Understanding Colour Psychology: The Basics
The way I see it, think about stepping into a new shop for the first time - before you even notice what is actually being sold, your eye is drawn to the colour scheme of the space. It could be warm tones, cool tones, pastels or neons that have got your attention, but itâs these colours that are apparently quickly working to form a quick impression of whatâs happening in that store. I think we all know colour can have a powerful effect on our emotions and perceptions, but understanding colour psychology in marketing can mean the difference between attracting the right customer and creating brand loyalty or not.
The science of colours and their meaning goes back thousands of years to ancient Egypt and Greece, where people began associating certain colours with gods and goddesses. These associations continued throughout history until modern day where people began attempting to learn the psychology behind colour association. The science has been able to demonstrate that different colours have an impact on a personâs feelings and mood as well as how they perceive things - which is why certain fast food brands rely on reds and oranges whereas larger established brands like banks, pharmaceuticals or big tech companies opt for blue in their branding since it is linked with trust.
Colours can also mean different things based on where you are comparatively in the world since each culture associates different feelings and meaning with certain colours. While white may be associated with purity and peace in many parts of the world, it is connected with death in other cultures. This means that choosing your brand colour must take your target audience into consideration. All this science boils down to one simple conclusion - using colours for branding can be more than just picking your favourites but rather strategically employing them based on their meanings for maximum impact.
This could mean selecting one main brand colour or a combination of two or three that complement each other well together while drawing on emotions that align with your businessâ goals for its customers.
The Impact of Colour on Consumer Perception
I Reckon ever had that moment when you walk into a shop and everything inside seems to sing the same note. Could be a cheerful yellow, an earthy green, or moody navy everywhere you look. The lighting and fixtures match it - and so do the staff uniforms.
Sort of. And then it hits you: Youâve walked into a brand, not a store. Colour works like that for brands. Itâs why Starbucks looks like it does in your mindâs eye, no matter which city youâre picturing it in.
When marketing teams dream up colour schemes, theyâre working with some real science. Colour psychology dates back to ancient Egyptians, who used colour as therapy - and to this day, certain hues are known to help with sleep or fight sadness.
More or less. In branding, colour is the language we use to reach out to customers before we even talk about money. Red stands for excitement and passion - which is why brands like Coca-Cola, Virgin Atlantic and Kelloggs use it in such great big dollops.
Blue represents reliability - so American Express, LinkedIn and Oral-B favour these tones for their own brand image. It seems like white comes off as sincere while black is all about elegance - think apple vs chanel. But thereâs more here than simply picking the right mix of paint shades for your logo or packaging. Brands canât always stick to the same formula when going international because cultures interpret colour differently (take white being wedding-chic in the west but funeral gloom across Asia).
Even back home though, matching colours with what your brand really stands for - as well as its general look and feel - helps convey a strong message.
Choosing the Right Colours for Your Brand
Choosing the Right Colours for Your Brand The thing about colours and branding is that most people who are building their own brand or company, often forget how crucial colour choices are in conveying the right emotions to your audience and would-be customers. It's not an exact science, but understanding what your brand colours represent will be a good guide to how you interact with your target market. Think of it as being a little like power dressing.
Colours can communicate so much about you, and can let people know if you're approachable or not. Whether or not you realise it, brands have always had a way of making us feel things through their visuals. More or less.
Some brands can look serious and corporate, while others can appear fun and approachable. It all depends on which values they want to highlight, and this is presumably where colour comes into play. For instance, companies looking for youthful, exciting, and playful appeal could use a more vibrant palette in their logos, designs, and even on their website. Brands seeking to appear more professional or business-like would benefit from using blue as this is commonly seen as a trustworthy colour.
I know sometimes it's tempting to just pick colours based on your personal taste but that's not really how building a brand works. The way I see it, if you're stuck on choosing which hues to use for your brand palette, the best way to go about this is by researching competitors or similar companies in your industry. By doing so, you will get a good idea of what works, what's been done before, and what could possibly work for you. If your main goal is to simply stand out from the crowd, choosing unique colour combinations could definitely help you create something new or interesting in your industry.
However, it always helps to keep in mind how you want your customers or audience to feel when they see your logo or website.
Case Studies: Successful Brands and Their Colour Choices
Think about this - you're walking down a shopping street, and thereâs that familiar red from Coca-Cola. Or the green of Starbucks. These brands have owned their colours.
It's a bit Pavlovian. We see their colours and know them in seconds. McDonaldâs has chosen bright red and yellow for quite a while now, which isnât a coincidence. Fast food chains love these colours.
They trigger appetite and create urgency. More or less. Thatâs why youâre more likely to grab a burger here than somewhere painted a cooler blue.
Blue is often used for water, technology and even Facebook. The brand isnât going for hunger or urgency, but instead reliability and trust, which is what the colour blue signals. So it isnât surprising that luxury brands like Chanel, YSL or Apple stick with white, black and grey as their brand colours.
They suggest exclusivity, class and simplicity that align with what they want their customers to feel when they interact with their products. On the other hand, if you look at Victoria's Secret, you'll find lots of pink because they're targeting women and pink evokes femininity, comfort and intimacy. Lego chose primary colours because children are attracted to bright hues like yellow and red.
They're also among the first colours kids can recognise easily - so Lego is obviously targeting the parents of young children who need toys for toddlers. Not a bad idea really if you ask me. I personally love Airbnbâs colour palette of white, pinks and blues because it feels playful but also trustworthy - which you sort of need to feel before you book anything online. Most brands are spending a lot of time really researching what works best so Iâd say pay some attention next time you see something that sticks out to you.
Implementing Colour Strategies Across Marketing Channels
I remember the first time I tried to keep my brand's colours consistent across Instagram, Facebook, email newsletters, and even a little bit of TikTok. It seemed like such a simple ask. But then I noticed - my reds looked pink on some screens and almost orange on others, and the blue text in our headers sometimes turned greenish depending on the background. I realised it was more complicated than just picking a colour palette and using it everywhere.
The thing is, every marketing channel comes with its own set of rules when it comes to how colours are displayed. Even your business cards and brochures from the printer don't always look the same as your digital banners on screen. Thatâs why itâs important to use HEX codes for all your online assets, so that you achieve the closest possible shade match across various platforms and screens. And for offline materials, using Pantone codes can help maintain consistency when you do your production runs.
Of course, thereâs another thing to remember - you have to experiment with different colour palettes to suit each platformâs unique audience behaviour. Even if your brand uses red as its main branding colour, platforms like Instagram might respond better to blue or purple backgrounds. With emailers, you might want to try more classic or neutral colours in some of your graphics.
To wrap up - thereâs no clear-cut answer or approach to using a certain colour palette. In most cases, it could mean running A/B tests on different colour options on your home page or social media platforms to see what people respond best to before you choose a main brand colour (or two). Sometimes (and this happens fairly often) brands end up choosing a complementary colour palette that suits their own personalities better instead of sticking with their original colours too. Either way - there are no hard-and-fast rules but a world of ideas for you to play around with when it comes to colour.
Measuring the Effectiveness of Your Colour Choices
Letâs say youâve just spent weeks fussing over which colours to use for your brand â carefully tweaking shade after shade and comparing with competitors â only to see no change in your metrics. Appears To Be it can be incredibly frustrating, leaving you wondering if you made the right choice or should have just gone with your gut. Assessing whether your chosen palette is nearly always effective can be a daunting task; colours often have nuanced effects that can take time to manifest as results.
Itâs also fairly easy to start falling into the trap of thinking that because everyone is talking about warm neutrals, including them in your brand will automatically lead to growth and success. There are so many ways colour can impact outcomes â from simple things like being more visually appealing and memorable, to making someone feel calm or energised when they visit your website. Measuring these impacts usually involves tracking key metrics like engagement rates, leads and conversion rates, click-through rates, and bounce rates. I think it comes down to understanding what outcomes are most important to you as a business and why you chose certain colour combinations.
Use this initial data in combination with A/B testing - split up audiences across different versions of the same page but alternate colours - as well as focus groups and customer interviews. Ask customers how they respond emotionally to the colours youâve used, whether their shopping experience feels seamless or confusing, or if thereâs anything about your branding that makes them less likely to trust your product or service. Remember that this is a process that takes time â trends move quickly but even larger shifts come back around years later - so itâs important not to make drastic changes based on short-term fluctuations in things like conversions per day or emails received per week.
Your best bet is often to test out new colours gradually, gather feedback consistently across multiple metrics â even qualitative ones from audience reviews - then compare what resonates most and why before making more permanent changes.