Colour is nature’s way of telling us important messages. For your business brand, colour plays a more important role than you may realise – it’s the first thing that a consumer will notice about your logo. Richard Forsyth from Varn Media explains why colours count.
The first impression and the lasting impression you will get from a business may well be the colour palette of the branding. According to Kissmetrics, colours increase brand recognition by 80%. Similarly – in a study called Impact of Colour Marketing, research found that 90% of snap judgements made around products could be based on colour.
A good marketer will know that colour is rich with meaning to your customer’s eyes, it may reassure them they have come to the right company or put them off the brand instantly. It will trigger an emotional response on some level that will be associated with the brand. We all think of Facebook as blue and we all think of Virgin as red – so it’s a good idea to know what your colour means and if it is appropriate for your service and your industry.
Whilst it is widely agreed that colours will always have strong elements of personal context and association, the broader meanings are pigeon-holed by many marketing agencies for driving performance of brands.
Here’s a quick look at our guide to check commonly held positive colour associations:
Yellow: youthful, optimistic, warm, happy – used by Food industry
Red: energetic, urgent, bold, stimulating – used by Restaurants
Orange: confident, informal, cheerful, vibrant – used by Healthcare
Pink: romantic, feminine, creative,nurturing – used by Childcare
Blue: reliable, calming, peaceful, strong – used by Finance
Black: powerful, formal, luxurious, sophisticated – used by Clothing
Green: wealthy, natural, peaceful, growth – used by Energy
Purple: calming, creative, royal, mysterious – used by Technology
Grey: calming, neutral, professional, wise – used by Photography
Brown: practical, wholesome, credible, natural – used by Outdoors Equipment
White: innocent, simplistic, pure, immaculate – used by Wedding
Research entitled Colour Assignments by Joe Hallock looked into what colours men and women pefer. The research revealed men had a major preference for blue although this was also the favourite for the women but by a smaller margin. Women also showed a marked preference for purple, unlike men. Orange was more appealing to men and yellow was more appealing to women, whilst both genders least liked the colours brown, grey and white.
The aim of branding is to symbolise your offering as instantaneously as possible. Colours are an important tool to achieve this. Good marketing teams will always use every weapon in their creative arsenal to convey the essence of a business through its branding and colour is arguably a key in communicating the values of a company.
Contact: www.varnmedia.co.uk
