There’s a world full of color; how do you know which is best for your business or brand? We’re going to help you decide using the 5 steps below.
1. Know the Significance of Colors
Color is the first thing a potential customer will recognize about a brand’s logo. It’s important to connect with your audience and capture their attention using the appropriate colors.
We associate color in accordance with our opinion towards a brand. For example, blue typically depicts professionalism or technology like Best Buy and GE. Whereas, we associate green with the environment or health like Whole Foods Market. Using the wrong color choice could be confusing.
Imagine seeing the Wonka logo in green… it might make us think the candy inside is a healthier-type of candy instead of the delicious sweets we’re used to enjoying from Wonka.
2. Recognize the Differences in Culture with Color
Are you planning to market your brand locally, nationally or internationally? Some color association comes from community, not just psychology.
If your market area has a distinct association with a specific color (whether that be negative or positive), you’ll want to keep that in mind when choosing colors to identify your brand. If you were opening an ice cream shop in a small, rural town with strong support for their sports program, you would want to steer clear of opposing team colors as there may be a dissociation to those colors.
If you’re planning to market internationally, you’ll need to be aware of any colors in other cultures that carry strong meaning. For example, in the US, we typically wear black to funerals but in other countries, white is the color associated with death.
The perception of color within your target market should be taken into consideration when choosing the colors to represent your brand.
3. Learn the Impact Colors Have on the Mind
Have you ever realized that most restaurants use red in their logo?
It could seem coincidental or trendy but there’s actually a much larger reason so many of them have red. The reason for this is- red and orange color tones can actually trigger hunger.
Tricky, huh?! Many colors have significance just like this. Psychology can play a large part in the color choice of a brand’s logo.
4. Understand the Meaning of Different Colors
With that being said, color psychology isn’t always black and white. Black can be perceived as sophisticated in one context and rebellious in another. The context of the brand will help the audience depict the proper vibe. Typically, the colors below indicate a specific meaning when viewed by the consumer.
- Red – Evokes passion, energy, increased heart rate. Often associated with food and beverage brands.
- Orange – Association with friendliness and cheerfulness. Evokes adventure and creativity.
- Yellow – Evokes positivity, optimism, and happiness. However, it is often used as a secondary color.
- Green – Associated with environment, health, peace and freshness. Often used with recycling, health foods and gardening.
- Blue – Associated with confidence, trust and security. It is often used by businesses who want to indicate they are trustworthy.
- Purple – Association with royalty, nostalgia, mystery, and spirituality.
5. Choose the Color That’s Best for Your Business Personality
Think of your brand as a personality. Does your band have a feminine or masculine feel? Is it “party in the back” or “business in the front?” Does your brand carry a lot of energy or is it more relaxed? Is it a young, modern business or one that carries rich history?
Answering these questions will help you decide where your business should fall in the realm of color choices. Be sure to depict your brand’s history in the colors you choose to represent.
Your brand’s colors will say a lot about your business. It may seem so simple and easy to choose a color because it’s your favorite or it’s a trendy color but make sure you give it some deep thought. The majority of people see in color, not black and white. Do your brand a favor and seize the opportunity to elaborate on your brand’s story by choosing colors that support the story.
