The Marketing Psychology Behind Your Brand’s Color

Many times, when people are starting a business, they ask for help with a marketing plan.  More often than not, the first thing they want is a logo.  And a lot of times, they come to us with one already sketched out or done themselves.  While we applaud the initiative, sometimes what they have designed could actually be a hindrance to their business.  You see, there is a marketing psychology behind every great brand.  The color, font, look and feel of your logo, website and promotional materials should be derived from research that explains the consumer’s brain pattern.

Color psychology is important to understand and utilize in your marketing efforts, especially because neuroscience says humans may be hardwired for certain shades.

As strategic marketing professionals, we like to understand what compels people to buy, so that we can help our customers maximize their marketing efforts.  The number one goal of branding and marketing is to get noticed.  The second is to get people engaged.  The final is to get people to buy.  Doing it ‘right’ the first time will help expedite the process from point A to point B.

Research shows that colors, branding, and tying them together create an opportunity for consumers to recognize your business or brand quickly. After all, the goal of your branding attempts and marketing efforts is to create a company reputation easily remembered with a quick glance at a logo.

Colors should be chosen to represent your brand very carefully.  After all, many researchers took a lot of time to study and spell out what color schemes, etc. work best for your industry.  Companies use this branding research to target particular markets and give a certain impression to their consumers.

Why color?

This is a question that’s not as easily answered as asked. Color relates to persuasion, because it evokes an emotional response. Persuasion is a marketer’s friend.

Color theory represents a unique opportunity to research the consumer’s decision-making process, as well as what marketing professionals can do to sway those decisions in their favor. In essence, it’s a sort of manipulation you want to be able to get away with. Research shows there are a lot of ways color theory affects consumer habits, and how marketing professionals can use it.

Utilizing color is an effective way to play on someone’s personal experiences.

Did you know that 90% of snap judgments made about products, brands, or businesses can be based on color alone? There are a variety of things that factor into the perception of color from a consumer’s point of view. Their age, culture, socioeconomic status, location, job, experience, family status, and the landscape of their industry all factor into the way they view color, or what color evokes in them.

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Companies use color to elicit emotional responses like increased appetite or an enhanced mood. Some take it a step further, using color theory to soothe customers, reduce the perception of a lengthy wait, and other various situations where an emotional response may occur.

Choosing where to use color, aside from logos, is also important. There are a variety of locations to choose from, including merchandise, web design, and calls-to-action.

Fortune 500 companies know a little something about effective branding, especially when it comes to the utilization of color theory.

Most people prefer color patterns with similar hues, which explains why more than 80% of Fortune 500 companies have two or fewer colors incorporated into their logo.

Plenty of notable, popular logos belong to these big companies, because they know the value of a strong brand identity. Which, often times, they base off color theory. For example, red is an appetite enhancer and it is present in the golden arches of McDonald’s logo.  

There are three steps to figuring out what colors to use in your branding attempts. You have to start by understanding your brand personality in order to choose the right colors. If you’re a green, eco-friendly company, you won’t want to create a logo with red, a color associated with boldness, fire, and excitability. The next point of business is to take your brand personality, and match it with certain hues using color theory. As a third and final step to utilizing color theory in your company branding, learn which colors convey what to readers.

THEN develop your story.

Your logo, as well as the rest of your marketing materials, is the first impression on a customer. Because of this, you need to hone the message you’re trying to tell your customers about your brand through your logo. Your brand message matters, and it has an effect on the opinions of your customers - past, present, and future.

If you need help developing your brand and choosing your color scheme, contact the experts at SK Consulting.  From Concept.  To Creation. To Implementation.  We’re there with you every step of the way!