Festive Color Congruence and Its Influence on Consumer Behavior in Social Media Advertising

The rapid growth of social media usage has led to a significant shift in consumer behavior, with brands allocating a greater portion of their budgets to digital marketing, particularly on social media. Based on color congruence theory and the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) model, this study investigates the impact of festive color adoption on consumer behavior in social media advertising posts. We conducted an experimental study featuring a 2x2x2 between-subjects design, which manipulated festive color congruence, festival text cues, and product packaging color hue. The study collected valid responses from 300 social media users to measure the effects of the test conditions. The results showed that the use of festive colors significantly influenced consumer behavior, with congruent color schemes enhancing both perceived quality and emotional responses. Purchase intentions were strongly mediated by both perceived quality (β=0.29, p<0.001) and emotional response (β=0.61, p<0.001), while impulsive buying was primarily driven by emotional response (β=0.63, p<0.001). These findings have important implications for brands, underscoring the potential of leveraging festive colors in social media marketing to engage consumers and boost sales more effectively.