A Breakdown of The Psychology of Color In Marketing & Branding
What colors make your audience want to…
The psychology of color has long been a talked about and a researched topic. What color is most appealing to the eye? What color makes people hungry? What are the colors that make you want to…fill in the blank. However, the question of psychology and color as it relates to marketing is: what color will make people buy my product or respond to my message?
How Color Affects You
To address this topic, we first need to recognize that the idea of certain colors making all people feel a certain way is a myth. Instead, a person’s reaction to a particular color is entirely dependent on that person’s own experiences, beliefs, culture, preference, etc.
The point is that it is impossible to say that red makes everyone angry, because for some people red may trigger thoughts of roses, which evokes feelings of happiness. There are no definitive rules for the psychology of color.
In an article written by Dr. Doublas Fields called Why We Prefer Certain Colors, he points out, “Our individual preference for a particular color associated with these objects (a living room wall or an automobile) will be produced and reinforced by the positive feedback associated with the object and the color it has”
Psychology of Color In Marketing and Branding – Where To Start?
When it comes to marketing and branding, the psychology of color becomes very important. There have been a lot of attempts to define what colors convey certain messages, such as green for environmental issues.
Take a look at the chart below that provides some insight on the type of message that is generally conveyed based on color. You might be surprised at a few, but these are the most agreed upon meanings of colors.
Image courtesy of jasonathen.com
Color Psychology – What Are The Big Brands Using?
Now, let’s look at how some famous brands have used this color guide to choose the color of their logos in order to evoke a certain emotion when people see their products. Take note of the companies that chose to incorporate a spectrum of colors into their logos. What message do you think they are trying to communicate with this?
Image courtesy of www.thelogocompany.net
Gender, Advertising Medium, and Color Marketing Preferences
When thinking about targeting to a specific audience, whether it’s on social media or traditional advertising, it is important to consider gender preferences in color. If you are trying to advertise an event targeted toward women, there are certain colors you probably want to avoid. The graphs below, created by Scott Design Inc., break down color preferences by gender.
Image courtesy of cejayassoc.com
Psychology Of Color and Geographic Implications
Another important aspect to consider when targeting specific audiences is geographic location. Colors mean very different things in every culture. For example, in western cultures, white is associated with peace and purity but in China and Japan, white is a symbolic color for mourning.
You Can’t Control Psychological Impact of Color on Marketing, But…
There are so many factors to consider when choosing a color for your brand, logo, advertisement or product. As humans we unconsciously make judgments based on the smallest things, we can’t help it. Whether or not someone has negative feelings associated with a certain color is not something that we, as marketing professionals, can control.
However, while considering every potential influential aspect that color has on the psychology of marketing, you can use these guidelines to make some solid, educational decisions on what makes sense for you and your business.
Want to find out if the colors you’re using are the right colors for your brand? Call us at 805-541-9005 or contact us here.
