Colors are defined as elements of art that are produced when light, striking an object, is reflected back to the eye, however; there is a psychological aspect to it as well that has an impact on the subconscious mind. Colors may appear to be a source of making things look attractive but the emotional influence they could create is astounding. The color theory is hence, a widely promoted concept which is used by brands to trigger the touch points of their customers.
Brands, in today’s world, are brought in to the trend of personification. They are given human traits and characteristics for the sake of building a connection with their target market. Colors, on the other hand, too portray different moods and feelings making them a suitable option to add to a brand. Business managers and marketing specialists are always looking for colors, which depict the right personality, to complement their brand. These colors hence, help in activating the trigger points of the customers, making them feel a certain way about the brand under consideration. Think about the logo of Nestle? Don’t you feel a wave of warmth and trust after looking at its logo? All these feelings are aroused as a result of the color ‘Blue’ as made a part of the brand.
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It is therefore extremely important to pick the right color for your brand. A good decision could lead you to make profits while a wrong one could result is destruction and downfall. Hence, being wise is the last call to make. How to go about when deciding over the color palette? Here are a few tips for you.
• Choose Colors Wisely
Brands may consist of a single color or a combination of various colors. These colors help in depicting the image of the brand in the most appropriate manner. Here is a glimpse of the color theory for your knowledge.
1. Blue
– Blue is the color of trust and reliability. It reflects honesty and credibility. Also, using blue color for the brand gives it a very cool and subtle image. Blue color is mostly used for financial and online businesses along with technology-reliant brands such as HP, Samsung, Twitter, and Intel etc.
2. Red
– Red color has a bold feel incorporated in it. It perfectly depicts passion and excitement. It can be used as an alarm to instantly grab the attention of the target audience towards the brand. Red color is pretty common in the food industry since it works as an appetite enhancer. Mc Donald’s, Hardees, Coca Cola, CNN, and Virgin are all good examples of brands using the color red.
3. Orange
– The color orange gives off a bubbly and cute feel to the brand. It shows enthusiasm and energy while giving out positive vibes from a brand. It’s also often used as a call to action or a warning sign to notify customers of something important. Fanta, Nickelodeon, Payless Shoe Source are some of its examples.
4. Purple
– Purple is the color of royalty and sophistication. It denotes luxury and hence, brands that are of premium nature are mostly the possessors of this color. Also, this color appeals to children and hence, is used in packaging of kids products as well. Cadbury, Yahoo, Hallmark, Apollo etc. are its examples.
5. Black
– Black is a serious color, which is also known for representing sophistication. It gives the brand a very formal and authoritative image and is often used by brands that are high end in nature. Apple, Zara, Puma, Nike etc. have a black logo.
6. Yellow
– Yellow color ranges between logical to playful. It has the capability to stand out because of being too bright. It also represents clarity and is used by several big brands of the world. Ferrari, Ikea, DHL, Nikon etc. fall under this category.
7. Green
– Green is the color of nature and growth. It denotes freshness and harmony. This color is mostly used by environment friendly companies. Strabucks, TicTac, Android, Tropicana etc. are its examples.
• Build a Connection
Though colors prove to be significant in helping the brand depict certain feelings, however; it is also very important for the company to build a connection between the brand and the color scheme used. Companies do have in mind the emotions and feelings they need their brand to depict but strong chances of the color not going well with the personality of the brand prevail. Hence, the connection between the two needs to be built in all cases, at all times.
It is not uncommon for the fast food industry to be criticized for being unhealthy. In such a case, a food brand may wish to come up with the idea of re-branding its brand to a more safe and reliable one. For this, it may choose to opt for the color blue that is known for endorsing credibility. Now imagine a food brand with a blue logo. Will looking at such a logo make you crave for food? Certainly not. Even though it may help in changing the image of the brand to a more reliable one, however; in the process, the personality of the brand would be lost.
• Pick the Opposite
As per a theory, a brand should always pick an opposite color as of its major competitor. Why does it say so? Because an opposite color helps differentiate a brand from its competitor. It helps a brand create a distinguished line while allowing it to enjoy its own identity. Coca Cola, for generations, has been known for its Red color. The association of its customers with the color has been so strong that no other brand could break it while using the same red for their own brand. Hence, when it was time for Pepsi to enter in to the market, it was a pretty logical decision for them to opt for the color Blue.
Brands that use the same color, as their competitors, often fall a prey to imitation while losing their own brand image. Quite often, the customers of the brands, imitating one another, are unable to recognize the difference between the brands while confusing the two to be the same. This could be the worst thing that a brand could encounter. Hence, it is always a great option to go for an opposite color.
Conclusion
The importance of color, for a brand, can never be neglected. No matter how strong a brand is, it needs an emotional association for the sake of building a long lasting connection with its audience. Colors also help a brand obtain a trait that suits its personality while enhancing its image as the bearer of that particular attribute. Hence, it is always advisable for companies to opt for the right color for the sake of making their brand shine out loud.