With so much of a drug company's resources going toward things like whether a drug actually works with few side effects, it might seem that choosing a color for the medication would be the least of the problems. But, according to researchers from the University of Bombay, picking the correct color might influence not only brand loyalty, but also how well it works due to the placebo effect.
However, as In-Pharma Technologist reports, the landscape of color is pockmarked by a cultural minefield.
"Western Europeans, for example, associate the color white with purity and happiness, whereas the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) relates the colour with death and mourning. In Anglo-Saxon countries the color blue represents high quality, corporateness and masculinity, yet in Malaysia it is symbolic of cold and evil," In-PharmaTechnologist reports.
So, what's a multinational drug company to do? There are some general trends to follow. Pink is considered sweeter, yellow salty, white or blue are bitter and orange is sour. Women prefer red and, of course, men love their little blue pills.
- read the In-Pharma Technologist story