Understanding Color Psychology in Marketing and Branding
Business owners are looking for new ways to grow and improve their companies. Some use modern technology and innovative solutions to make products or services more attractive to potential customers. But there are businessmen who find non-standard options and this brings excellent results.
One of these options is color psychology in marketing. This is the latest trend that allows you to build a new branch of the success of your business. The purpose of such a point is to influence people’s thinking in order to give them the desired product through an attractive color scheme. This method can be used in different directions – not only in marketing but you may also select it for branding success.
Introduction to color theory
The psychology of color is a rather complex science that is particularly effective for business. The main goal is to study the influence of certain colors and shades on human behavior. If we look at it in detail, then such a topic will allow us to predict a person’s reaction to a particular color with almost perfect accuracy. The essence of the theory is a logical process with certain rules that are predicted using a special circle with flowers.
The circle has primary colors; are red, blue, and sunny yellow. If you mix them, then you get colors that are called complementary. These will be purple, green and orange. Now you can mix the first group and second to get red-purple or other tones. It is these shades that can be used to create basic backgrounds in brand logos.
But we are talking about psychology, so here we are considering the tones’ impact on people. The human eye can distinguish many colors and shades. But here it is important to use those shades that will be the most unique. If you study the basic colors, then you will understand the system more clearly: create an attractive shade for people to use in attracting customers to your service.
The main aim of color psychology
The perception of a certain color also depends on the personal experience of the individual, therefore it is impossible to say exactly how it will be. It is important to take into account the peculiarities of upbringing, life experience, culture, certain memories, and other factors. We remember that green speaks of calmness. It is used to convey information about life, success, and comfort. Greenpeace is the color of the logo, which speaks of the need to care for the environment. More precisely, care and peace around us to get harmony and tranquility.
We can also say that there is a multifunctional brown color. He speaks of luxury, softness, elegance, and style. This color is used by Porsche and Lamborghini, by Louis Vuitton, and by M & M’s. We perceive it as something pleasant and attractive, associating it with a leather interior or warm chocolate. Brands take on simple colors that tell people goodwill and favor their products. Now companies are looking for new shades and mixed tones, but not all of them encourage us to pay attention to the products of such companies.
Color Preferences by Gender
It is impossible to say exactly why the most in demanded colors for cars are silver, black or white. It is unlikely that you have seen purple electric stoves or green vacuum cleaners somewhere. There are certain color preferences that affect the male and female perception of data. Belonging to a certain gender affects the desire of people to purchase a product. There is an opinion that a man will pay attention to dark tones, and ladies prefer light shades. Of course, there are exceptions. Few people know that the usual definition of blue for boys and pink for girls meant the opposite.
Initially, blue was the color for both genders. Now many women can say that purple is their favorite color. But you do not hear such an opinion from men. We will not find purple power tools in the store. And you’ll also be hard-pressed to find a hair dryer in brown or navy blue. Define the target audience for your product or service and give it a more “understandable” shade. For women, add whiter, and for men, add more black.
How to find ideal color?
When you design your company logo, you are looking at more than just eye-catching color. This should have more points for detailed analysis. Look at the infographic, analyze the colors for specific points. A lot of things here depend on context, emotions, company image, and even feelings. Some business owners said that they felt their logo, understood how it should be for the audience. Most often it is something simple and “understandable” for everyone.
To make it easier for you to find the right color for your brand, you need to explain these points to yourself:
- The color for my logo should be appropriate (does the color match what I offer clients).
- The color should show the uniqueness of my product or service (yellow shows joy, green is life, white is purity, and so on).
- The color should attract the main target audience (here it is important to remember that the psychology of color perception suggests that men choose darker tones, and women choose light ones).
- The color should differentiate my company from the competition (the right color will help your company stand out from similar commercial proposals. The isolation effect is where the thing that stands out is more memorable).
- The color should have an authentic name (it’s not just brown, it’s a “mocha” shade).
What is the best shade?
To choose the right palette you need to study your target audience. Here you need to analyze data about potential customers. It’s not illegal to use your competitors’ colors to create an authentic palette that also works well for a particular product or service. Think about your company, products, people, and space. Your own experience and emotions are also important when choosing the right color.
The wheel with colors is the major base but you can create your own unique color. Here it is worth remembering the color that Tiffany uses. Now everyone knows this shade as a special style of the brand. But you should not forget about studies, records of famous psychologists, and other verified facts that are based on theories about the impact on human perception.
Psychologists have identified colors that are most comfortable and pleasant:
- The blue color is calm, it inspires trust and reliability. This color also symbolizes safety.
- Red color shows strength, fearlessness and energy. This causes excitement and slightly dulls analytical thinking.
- Yellow is an optimistic color, it increases self-esteem and sets up a creative mood.
- Purple is associated with wealth, luxury and success. It is rarely found in nature, so it seems incredible to us due to its uniqueness.
- Green is cold as the calmest color. It is nature, life, freshness and health.
- Orange color is closer to red in its impressions. It slightly worries but evokes a feeling of comfort in us; it is something familiar and cozy.
How to achieve color harmony?
Now we can mix colors to get a perfect balance. The rule that works here is that mixing colors can lead to the appearance of new tones in the following directions:
- Similar (colors that are located next to each other on the circle are mixed).
- Monochrome (you can mix tones or halftones but only one color).
- Triadic (mixing three colors that are consecutive in a circle).
- Separated complementary (you take any color and mix with its two closest shades).
- Additional (mixing contrasting colors).
There is no specific palette that we can call universal. There is also no specific rule that you must apply in order to create your company logo. Try to create your own unique version that will make your brand more attractive and memorable. Your product may become more desirable for a consumer who sees the image for the first time.
Conclusion
Psychologists continue to study the human brain and its perception is one of the interesting points. We offer our company to potential clients and such exposure will be effective for the development of our business. You choose the perfect color combination for people to come to you and use your service. A simple logo will be less visible in the competitive market. Modern products have a large competitive base and any way to attract a customer is readily used. In marketing, color psychology focuses more on the study of how the tones of your brand, in general, will influence consumer behavior. This will not only grow your business, but it will also say about your company’s reputation.
Successful shades will lead consumers to prefer your product over competitors. Use unusual shades to be memorable. Even the most extravagant shade can be remembered as more than a simple yellow or just orange. If your company logo is just text that contains the brand name, then you still need to consider the color palette. Consider all the points for choosing the perfect color scheme and your company will be interesting for customers.