The foremost (and perhaps, the most important) aspect of visual appeal that strikes customers immediately are the colors that are chosen. Colors are extremely powerful; they influence us in ways we ourselves are unaware of. Nevertheless, in order to fathom how colors direct our behavior as well as our decision-making ability, the complex subject of color psychology has been developed as a full-fledged research area.

Colors, in the simplest of terms, are how our brain perceives the light reflected by different objects in our surroundings.

Different wavelengths get projected as different colors. Each color coerces a certain set of emotions in us; it is hardwired in our brains. This being backed by a reliable research, a product’s color can influence a customer’s purchasing decision by anywhere between 60 to 80 percent. While red sparks the sentiments of energy and excitement, blue color evokes trust and loyalty. Yellow ignites happiness and enthusiasm whereas violet stirs feelings of luxury and imagination. But as researchers state, color psychology is way more complex and individually-driven than this universal association. A single color can evoke contrasting connotations depending on the audience it deals with. On the other hand, distinct shades, tints and tones of the same family of color can too elicit clashing emotions in customers. A bright, sunny yellow radiates happiness and positivity. But a dull, pale yellow exudes sickness and monotony. Hence, opting for proper colors more on the basis of their context than generalized insights can help build a supreme, memorable perception of the brand.

Since the very first practices of branding, colors have occupied a major space in this process.

Brands, in order to distinguish themselves from their competitors, focus on choosing those colors that streamline and foster their values, aesthetics and tonality altogether. An additional study conducted highlights that correct colors can increase brand recognition by up to 80 percent. Regional and cultural associations too can impact this decision considerably. And in more than any other platform, the retail sector undergoes the most scrutiny in this regard. Colors are capable of aligning businesses with various kinds of personalities and a wrong selection of colors can be detrimental to its success.

Also, specific colors prove to be great for certain industries than others. For instance, the CPG industry (also known as FMCG) is flooded by the colors of red, orange, and yellow because they stimulate hunger.

Technology and healthcare brands tend to choose the tranquil blue and similarly, green flourishes in environment, education and leisure industries. Grey and black are mostly chosen in combinations with other colors. Consequently, a correct color palette can envelop an ideal spirit and strength around the concerned brand or product.

It is also pivotal for brands to undertake a thorough, in-depth study of the demographics showcased by their target audiences before picking colors. An independent study suggests that blue is the most preferred color by both men and women whereas brown is the most disliked. This is particularly why 33 percent of the world’s top 100 brands have chosen the color blue in their logos, followed by the next 29 percent using red. In their youth, men opt for colors like charcoal black, denim blue and splashed white. Young women prefer crimson, tangerine and jade. As men and women age, they tend to be drawn to softer colors like snow blue, pale beige, crepe pink, and candle white.

The right colors can strengthen the brand identity and its perception in the minds of customers. Brands can communicate through their colors without actually having to communicate at all. This makes them enduring and supplements them with a unique identity which is both relatable and timeless.

Contributed to Branding Strategy Insider by: Geet Bagrodia the founder and CCO of the company Vowels.

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Effective and comprehensive brand strategy must consider the critical importance of color. Color is far more than a simple aesthetic consideration in the tool kit of components that make up brand identity and experience. Color is the very first perception customers will have with your brand, and along with perception comes a whole host of emotional associations.

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The color of your brand is an essential character in your brand’s story. When choosing a color to represent your brand, you must think far beyond your personal, subjective preferences.

Color And The Brain

Visual perception is the primary sense humans have for exploring and making sense of their environment. Colors trigger a diverse set of responses within the cerebral cortex of the brain and throughout the central nervous system. The proper perception of color has been one of the key drivers of human evolution. If color is that important to human evolution, just think how important it is to building the value of your brand.

Once we humans identify a color, we instantly have a chemical reaction in our brain that produces an emotional response. This response triggers a multitude of thoughts, memories and associations to people, places and events. Color affects us in profound ways. Our brains are designed to respond to color. This all happens instantly under our conscious awareness.

We all know color is nothing more than the reflection of certain light waves picked up by your optic nerve, transmitted through nerves to your brain. Color doesn’t really exist; it’s only its reflection. Within our conscious minds, we have all been predisposed and indoctrinated to give meanings and feelings to particular colors within the context of what the culture at large values. These cultural associations to specific colors need to be a big driver of your strategic and creative decisions when forming the foundation of your brand’s identity in the marketplace.

Within the spectrum of visible light, there is a physiological effect. Colors with long wavelengths (red for example) illicit the faster recognition response in the brain. While colors with shorter wavelengths (blue) are more soothing and can actually lower pulse, respiration and blood pressure. It’s no accident that an insurance brand like Progressive would have blue as the primary color it its visual identity system.

The same is true for other colors in the spectrum. Yellow is a middle wavelength color detected by the eye. Consequently yellow, because it is the brightest, commands attention more easily. This is why yellow is used in road signs and the Yellow Pages. Yellow is about attention, even caution, while red powerfully represents sex and seduction.

Colors Convey A Mood And Defined Emotional State

Colors affect us in many different ways but all colors create a specific frame of mind for people–it’s called a mood. Having people be in the most receptive mood is essential for their engagement with your brand. Color sets the mood of brand expression, and more importantly, creates mental associations to the meaning of your brand within the context of the world it lives in.

John Deere owns green which means tractor. IBM has a royal blue, which means stability and reliability. Fed Ex chose two clashing colors (orange and purple) which means something important has dependably been delivered to you worthy of your attention–and your signature.

Color And Visual Identity

Color is foundational to the visual identity of your brand in all its expressions and executions–logos, packaging, products, environments and all forms of marketing communications. UPS built their whole brand story around the proposition “what can brown do for you?” Apple transformed how we think of desktop computers through the creative use of color.

It’s amazing when you look back at the profound impact this simple little innovation had in building the foundation of what Apple has become today. For strong ,well managed brands, color is more than a subjective choice–it’s a strategic business imperative.

Selecting The Right Color For Your Brand

To convey a simple idea of meaning and differentiation requires you select a color that properly fits your strategic positioning. Selecting a color (and color scheme) for your brand must represent the audience emotional associations and desires, and the value proposition or promise your brand brings to those desires.

Selecting the appropriate color to represent and differentiate your brand must be based on several criteria. Here are three of the most important:

The Target Audience

Who are those people, what do they care about, what mood do they need to be in to engage with your brand? Different consumers are affected by color in different ways and cultural trends are always in transition. What color best anchors the meaning of your value to your audience and distinguishes your brand from the competition in the category?

The Brand Archetype

If you have determined the appropriate archetype for your brand, what color best represents the attributes of the archetype? For example, if your brand archetype is the Explorer, you probably will consider colors that represent the outdoors or anything that is associated with the persona of that archetype. Red probably would not be a wise choice.

The Culture

Color means different things to people in different parts of the world, in different cultures. In the US, white represents purity, while in some regions of Asia it is the color of mourning. Color perceptions and meanings change with race, age, social class, gender and religion. The demographics and psychographics that are most dominate in the culture will be an important consideration in selecting the color that represents your brand in markets the brand serves.

The Bottom Line

Selecting colors to represent your brand should never be an exercise in trendiness, or coolness, driven by the whims of your ad agency creative director or the personal taste of the CEO’s spouse. Properly chosen colors define your brand’s value, strengthen and support your brand positioning, enable greater awareness and customer recall, and distinguish your brand among its alternatives. Picking the right color should never be underestimated.

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We explore the significant impact of color for brands here.

Source: White, Jan V., Color for Impact, Strathmoor Press, April, 1997

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You’d be wise to consider the psychology of color when designing your marketing materials. Be it business card, brochure, web site, posters or other material, you’ll be making color choices. Colors not only enhance the appearance of the item — they also influence our behavior. You will do well to consider the impact that the colors you use will have on your target audience.

For instance, have you noticed that most fast food restaurants are decorated with vivid reds and oranges? It’s no accident that these colors show up so frequently. Studies have shown that reds and oranges encourage diners to eat quickly and leave — and that’s exactly what fast food outlets want you to do.

It’s also no accident that you see a lot of reds and blacks on adult web sites. These colors are thought to have sexual connotations.

Ever notice that toys, books and children’s web sites usually contain large blocks of bright, primary colors? Young children prefer these colors and respond more positively than they do to to pastels or muted blends.

Market researchers have had a field day identifying the colors and the likely effect they have upon us.

However, the effects of color differ among different cultures, so the attitudes and preferences of your target audience should be a consideration when you plan your design of any promotional materials.

For example, white is the color of death in Chinese culture, but purple represents death in Brazil. Yellow is sacred to the Chinese, but signified sadness in Greece and jealousy in France. In North America, green is typically associated with jealousy. People from tropical countries respond most favorably to warm colors; people from northern climates prefer the cooler colors.

In North American mainstream culture, the following colors are associated with certain qualities or emotions:

Red –excitement, strength, sex, passion, speed, danger.
Blue –(listed as the most popular color) trust, reliability, belonging, coolness.
Yellow –warmth, sunshine, cheer, happiness
Orange — playfulness, warmth, vibrant
Green — nature, fresh, cool, growth, abundance
Purple –royal, spirituality, dignity
Pink — soft, sweet, nurture, security
White –pure, virginal, clean, youthful, mild.
Black –sophistication, elegant, seductive, mystery
Gold — prestige, expensive
Silver — prestige, cold, scientific

Market researchers have also determined that color affects shopping habits. Impulse shoppers respond best to red-orange, black and royal blue. Shoppers who plan and stick to budgets respond best to pink, teal, light blue and navy. Traditionalists respond to pastels – pink, rose, sky blue.

Want to test some of this out? Check out web sites belonging to companies with marketing budgets that allow for extensive research into what sells best.

Jaguar – A luxury car with a luxury web site. There’s a predominance of black (sophistication) and silver (prestige). Jaguar markets to people with high incomes who view themselves as sophisticated and look for a prestigious vehicle.

So how can you put this information to use?

First, think about your target market. Let’s say that you are selling books for young children, but you are marketing to grandparents. You’d probably design the books in bright, primary colors (reds, blues, yellows) to appeal to the children who will use them. However, the marketing materials (web site, brochures, etc.) would be designed with grandparents in mind. You might decide to go with blues (trust, reliability), pinks (nurture, sweet, security) and yellow (happy, playful).

Of course, you would test your ads and colors on a small market segment before rolling out a large scale campaign.

Give some thoughts to the message you want to send and to the psychology of the recipient. Then choose your colors accordingly.

Contributed to Branding Strategy Insider by: June Campbell

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Third, colors can actually have an affect on a person’s state of mind and cognitive ability as demonstrated by numerous research studies. For instance, pink has been shown to increase a person’s appetite and calm prison inmates. Additionally, if your brand is sold outside of North America, be aware that colors can have different symbolic meanings (not all positive) in different countries and cultures.

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