We see different colors and use them in our everyday life. However, many people are only starting to learn the importance of colors and how they can play a crucial role in brand success. One of the very first importance of colors for branding and marketing is the fact that it is the first thing that attracts a customer and gives them a first impression of the brand or business. While many of us grew up seeing colors as nothing more than just colors and visual aids, the truth is colored do carry a lot of emotions, experience, and feelings with them. Different colors have different meanings and they carry different emotions. This is something that business owners have to realize and put into consideration when choosing a color scheme for their business. Because quite frankly, it can make or break the business.
One of the most predominant elements used to identify and can be associated with a brand is color. If you consider a can of cola with dark red colors or some capital letters with blue stripes, there are brands that come to mind with this. You are able to associate this description with these brands because of the color. Colors help with recognizing and associating with a brand.
Every brand strategy that is comprehensive and effective will place color as an important part of their consideration. It is easier for customers and prospects to attach an emotion to your brand because of the color you chose (which is what gave them their first impression of your brand). So, it is not enough to choose just any color. There are a number of things that you have to consider and it goes way beyond your personal preference.
Color Communication
Colors do speak and communicate in a way that word cannot. They are more persuasive as they seek to invoke emotions in us. As a matter of fact, you can choose a product over another thinking that it tastes better simply because of its color. One report in a paper service saw 85% of customers choose the color as the primary reason for buying a product. Also, almost all impulse buying decisions are based on the color of the product. That’s how powerful color is to a brand and should not be taken lightly in marketing.
The psychology of color is real and it can play a huge role in helping a business grow. It allows the brand to meet the expectations of the product simply because of the color. Nature does teach us some things about color and if we are going to use colors successfully, we have to follow the pattern set by nature. For instance, many restaurants and food brands use a bright red color. This has to do with the fact that bright red fruits in nature are ripe enough to be consumed and fill our hunger.
According to an essay writer at one of the most renowned writing services, it might not be obvious or even sound logical that we are influenced by colors to do some certain things. But color does communicate with us in many ways.
Effect of Color in Marketing
It is already been established that colors can influence customer behavior towards a brand or product. However, there is a need to see the effect of some of these colors and the emotions that they draw from the customers.
- Blue: the color blue relates a lot to masculinity and is also associated with characteristics and emotions such as calmness, peace, responsibility, stability, relaxation, refreshing, tranquility, and sadness. Banks use blue a lot because it communicates stability and authority which is expected of them.
- Green: This color is associated with nature and health, and it has a calming effect. It is even said to lower heart rate and blood pressure in people. It is also associated with finances, wealth, growth, balance, good luck, renewal, harmony, and the environment. Eco-friendly brands or businesses selling organic products use this color.
- Red: this color grabs a lot of attention. It is hot and very vibrant. It is also associated with passion, confidence, love, high energy, danger, anger, warmth, fire, and warfare. It is also known to boost blood pressure and metabolism. So restaurants use it to whet customers’ appetite. Dating sites also use it as a sign of love.
- Yellow: yellow is associated with affordability, and optimism, as well as energy, playfulness, happiness, youth, cheerfulness, warmth, and danger. The association of yellow to danger relates to fire. So, it is used for caution.
- Orange: this is a very cheerful and friendly color with a few similar traits to red. It is often associated with youthfulness, friendliness, vitality, humor, affordability, and seasonal changes. Orange is an ideal color for an indoor park that needs to attract kids to have a good, energetic, and playful time.
Factors to Consider When Choosing Your Brand Color
The first thing that you must note when choosing your brand color is that your focus should not be on what you want or feel. You must be customer-centric in doing this. The color(s) that you choose should mirror the desires and emotional attachment that you want your customers to have towards your brand. Some of the criteria that you must consider are:
- Target audience
Who are you trying to reach out to? In what mood do you want them to engage your brand? What emotions do you want them to have towards your brand? These are legitimate questions that you have to answer before choosing a color. You have to consider the color that best embodies your value or what you have to offer to your customers.
- Culture
Color might have different meanings to people of different cultures. For instance, white means purity in the US but in some parts of Asia, it is used for mourning. So, the meaning and perception of color might change depending on factors such as race, religion, gender, social class, etc. So, you have to consider the culture in the region where you are in before choosing something to represent your brand.
- Consistency
The identity of a brand in the market is strengthened by the consistency in its color scheme. It, therefore, plays a vital role in the brand becoming easily identifiable and strong enough to ward off competition. It also helps to develop familiarity with customers as well as gain their trust and loyalty.
- Appropriateness
Before you set up your business as an owner, you should already be sure of the kind of message that you are trying to pass across to them. So, you have to put this in mind when choosing the color and only settle for the ones appropriate for your brand message.
Conclusion
There is no doubting the importance of color to brands. Now more than ever, brands are choosing their colors based on color psychology and it is working for them. But colors are also important in the website design and can be used in the context of a call-to-action for instance. You want to vary the color a little bit so that it stands out from others and is easy to notice.
