjust Any Color. Need to convey a strong product? Increase the saturation of products, packaging, or backgrounds. A gray coffee maker seemed more effective with a saturated background.

Caveats: Reduce Saturation For

• Natural. A facial cleanser seemed gentler in a dull color (Labrecque et al., 2024).
• Eco-Friendly. Dull colors seem untouched by artificial dyes (Pichierri & Pino, 2023).
• Embarrassing. Saturation grabs attention, so customers believe that more people will look at them with a highly saturated product. They prefer private or sensitive products with dull colors (e.g., condoms were preferred in gray packaging; Zhang et al., 2025).

• Labrecque, L. I., Sohn, S., Seegebarth, B., & Ashley, C. (2024). EXPRESS: Color Me Effective: the Impact of Color Saturation on Perceptions of Potency and Product Efficacy. Journal of Marketing, 00222429241296392.
• Pichierri, M., & Pino, G. (2023). Less saturated, more eco‐friendly: Color saturation and consumer perception of product sustainability. Psychology & Marketing, 40(9), 1830-1849.
• Zhang, X., Wang, J., Gong, X., & Cheng, S. (2025). Avoiding attention: The impact of embarrassment on preference for low-saturation design. Journal of Business Research, 186, 114900.