The Importance of Colors in Branding
For most of us, learning how to identify and differentiate between colors was one of the first skills we learned as toddlers. We loved telling people our favorite color, and it determined many choices we made – in everything from picking out a toothbrush to our bike. Little did we know that our lifelong relationship with color was only beginning and that it would continue to influence our decisions, consciously and unconsciously, long after we outgrew that bike. Now, as adults, we’ve come to understand that color in branding is incredibly dynamic and can help you communicate beyond words.
Why Does Color in Branding Matter?
Every marketer seeks to make an emotional connection to their audience since emotion is a fundamental component in human decision making. Color can elicit emotion wordlessly. For example, you probably picture red when you think of love. And who among us has not been guilty of being “green” with envy?
It makes sense that branding color schemes are compelling marketing tools, whether you are creating a color palette for your brand or rebranding an existing one. According to CCICOLOR – Institute for Color Research, people make a subconscious judgement about a person, environment, or product within the first 90 seconds of viewing, with 62% to 90% of that impression based on color alone.1
In fact, there is an entire branch of psychology that focuses on color and its impact on human behavior. The study of “color psychology” proved that color can sway perception, influence behavior, and improve effectiveness of communication.
Brand Color Meanings
Just because a certain color is your favorite, doesn’t mean it is the right one to help identify your brand. Your choice of color in your branding brings deeply ingrained beliefs and perceptions to your business. Here is a rundown of the impressions your personal branding color palette offers:
- Red: Red is energetic, powerful, and passionate. It can also be seen as aggressive, provocative, and attention-grabbing.
- Pink: Dark pink colors in branding can be lively and full of excitement, while lighter pinks are romantic.
- Orange: Orange is fun, cheery, and appeals effectively to children.
- Yellow: Color palettes for branding using yellow tap into the color’s vibrancy and brightness. Yellow is optimistic, jubilant, approachable, and draws attention. It can also be associated with cowardice.
- Green: Green is associated with nature and health. Lighter green colors in branding evoke feelings of peace and tranquility. It can also symbolize luck, generosity, jealousy, prosperity, wealth, and greed.
- Blue: Blue exudes positivity, and invokes feelings of trust, security, and serenity. Blue can also be associated with sadness.
- Purple: Purple relates to royalty, sophistication, and opulence, which is why you often see it incorporated into luxury brand colors.
- Brown: This color is earthy, implying simplicity and the feeling of being grounded.
- Black: Black is authoritative, sleek, serious, and modern yet timeless. Too much black, however, can look dark and ominous.
- White: White is pure and elicits feelings of cleanliness, innocence, purity, and crispness. But if you overuse it, it can come off as shocking, cold, and unfeeling.
Considerations for Colors in Branding:
When you are deciding on the colors that are right for your brand, there are some factors to consider in your selection:
- Target audience: Is your color palette going to resonate with the audience you want to engage?
- Versatility: The colors you choose should translate across all your channels. Will your palette look as good on a billboard as it will on your business card?
- Visibility: High-contrast colors can be seen easily, while too many vibrant colors may be rough on the eyes.
Color in branding should never be overlooked or undervalued – it is a prime opportunity to connect with consumers, encourage engagement, and help them remember you. Does the prospect of going it alone while establishing your business branding have you feeling blue or yellow-bellied? Paradigm’s Business Branding Kit helps bring clarity to your business and ensure you are speaking to the right audience in the right way to drive revenue, at a price that won’t have you seeing red. Schedule a consultation today.
1 CICICOLOR – Institute for Color Research: https://www.colorcom.com/research/why-color-matters
About the Author
Kaitlyn Wilcoxson, Account Group Supervisor, is a data-driven, problem-solving marketing guru who, as one of the firm’s longest employees, has worked with almost every client Paradigm has ever partnered with, and has been instrumental in their success. Kaitlyn ensures Paradigm’s clients and internal teams are positioned for growth. She manages resources, develops team members, monitors the quality of deliverables, and manages process and procedure planning. She was awarded the Gold Level Stevie® Award for Customer Service and Sales Manager of the Year in the 17th annual Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service.
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