Color Psychology

 How To Use it in Marketing and Branding

Red makes you hungry, blue calms you, while yellow gives you a pick-me-up. 

Color psychology - leveraging colors to produce an effect - can influence 85% of customer’s purchasing decisions.

Color psychology has long been a powerful marketing tool. For example, merchandisers use different colors to trigger emotions needed to get customers to buy. It's also a great tool to use when picking a color scheme for your personal branding. Do you want your online presence to convey trust, serenity, or authority? Color is one way to help craft that image.

What Is Color Psychology?

Color psychology is research about how color affects human behavior and emotions. Different colors, hues, and tones bring up distinct associations that impact human mood and decision making. Color psychology can vary depending on personal preferences and culture.In marketing, color can impact how buyers perceive different brands and products, so it’s crucial to pick the tones that align with your business’s goals and target audience.

How Entrepreneurs Use Color Psychology

Entrepreneurs use color psychology to influence how consumers perceive their brand. Different colors evoke specific feelings and can impact purchasing decisions. For example, yellow is associated with kindness and warmth, while green is often linked to calmness. By understanding these associations, entrepreneurs can create branding that resonates with their target audience and sets them apart from competitors.

Color Breakdowns

Blue

Blue is a popular color for both people and brands because it evokes feelings of security, strength, wisdom, and trust. Many top brands, including social media companies like Facebook and Twitter, use blue in their logos to appear dependable. However, blue can also suppress appetite and convey coldness. For example, the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association uses blue in its branding to signal trustworthiness to customers, especially important for a health insurance company dealing with personal data.

Purple

Purple symbolizes royalty and superiority, stemming from its historical use by high-ranking officials and royalty. Brands can use purple to convey a sense of wisdom, wealth, and sophistication, but should be mindful of its associations with decadence and moodiness. Hallmark uses purple to connect with its predominantly female audience and stand out in the market.

Orange

Orange symbolizes confidence, creativity, and courage, making it suitable for noncorporate brands. It evokes warmth and fun due to its association with the sun. However, it can also bring up feelings of frustration and immaturity, with 29% of people ranking it as their least favorite color. Nickelodeon uses orange in its logo to match its creative and quirky programming, like SpongeBob Squarepants and The Wild Thornberrys.

Red

Red is a powerful color associated with excitement, energy, and passion. It's used in call-to-action buttons to prompt action and can make people feel hungry. However, red also conveys negative emotions like anger and danger. Coca-Cola uses red in its branding to encourage consumption and align with its exciting image.

Green

Green represents life, health, and freshness, reminding people of nature. It can also evoke feelings of prosperity and hope. However, it may also suggest boredom and stagnation. Whole Foods uses green in its branding to reflect its focus on fresh, high-quality products and its mission as "America's healthiest grocery store."

Yellow

Yellow represents youthfulness, happiness, and optimism, often associated with smiley faces and sunflowers. However, it can also evoke feelings of fear and anxiety. McDonald's uses yellow in its branding to create a positive and youthful image, complementing its kid-friendly reputation.

Black

Black is commonly used in branding to convey sophistication and power, especially by luxury and high-tech companies. However, it can also be associated with oppression and coldness. Nike utilizes black in its branding to reinforce its power-focused messaging and empower athletes.

White

White gives a clean and modern vibe, often associated with purity and simplicity. However, it can also feel sterile or plain without careful use. Brands like Apple and Tesla use white logos to convey innovation and simplicity. Similarly, Adidas utilizes white to appeal to a broader audience beyond athletics, creating a universal and simplistic appeal.

Pink

Pink is often used to represent femininity and can give a brand a youthful and quirky feel. T-Mobile uses magenta to stand out, while Barbie uses pink to appeal to a young audience. However, pink can also evoke childish or rebellious vibes and may become overwhelming with prolonged exposure.