If you have read our last post, How Good Is Your Logo?, then you remember that we mentioned ‘color’ as a key player to your logo design. But despite what many people think, colors actually go beyond enhancing your logo or making your website pretty – Colors create impact, generate feelings and emotions – They are responsible for changing mood and triggering action.
Color is a powerful communication tool.
So before we talk about each color, let’s understand how they affect us.
Colors Create Impact
Imagine walking into your dentist’s office and all the walls are painted red or orange. That would feel very strange, right? It would definitely impact you (negatively in this case, I assume). Why? Because color has a strong effect on how we perceive the world around us, and in this case both the red and orange are strong, dominant colors and thus wouldn’t be very pleasing on a medical environment.
The same happens to your customers!
If they are browsing a news magazine for example (mostly written with black text on a white background) and they flip to a full page with large white text on a black background – It’s likely to grab their attention, because we inverted the colors and created a contrast. Now imagine all posts on social media are colorful but now they scroll to a solid white image with a small text in the center – I bet they will make every effort to read that text. Why? Because it’s not what they expected – They were browsing through colorful images and your business post suddenly broke that pattern of colors.
So, does it mean that you should change your posts to black and white, or remove images altogether and just post a small text on a white box? No! Although it would cause some reaction.
Use colors to stand out and create a positive impact. Let’s repeat: Positive Impact. In case you are unsure, re-read the dentist’s office story above. We recommend you to avoid that kind of impact.
Colors Generate Feelings and Trigger Action
Why most indoor playgrounds for young kids have at least 6 colors on their branding? And why do they use all these 6 colors on every single wall, equipment, uniform, brochure, logo, website, etc.? Because large amounts of bright colors, especially reds, oranges and yellows can cause over-stimulation. If kids become overstimulated they tend to feel more energetic and thus run around the place and play more intensively.
Cooler colors on the other hand tend to do just the opposite. If you have a spa that offers therapeutic massage, you want to make sure to use softer colors, possibly earth tones such as the ones found in nature.
Colors Change Mood
The same effect that colors have on generating feelings and emotions can be applied to changing mood. This is frequently applied to alternative medicine such as Chromotherapy (also called color therapy) and highly used in Marketing. Even if the person is coming from a stressful day at work, they tend to relax once they encounter softer colors or are placed in a darker room with their eyes closed (because the stimulating colors are removed).
How Colors Influence Your Customers?
Read the list of the main colors used by businesses to understand what message they are sending to your clients and prospects:
Red
Great color for attention-getting and creating a sense of urgency. It’s frequently used during a sale event. In Marketing it’s used to project an image of power, action, confidence, or even to represent emotions such as love. In food chains, it’s used to encourages appetite. In sports it’s used to physically stimulates the body, as studies show that the color red can raise blood pressure and heart rate.
Blue
The color of stability and safety, promotes calm and relaxation. It’s also believed to lower the pulse rate and body temperature. In diets blue curbs appetite. In Branding and Marketing, blue is the most used color by businesses that want to project an image of security and brands looking to promote trust in their products.
Green
Represents nature and the natural world. It’s the color mostly associated with health, tranquility and nature. In Branding it’s used by many healthy restaurants offering organic and natural menu choices. It’s also used by spas and alternative medicine stores.
Purple
Symbol of royalty and wealth. It also represents wisdom and respect. In design, it’s often used in visual illusion. Purple also seems to be a trendy color for teenager girls, thus very powerful in Marketing for that age group. In cosmetics, it’s used to promote beauty and anti-aging products, due to it’s soothing appearance.
Yellow
A warm color. Possibly, the most cheerful color, promotes optimism and represents energy and sun. In Marketing, it’s used for attention-grabbing. In advertising, depending how it’s used, can create a sense of anxiety, frustration and anger. In sports, it’s used to increase the energy level.
Black
The most used indicator of power. In Marketing it’s associated with mystery, power, stability, and strength. In fashion and clothing, it’s used as luxurious.
White
The color of simplicity. It represents purity and innocence. It’s widely associated with feelings of cleanliness and hygiene. In Marketing it’s often used as an absence of color or neutrality.
When used correctly, the psychology of colors can have a great impact in Marketing, Branding and Design. The right colors can benefit your business and send the right message to your customers.
Are you using the right colors in your business? We do thorough research to help you find the right colors for your business. Schedule a free strategy session with us today!