The Color Effect: How Colors Impact Branding
Color is everywhere and it can be a major influence in our life. I know it has for mine. Purple has been my favorite color for as long as I can remember. From my room walls to my AirPods case, I bring purple into my life any way I can.
But color is more than just a favorite thing, it’s a powerful communication tool, used to signal action, influence mood, and evoke reactions. It’s a key component in branding and building relationships with consumers.
The Basics of Color Psychology
Color psychology is the study of how colors affect human emotions and behaviors. In branding, color can impact consumer perception and behaviors.
While many factors influence our purchase decisions, Kendra Cherry suggests that “when buying items, your color preferences might say something about the image you are trying to project.” Brands understand these rationales and play up to the part by using colors that portray the values we identify with.
“Timeless brands…know the power that color has over our psyches—and use that power to shape our experiences in ways most of us don’t even realize.” (Brian Lischer)
The Meaning of Colors in Brand Advertising
The meaning of colors varies globally, but they tend to have common associations. This is especially true in branding, where colors signify certain values. In “Color Psychology: How To Use it in Marketing and Branding,” Bailey Maybray breaks down the meaning of colors.
Red is known for being fiery and energetic, often associated with love, passion, and excitement. A bold and bright color, it’s used to attract attention to call-to-action buttons, urging viewers to take action and hopefully make a purchase.
Orange is warm and courageous. It can represent immaturity but also confidence, a distinction brands decide based on shades and tones.
Yellow is bright and attention-grabbing. The right hues evoke joy, optimism, and warmth. It’s often used to promote playful, youthful products and highlight store discounts.
Green is the color of nature. It represents growth, freshness, and balance. We see the color commonly used by organizations focusing on environmental sustainability or companies selling organic, fresh food.
Blue is the world’s most popular color—as it is for companies, with 33% of the world’s top brands using it in their logo. It evokes calmness, clarity, and trustworthiness, often used in the financial and healthcare industry to make people feel secure and safe.
Purple is one of the rarest colors to appear in nature. Capable of meaning various things in advertising, purple has a long history with royalty, luxury, and imagination. It’s used broadly, from space companies to meditation services, it helps brands stand out among other colors.
Black is timeless and stylish, the color radiates sophistication and elegance. The powerful color is used to demonstrate a brand’s authority and is used by various industries including high fashion, athletic wear, and automotive.
White is clean and pure, minimalist yet powerful. Its simplicity allows it to be associated with various things. Its sleek look works well globally and is popular in tech companies and luxury goods to convey high quality.
Takeaway
There’s more to color than what meets the eye, it’s a huge part of how brands connect with us. With the right colors, brands can increase recognition and influence consumer decisions. Review42 reveals that colors can increase brand awareness by 80%. Colors are carefully picked, so the next time you see a logo or ad, take a moment to think about how the colors make you feel.
Hi, I’m Allison!
I am a graphic and interactive designer passionate about creating strategy-driven and engaging designs.