In a world where first impressions mean everything, color has a compelling role in how customers view your brand. From the highly energetic red of Coca-Cola, to the more docile blue of Facebook, brand colors are much more than a design choice—they’re a strategic tool in the creation of customer perceptions that drive purchasing decisions. In this ultimate guide, we will help you with everything from the psychology of colors to how you can choose the perfect palette for your brand.
Color psychology is a study of how colors influence human behavior and emotions. It is a thought provocative domain exploring how specific colors make you feel, what they make you do or goes even further into influencing your buying decisions. So, businesses should not just see color psychology as a way to make things pretty but instead as an instrument communicating your brand message and building emotional connections leading to brand success.
Color is the first thing people notice about a brand and having your colors right can leave an everlasting impression. In fact, research has suggested that the right colors can increase brand recognition by 80%.
For example, consider green, which evokes connotations of nature, health, and sustainability. Green is used by brands like Whole Foods and Starbucks in their logos to be associated with a natural product line and social responsibility toward the environment. The color red is more associated with excitement and passion, as can be seen in brands like Coca-Cola and Netflix.
Color is a really powerful differentiator in a crowded marketplace. Your brand colors, when used strategically, can help make your business stand out from the competition and be easily recognizable.
For example, what do you think of when someone says Tiffany & Co.? Its blue is such an identifier of the brand that it’s actually known as “Tiffany Blue.” That’s actually a really good example of how color can become part of a brand’s personality, which then creates this strong visual connection between companies and their customers.
One of the simplest tools used in creating color theories that help in understanding how colors relate with one another is the color wheel. It is divided into three: primary colors, secondary colors, and tertiary colors. From these relationships, you can then be able to come up with color schemes that are most likable for your brand.
There are several color schemes one can come up with using the color wheel. For example,
Now, using a color wheel in branding is way more than just picking out colors that appear to look good together. It’s about choosing a color scheme that actually does what it’s supposed to do—convey the message across to the targeted audience.
For instance, if you need to create something a lot more energetic and playful for a brand identity, you will take a triadic color scheme with bright, vivid colors. If you have to evoke emotions associated with coolness and sophistication, an analogous color scheme will be the right choice.
You also need to be aware of the cultural and emotional undertones of your chosen color. For example, while red and green are complementary colors that could make for a truly striking contrast, in Western countries, they also connote Christmas. This can be a problem when running a global brand or when you do not want to have seasonal connections.
Red is a color of great power that evokes strong emotions. It is a color associated with passion, excitement, and urgency, and brands use this color for the energy and action it brings along. Naturally, it also heightens the appetite, so it is used most in the food and beverage market. Though, red can be on the dangerous or warning side, so be thoughtful about its use in your branding.
Blue is among the most popular colors — for very good reasons. It evokes feelings of trust, tranquility, and stability in general, as it is perceived across cultures; thus, it is a safe bet for portfolios across the finance, healthcare, and technology industries. Blue is a cross-culturally favorite color, and generally accepted as the safest color to choose. The meaning of the color blue can change with the shade chosen; friendlier, approachable blues are seen in lighter shades, and darker blues project more professionalism and authority.
Psychologically, green is connected with nature, health, and growth. It is mostly used in brands concerning wellness, the environment, and food. It’s a color communicating equilibrium and calmness, creating a sensation of refreshment and a state of Zen. Darker shades of green can represent money, financial solvency, and prosperity. The color is versatile enough to be used, depending on the exact shades and context, for different moods.
A warm color, yellow is considered friendly, associated with happiness, optimism, and energy. It is loud and can be used to create a sense of warmth and friendliness. Since it also provokes caution, as with warning signs and traffic lights, it is advisable that yellow should be used very carefully so as not to overwhelm your audience. Yellow is commonly used to create the impression of cheerfulness and positivity in branding; it is quite effective when used for brands targeting a younger and lighthearted audience.
Orange is a very bright and cheerful color; it combines all the passion of red with the energy and optimism of yellow. Orange typically signifies creativity, enthusiasm, and adventure and is therefore used by brands that require such attributes of inspiration and excitement. Because it is related to affordability, it is heavily resorted to by brands targeting an affordable and value-for-money proposition. But again, overuse of such a color can be very overwhelming to capture the consumer’s mind.
For a long time, purple has been associated with such things as royalty, luxury, and creativity. It presents sophistication and exclusivity in the best way it can. Therefore, it is highly popular with elite brands. Purple also means spirituality and imagination, offering quite a unique set of feelings that can make your brand stick out. In branding, purple also gives a sense of mystery and intrigue, which is best used for beauty, fashion, and creative brands.
Pink is often related to femininity, romance, and playfulness, a color that suggests a sense of warmth and nurturing. Because of this, it’s common to be used in brands that target women and children. Pink is also linked to compassion and kindness, lending a gentle, approachable feel that helps your brand connect with your audience on an emotional level. Pink is also accepted for not-so-feminine brands as well; it can be used in more unsuspecting ways to develop a bold, eye-catching look.
Brown represents dependability and simplicity. It is more closely associated with nature, handiwork, and genuineness, so all its shades are loved by the companies that wish to look traditional and trustful/ secure. On the other hand, brown is a stabilizing and reassuring color. So, it does a fine job for any brand related to the food, agriculture, or outdoor industry.
Black is eternal, infinite, and versatile. It displays authority and exclusiveness, something that almost all luxury brands use as a marketing tool. Black is also attuning with mystery and formality, giving in on some drama and intensity to make your brand distinctive. Black, however, can also express cold or ominous feelings if overused. Try pairing black with lighter and friendlier colors to make a welcoming look.
White has a lot of connection with purity and cleanliness. It is a versatile color, giving a sense of openness and hence is popular with those brands that want to receive a minimal look or be linked to contemporary design. White is associated with innocence and new beginnings, hence its presence naturally endows a crisp, clean feeling on the brand, making the brand look approachable and more trustworthy. However, given that white can also be taken as sterile or boring, this color needs to be correctly twinned with others to bring some depth and fun.
Gray is a chic neutral color that portrays balance, sophistication, as well as formality. As a color, it tends to give off feelings of calm and stability, thus top choice for brands projecting a professional and reliable personality. Gray is also associated with modernity and with technology as well: it gives a clean and simple look to your brand but it can also be labeled as drab if not used with proper color combinations.
Gold is commonly related to prestige, wealth, and success, which makes it befittingly the color of high-end brands. It is also associated with achievement, excellence, and signifies grandeur and sophistication that provides the possibility for your brand to stand out. However, since gold can also be seen as showy or flash, it is important to be used in moderation and in replacement with other colors, more subtle, to work up a balance in the design.
First, before getting into the color picking part, you need to know well about your brand’s personality. Are you a fun, light-hearted brand or a serious and professional one? Is your brand targeting old or young people? All these things are going to determine which colors are more suitable for your brand.
Another important consideration that needs to be taken into account while you choose your brand colors is your target audience. Indeed, different colors have appeals to different demographics; thus, you should ensure that you have chosen colors that really resonate with your target market.
For example, if you are targeting young and more technically inclined consumers, then you should have bright colors. To appeal to a more mature, professional audience, you may want to go for more muted and classy tones.
While coming up with your brand colors, do take a look at your competitors. Of course, you wouldn’t want to copy them, but you have to know the colors they use so that you differentiate your brand from theirs.
For example, if all of your competitors used blue, then probably you’d want to try another color to stand out. But it’s also critical that your color choices resonate with the industry and don’t feel out of place.
While choosing your brand colors, consider all those colors that will work in harmony with each other. Your primary color is a major dominant color representative of your brand, whereas the secondary and accent colors complement the primary color to give interest and depth to the visual identity of your brand. You can take help from the color wheel in creating the right color combinations.
Finally, test your brand colors by making mockups of a logo, a website, and marketing materials to see how your colors look in different contexts. You might get some feedback from your target audience in order to see how they react to the color choices. Testing your colors will definitely help you avoid blunders and ensure that the colors are perfectly adapted to your brand.
The color, red, of Coca-Cola is one of the most recognizable brand colors all over the world. Red symbolizes excitement, energy, and passion—the things that are absolutely in perfect accordance with the Coca-Cola brand message of associating the beverage with happiness and enjoyment.
In addition to that, the use of red color conveys some type of urgency and attention-taker and can turn out to be powerful in Coca-Cola’s marketing efforts.
The signature blue of Tiffany & Co. simply reflects how a brand color can equate with brand identity. BLUE spells trust, sophistication, and luxury—adjectives that exactly match Tiffany’s brand image of timeless elegance and quality craftsmanship. Indeed, the particular shade of blue that Tiffany & Co. uses is so attached to them that it is called “Tiffany Blue.”
The green color that Starbucks uses is an example of how color reinforces the values and mission of the brand. Green represents nature, health, and sustainability, so it serves well the values of Starbucks regarding ethical sourcing and environmental protection. It promotes calmness and peace, which is exactly what a brand would want its customers to feel while waiting in line or seated inside its stores.
A timeless example of the use of color psychology to engage in business is the use of red and yellow in McDonald’s branding. Red provides excitement, sets off appetites, while yellow shows happiness and friendliness. Together, these colors evoke urgency with certain energy, driving customers toward quick decision-making, which works really well for McDonald’s.
Nike’s black branding demonstrates a clear example of how color expresses power and sophistication. Black symbolizes strength, authority, and opulence, thereby matching Nike’s brand rhetoric on high performance and leading-edge innovation. Black is also mysterious, and hence exclusive, which makes the Nike branding aspirational and premium.
Brand colors do much more than function as a design element; they are a strategic tool that shapes customer perception, builds emotional connections, and sets the brand apart from its competitors. Using the right colors can set up the personality of your brand in the best possible way, suiting your target audience.
We, at Brand Excelente, realize the power of color and the effect it has on the success of your brand. Our branding experts can help you master the intricacies of color psychology in choosing the right color scheme for your business. Whether you’re creating a new brand or rebranding, let our team help you in designing a striking visual identity that truly engages your audience. Want more details on how our Branding services can assist you? Contact us to find out how we can take your brand to the next level.