Cold tones for sincerity and warm tones for excitement: interactive effects of color tone and brand personality on brand evaluation.

The interior design of hospitality settings is crucial for distinguishing a brand from its competitors. Drawing on color marketing and brand personality theories, this paper posits that aligning interior color tones with the brand personality of the hospitality and tourism brand can heighten tourists' perceptual fluency and thus their brand evaluation. Three studies support this proposition. The initial archival data analysis discovered a correlation between cold – warm interior tones and sincere – exciting brand personality in real-world hotel interior designs (Study 1). Study 2 revealed that cold tones evoke brand perceptions of sincerity, whereas warm tones elicit brand perceptions of excitement. Study 3 confirmed the effects of matching cold – warm tones with brand personality on brand evaluations and the mediating role of perceived fluency. The present research holds significant practical implications for hospitality and tourism suppliers in terms of interior design, brand personality identification, online platform promotional design, and brand marketing strategy development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]