How to choose the right colors for your brand.
Anyone who is starting their own company knows the importance of selecting the right color for their brand. Understanding the impact color has on consumer behavior will go a long way in helping your brand become successful.
In fact, research has shown that nearly 85% of all consumers believe that color is one of the biggest motivators when choosing a particular product. At the same time, 92% acknowledge that visual appearance is one of the most influential overall marketing factors. How do you choose the right colors for your brand? Let's take a look.
Why are brand colors important?
Before choosing the right color for your brand, it is important to understand the value of brand colors. Your brand's color scheme is one of the first things customers see. Colors invoke specific emotions and feelings while also conveying certain information. This lets your customers form a first impression about your brand without even knowing what your service is all about. Brand colors are a powerful tool to help clients decide whether or not they want to engage further with your company.
For example, we all know that green is associated with nature, and red is typically a sign of danger. However, both these colors also have other meanings and associations. Color psychology helps people understand colors and how to use them to our advantage, especially regarding branding and marketing strategies. It is estimated that almost 65-90% of a product assessment is based on colors alone. This is why it is so important to choose the right brand palette.
The meaning of colors.
The first step to choosing your brand color is understanding what colors mean. There has been a lot of research that has gone into color theory and understanding what each color represents.
Here’s a look at the most popular colors and their meanings:
Red = danger, excitement, energy, passion
Pink = feminine, romantic, sentimental
Yellow = playful, happy, sunny
Orange = fresh, full of vitality, creative, adventurous, cost-effective
Green = nature, sustainability, wealth, prestige
Blue = reliable, trustworthy, calming, sometimes associated with depression as well
Purple = royalty, spiritual, mystery, majestic
Black = sophistication, luxury, formal, elegant
Your brand and colors.
Once you have an understanding of what each color represents, it is time to identify your brand's essence. To do this, you should ask yourself what colors best mirror you. Identify your brand’s values and have a clear idea of your brand's goals and how you want to help your target audience. For example, do you want to appear approachable and fun, or do you want to appear exclusive and high-end? Colors will help to achieve these goals.
Colors and your competition.
Take a look at your competitor's brand colors. Most companies attempt to have their brand colors be instantly recognizable, or at least they should stand out. Remember that you don't want to look the same as your competition. For example, go to any supermarket and check out the aisle of sunscreens. You will find yourself getting lost in a sea of yellow. When each product looks the same, it becomes easy for customers to overlook your product.
This is why you must avoid your brand getting lost in other competing products. A great idea for separating your brand from your competition is to create a mood board of your competitors and then think about how you can separate your brand from others in the industry.
Creating a brand palette.
Additionally, when choosing a prominent brand color, you should also create a brand palette. While your logo may be one color, your social media, print materials, and website may utilize additional colors. It is important that the colors are consistent across all channels.
Consider the various color hues, color shades, color tints, and color saturation or tone. On average, a brand should have a defined color scheme consisting of at least three colors. The usage of these colors should be defined in the brand guidelines. For example, certain colors should only be used for headings, while other colors should be used for body text. This is how you create brand consistency across all of your marketing channels.
