Have you ever stopped to notice how different brands make you feel? Some might make you feel calm, while others evoke happiness, excitement, adrenaline…
It’s all intentional: that’s the power of color psychology in marketing. For people in this industry, understanding how colors impact people’s minds is key when coming up with a brand identity and strategy. It can help the brand connect better with its customers.
Let’s dive into this interesting topic, exploring how colors can influence our choices, even if we don’t realize it.
Understanding Color Psychology in Marketing
Color psychology is a discipline that studies how different colors affect what we feel and how we behave. It’s a tool, in marketing, to shape how we want our customers to see us. If we want to encourage them to take certain actions, that’s a way to go about it.
Color can help you come up with content, other visuals, and how the brand speaks online. It can be a whole identity in and of itself, and it’s often more important than you think.
Let’s see the most common uses:
Establishing the brand’s identity, differentiating it from its competitors.
Evoke different emotions, like trust, calmness, and excitement.
Encourage actions that benefit the company, such as purchasing or subscribing.
There’s a meaning for each color, and that’s why you should be very specific if you’re going to devise a brand strategy.
How colors influence consumer behavior
Did you know that 93% of consumers make purchasing decisions based on visuals alone?
Let’s explore why some colors are chosen so many times for different brands and what reactions these often get from their audience.
Red is for energy and urgency
Red is bold, it’s powerful, and it catches your eye. It’s most commonly used in sales and clearance announcements, creating a sense of excitement. It’s famously used by Coca-Cola, arguably one of the most successful companies to date, and with an excellent marketing strategy.
Red is associated with happiness and Christmas as well–thanks to Coca-Cola. It stimulates the appetite and encourages quick decision-making.
Blue is for stability and trust
Brands that want to seem reliable often turn to blue in their identity. Fun fact: most men say blue is their favorite color.
You can find this color in finance and tech brands, both niches with male audiences as a general rule. It gives people a sense of stability, security, and a reliable reputation.
In digital platforms, this color is often the first choice as well. It evokes professionalism and safety. Different tones of blue for different brands, of course. For example, Surfshark, a famous VPN (Virtual Private Network) company, uses blue on their website, but they’re far from the only ones.
Yellow for happiness and good news
Yellow is a bright and happy color. It evokes joy and positive thoughts, and it has become a great choice for brands that want to seem friendly and warm.
For products aimed at younger audiences, yellow is often picked over other colors. But, rather than a primary color, it’s often used as an accent color, since too much yellow can be overwhelming.
Green for health and growth
Every “healthy” or “eco-friendly” product out there has some green tone in it. Green is related to nature, peace, to wellness. It suggests growth as well.
Green is balance and harmony, so it’s on so many healthy foods, eco-friendly products, and even wellness brands.
Black for power and sophistication
Black is a powerful choice to make, and often a radical one. Brands that aim for a sophisticated, elevated presence often go for it. It’s a staple of luxury brands and high-end products, and it evokes class, money, and fame.
It’s also very versatile because it can create a classic brand that looks appealing to a wider audience. Bold and refined brands pick this color into their branding, whether as an accent or as their primary color.
To sum up
Few psychological tools are as useful in marketing as picking the right color. Consumers’ emotions are influenced thanks to the branding color, and a good color can be a subtle but powerful ally in your business strategy.
Each color appeals to a different side of you. The most effective marketing comes when you have the right colors and the right messages for the right audience. So, research, make your choice, and build your brand!