Putting your brand in color: Learn color psychology for brands. Colors and evolution go together. Yes, it seems like a strange match. But color psychology has been as important to humankind as to your brand.
When we evolved as humans, we started associating colors with different things. The red-hot flames were dangerous, but the clear blue water was safe.
Putting your brand in color doesn’t have to be a guessing game. So we’re giving you the details below.
What is Color Psychology?
Color psychology believes that colors can elicit emotions and feelings as words can.
When you see green, you think of money and profitability (green = money), but oatmeal is light beige. So it makes you feel bored or doesn’t motivate strong feelings.
Your product needs to deliver quality, and your branding needs to replicate that. You can do that by carefully choosing your colors.
Brand in Color: The Marketing Rainbow
Color has an impact, and we’re not talking about subtleties. Purchasers have said they make decisions based on how products and packaging look.
So, what colors should you choose? Keep reading. We listed them in rainbow order for your convenience.
Red
Brands that use red are bold. Think about Coca-Cola and Budweiser. Both sell products that want to capitalize on a tiny moment – when you’re thirsty or WANT a drink.
They chose red because it can create a physical reaction in your body, like a raised heart rate and higher blood pressure.
Red inspires passion, so we also see it around love-based products.
Orange
What color are traffic cones and barriers? Orange. And why? They inspire caution in people’s brains. Looking back to evolutionary times, perhaps it has to do with coals or orange fire. Lava also comes to mind.
Either way, use orange to stir up some anxiety and interest in your target audience.
The closer to red the orange is, the more cautionary. But if you choose a lovely pastel or lighter orange, it reads more like yellow, the next color on our list.
Yellow
Yellow can inspire caution and anxiety, as well. Think about those caution signs that advise a lower speed when you’re going around turns.
On the other hand, it can also inspire cheerfulness and a happy demeanor. It’s all about the context of how it’s used and what different colors you pair with it.
Green
We don’t have to tell you that natural foods and health-conscious industries love the color green.
And they’re using it correctly. Green makes people feel healthy and close to nature. On a neuroscience level, green can help people make decisions and create a sense of balance.
Blue
If you want to gender things, blue hasn’t always been a male color. It used to be the color for females, way back when. That’s because historians and painters always depicted mother Mary wearing blue.
Certain darker shades of blue are used to market to males. But it has non-gendered considerations.
Blue reminds us of water and peace, tranquil and calm, like a blue sky on a quiet day.
Since it makes us feel secure, many banking companies inspire trust.
Purple
Often Purple is associated with royalty, luxury, power, and ambition.
Yet, it can lift spirits, calm the mind, encourage imagination and creativity, and create spirituality and sensitivity.
Black
Not in the rainbow, but still in the branding for many brands. Black shows authority and power.
Think of brands like Nike and Chanel. Both want to be seen as powerhouses in their industries.
Grey
Something grey is efficient, like someone who’s decided to let age wash over their hair.
Along with practicality, it inspires feelings of old age. This old feeling is why you don’t see much of Gray in branding.
White
Finally, pure white makes us feel just that – pure. It’s a clean and safe color that gives our brains a break.
Since it lacks color, our brains don’t have to process it. As a result, white workspaces inspire creativity but also boredom if overdone.
In logos, we see white used to bring comfort through the idea of purity, like the “cotton” logo. It’s a brown square with a white cotton bulb. The shape represents not only the plant but the purity of the product.
Branding Colors are essential to your Brand in Color
After reading through these, which do you think you’ll do for your brand in color? Take some time to think about it since re-branding is a tricky process.
Please ensure you, or a professional, get together a few options for your branding and run it by focus groups and other colleagues.
When it comes to color psychology, more input is better than less. Ready to get some help creating your business logo? We’re here to help with logo design near me.
