A picture speaks louder than words and so do the colours. While crafting your brand strategy every element counts. Similarly, when it comes to brand identity colour plays a vital role in it. Colour is a silent yet powerful tool that is capable of creating recognition, evoking emotions and reinforcing the brand’s personality. Red is for passion, blue is for calmness, green is for new beginnings and yellow signifies happiness. Having said that color psychology in marketing is the study of how each colour can influence human behaviours, emotions and patterns.
From the vibrant red of Coca-Cola to the calming blue of Facebook, colour choices are not just about aesthetics it’s about the emotional connection with your audience. Now, let’s break down some colours and how can we use these colours in marketing:
Red
The powerful color red is associated with passion, energy, and excitement. Additionally, it also has the potential to arouse sentiments of danger and rage. For branding, the colour red is often used to attract attention, provide a sense of urgency, and elicit powerful emotions. Brands such as Coca-Cola, Red Bull, Target, and Ferrari are all examples of companies that make successful use of the colour red.
Blue
Blue is probably most people’s favourite and most used colour.
The colour blue is often associated with trust, dependability, and peacefulness. It has the power to express intellect, professionalism, and resilience.
Because of its ability to convey a feeling of reliability. Businesses in the technology sector, health care and general brands choose the blue colour. Facebook, IBM, Visa, and Delta Air Lines are some examples of companies that employ the colour blue in their branding.
Yellow
Happiness, optimism, and openness are all connected with the color yellow. Branding for items that are directed at children and young people often makes use of the color yellow. McDonald’s, IKEA and Nickelodeon are some examples of how companies are using the colour yellow.
Green
Without a doubt, the colour green is associated with life and nature. It evokes the feeling of well-being, freshness and renewal. Brands and organisations who are concerned about the environment often choose to go with the green colour. The companies John Deere, Starbucks, and Spotify are all examples of businesses that adopt environmentally friendly practices.
Black and White
This color combination is used by several companies which elicits a range of emotions. It signifies versatility, timeless appeal and minimalism. Some of the famous brands that use this colour combination are Chanel, Calvin Klein and Nike.
How to use color psychology in your marketing?
Now that we’ve learned why color psychology is the core aspect of marketing. It’s time to learn how we can use color psychology for effective marketing:
Start with Feelings
Before selecting the right colour palette for your brand or new campaigns, decide what emotions you want to evoke in people. Tap, trigger, create and respond to the emotions after the colour selection. If you’re an eco-friendly brand better to use the color green to create a sense of well-being.
Consistency is the Key
Being consistent is the cornerstone of effective branding. While the logos may undergo redesigns and alterations over time, the colours must be the same to preserve the brand identity.
One of the examples we can take is of Coca-Cola which has been maintaining its consistency for several years. Can you recall a Coke ad that wasn’t red? Well, you certainly can’t because all of them are red.
The characteristic red colour has been a brand staple since its creation, and it has stayed almost unchanged as the design has developed. So, consistency does matter!
Consider Cultural Context
It’s surely the color, but sometimes it’s also about cultural perception. How we perceive one color can vary in other countries according to the culture.
Similarly, black is a color that carries diverse meanings. In Western culture associated with mourning, mystery, and power. It can also symbolize elegance, sophistication, and authority.
Whilst in Eastern culture it can symbolize wisdom, strength, and good fortune. Thus, consider the audience and their culture living across the world.
Get Inspired and Analyze
“Sometimes you need to act as the audience by yourself” means to truly understand the impacts of your marketing efforts you need to put yourself in the shoes of your target audience.
Ask yourself these questions:
-How do I feel after looking at the design?
-What kind of message can I perceive?
-Am I emotionally connected to the content?
Run A/B Testing
Creating two versions of a marketing asset (such as a website, email, or advertisement) and comparing them to see which one works better is known as A/B testing. Likewise, A/B Testing can be a valuable tool for optimizing the use of colour in your marketing campaigns.
Consistency? Yes. A/B Testing? Also a big YES!!
By understanding how colours can influence human behaviour, emotions, and perceptions, you can now build a brand that will resonate and connect with your audience. But wait, a ship without a sailor goes nowhere right?
In the same way, a brand without a strong foundation in color psychology is likely to drift aimlessly.
Don’t let your brand sink, book a 1:1 strategy session with us!
