Colors have power (s)
The theme of the meaning and psychology of colors is vast as the sea. It applies to virtually any area - from the selection of the right color of clothes, to the shade of the walls in the room. It is no different in the design of brands. Colors have power. They play a significant role. They have a strong effect on our subconscious. Therefore, their proper selection in branding is crucial for the future fate of the brand. With colors it happens differently, so it is worth analyzing their meaning a little deeper.
They will recognize you by the colors...
Branding is one of the most important branches in which color plays a decisive role. Over the years, a plethora of trials and studies have been conducted on consumers in which they have tried to determine the effect of color on their reactions. One of them showed that, based on color alone, 90% of people can aptly evaluate the product. When building a brand image, the color must match what you are selling. Only then can color have the right impact on the audience. If the color is not consistent with your product or service, you will lose credibility in the eyes of customers. You can be sure of that.
Red
Red is the first color children see (in addition to black and white). Scientists say that humans developed the ability to see red better than other colors because it allowed us to more easily identify fruits growing on trees. It also has a strong evolutionary significance: when we are under the influence of emotions (anger or passion), blood pressure rises and human faces turn red. Therefore, today we associate this color with elevated emotions, including love, sex, anger and shame. And while it's not exactly an emotion, red has also been shown to stimulate appetite (which is why food manufacturers use the color so often).
Orange
Orange is an invigorating and fun color. Choose orange to stand out from the crowd. It knocks down with an energetic charm. However, be careful if your brand is trying to look luxurious, feminine or serious using orange won't get you far.
Yellow
Yellow logos reflect approachable, sunny friendliness. Yellow exudes joy, and your brand will radiate inexpensive, youthful energy. On the other hand, most consumers do not associate the color yellow with mature or luxury brands, so think twice if this is exactly how you want your business to be perceived.
green
Since plants are green (and come back to life after a long winter), many people claim that green is the color of growth or new life - and in the Middle Ages, pregnant women were almost always painted green. But historically and in different cultures, green has been the color of death. (In fact, the popular green dye created in the 18th century contained arsenic and literally killed people. Some have argued that he may be partly responsible for the death of Napoleon Bonaparte, whose walls were covered with green-dyed wallpaper).
Blue
Ironically, given the popularity of blue today and the fact that it is a primary color, it is one of the newer colors that people call: the ancient people (Greeks, Chinese, Japanese and Hebrews) did not have a name for the color blue. It is one of the last colorful words to appear in virtually every language. In fact, in Namibia there is still a tribe in whose language there is no word for blue.
Purple
Violet probably has its luxurious associations, since historically the purple dye was very expensive, which is why the color was worn only by the very wealthy. One of the interesting things about purple is that although it is associated with luxury and wealth, it is not perceived as too serious a color. Do you have a fun, expensive product? Purple is perfect. Do you sell inexpensive men's clothing? You will fight uphill with the purple mark.
It's stupid to look so pale
New brands should choose colors that will distinguish them from strong competition. These are usually so strongly embedded in the consciousness of consumers that it is better to be totally different from them. An example of this are telephone networks - green, purple, orange... we would probably recite the names assigned to them without taking a break. So it is worth to stand out and make it easier for customers to identify the brand. Will you eventually join the leaders? ;) Don't forget it! Don't be a poor copy.
Pink
The well-known cultural meaning of pink = femininity did not exist until the 1940s, when clothing manufacturers realized that they could make more money if they created clothing for children. Previously, it was a unisex color and represented the height of luxury.
It's not always colorful...
Take as an example the website of a funeral home. You google it, you click, and all the information screams at you in bright colors. Do you feel a slight dissonance? You will probably think that something is wrong here... and that it is probably fake. Something like A.S. Bytom Funeral Home. When searching for a site with jokes, it is rather unlikely that you will search for them under the above slogan. Causing such dissonance in reception guarantees that customers will give up our product or service.
Colors influence how a brand's personality is perceived. Its proper use will help to evoke the desired emotions: confidence, stability, freshness, calmness, energy. Color highlights a given feature.
Black
Black is not the same color as orange and purple. People see these colors because they are a specific wavelength of light that we can identify and distinguish. Black, on the other hand, is a lack of light. For something as old as light itself, black is still modern. This simplicity is almost shocking, giving all-black logos a sense of mystery and exclusivity that luxury brands can take advantage of.
White in Asia only as skin color
Returning to the merits - the most important in the choice of color is the context of its use. In the design of brands, it should be analyzed in the first place. There is no such thing as the concept: “white is innocence.” Such a term is a shorthand. It's half true. White also means purity, hygiene, spirituality. White is also a symbol of mourning, death and misfortune. This is where cultural differences come into play. As you can see - it all depends on the context. It is worthwhile to take this into account, so as not to frighten Chinese contractors with whiteness... Both interpretations show a really big discrepancy.
No context, no sense
With this in mind, it is necessary to analyze all the factors, rather than considering color separately, stereotypically, that is, without context. See another example - how inaccurate it is to determine, for example, the color yellow. A color associated with joy and optimism. And on the other hand, it can also be a warning color. When context is absent, such categorization is incomplete.
Brown color is used by brands, associated with the earth and nature. Used in a different context - it can stimulate appetite.
So how best to choose the color for the brand? Everyone's favorite answer: “It depends.” The most important thing is the context in which you move. What matters is the emotion, mood and personality that your brand creates.
Contrast makes a difference
We can find many publications that say: changing the button to red changed the conversion by 21 percent. That's half true again. It was not the color red itself that influenced this. In the study carried out, it was about the contrast that did all the work. Throughout the page, the green buttons blended into the design, so the CTA button in that shade did not stand out much. He was hardly noticeable. But the use of visual contrast, like the aforementioned red, was a real call to action, which significantly increased conversion by 21%.
And finally - why do we prefer the color “chocolate mocca” more than brown? An interesting fact is that the descriptive names of products are of great importance. Using this technique makes them sell better. It doesn't matter what product we sell - paints, clothes, lipsticks. Those with a fancy name are more successful.
Before deciding on the choice of color for your brand, analyze all the factors. Think about who your customers are and what market you are going to sell to, check how you stand out from the competition, in which context your color is to be used, apply contrast. Color in branding helps to sell.
