Branding is an all-encompassing word that sums up everything distinctive about your company. From your name to your logo to your website, branding is an important theme to keep consistent through all marketing mediums. One aspect of branding that many people don’t give much thought to is brand color. The colors chosen for your brand can send messages about your brand’s personality and impact your users in ways that many don’t even recognize. It’s important to choose your brand colors carefully.
Here's the rundown on what colors can say about your brand.
Different colors evoke different feelings and impressions. By using a color in your brand, you are linking those emotions and judgments to your products and services.
Red
Many restaurants use the color red for their brands because psychology shows that red affects us in a physical way and can contribute to feelings of hunger and desire. It is also great for creating a sense of urgency. There’s a reason why so many “sale” tags/signs use the color red.
Blue
Blue is often associated with calmness and serenity, making it ideal for mattress companies. Blue is also a top choice for change-based products such as new technologies, due to its connotations of steadiness and reliability.
Orange
If a mattress company used a color like orange, which can cause a feeling of excitement and fun, it would portray a totally different brand personality and wouldn’t give the correct impression of the product. Orange is a color of interruption (think Road Work signs). It works very well as a contrast color for buttons, links, and other calls-to-action.
Yellow
Yellow is a bright, cheerful, and happy color that fits well with children’s brands and products used in the morning. Next time you’re at the grocery store, take note of how many cereal brands use yellow in their logos and packaging.
Green
Green is often associated with a natural quality, which can be good for some food brands or companies that want to convey clean, organic, and nurturing in their brand.
Black
Black is often associated with high class, usually man-made, sophisticated products. There is an elegance and maturity communicated by its lack of flash and flair. Black brands are not a trend; they are a timeless classic.
Think about some of your favorite brands and their choice of brand color. If the colors were to switch on brands such as Whole Foods, Ikea, and Chanel, the brand personalities would be completely changed.
In many cases, color helps us differentiate between competitors within an industry. A good example of this is mobile communications. Each of the four major players (Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile) uses a single, bold brand color. The outcome is clear differentiation and instant brand recognition from a single cue.
These observations are generalizations, and it’s important to know that everyone interprets color different. Be sure to consider your target audience before selecting colors.
What colors did you choose for your brand, and why?
