If you want to build a truly powerful and easily-recognizable brand, then you have to get all the branding elements right. These include brand name, fonts, logo icon, and colors.
Most entrepreneurs focus too much on their brand’s taglines and logo, and too little on the color palette.It’s not hard to see why-the name of the brand, graphic components like the icon, and even the fonts are what that immediately grab our attention. These are the things that help us identify the brand. The colors also play a big role but since their impact is subtle that influences us subconsciously, we tend to overlook their contribution and significance.
Color Psychology and Branding
When it comes to branding and marketing, colors can go a long way in creating perceptions which is why competitive organizations choose their color palette carefully. In fact,choosing the right colors is one of the essential visual branding tips that businesses should consider.
To pick the perfect color palette for your brand, you must first understand what each color represents. So, let’s take a look at some of the most popular colors and their characteristics:
Green
Green is one of most calming and soothing colors in the entire spectrum which has also to do with the fact that it needs no readjustment once it hits retina.
Green is usually associated with fertility, growth, and progress. It’s also the best color to be used for nature-based themes which is why many of the brands that want to reflect their eco-friendly products or services use green as a primary color. That said, green has some negative implications too which you should know about. For instance, it can also represent sickness, jealousy, and boredom.
Red
There is a scientific reason why the color for “stop” on traffic lights and alert words like “DANGER” is red. This is because red light is scattered the least by air molecules since it has the highest wavelength of all colors. This is the reason why we can recognize it so easily. This important characteristic also plays a key role in branding. So, you can use red for your logo and website when you want to convey emotions like passion, excitement, or energy. Of course, there is a negative side to it as well as it can be symbolic of bad feelings like anger, defiance, and pain.
Blue
When you see blue you see someone or something that’s friendly and trustworthy. Blue is also a color that brings comfort and serenity. One of the reasons why we have such an association with blue is that our world itself largely comprises of blue elements viz. the oceans and the sky.
Blue is a preferred color for brands that want to take a conservative or traditional approach towards their products as well as marketing campaigns. However, it has its share of negative implications that include coldness and sadness.
Yellow
Yellow isn’t really one of the popular colors in marketing and few organizations keep it in their palette. However, it does have its own strengths and can be the perfect color for certain brands. For instance, Best Buy has been using a yellow-based logo for years now as it helps it to attract customers as a “joyous” and “positive” brand. Similarly, DHL uses yellow to reflect loyalty and honor.
You can have a huge impact with yellow granted you know which colors go well with it. For instance, yellow and blue is one of the best logo color combinations as it brings together playfulness and authority. If you are looking to create a 3-color palette, then you can also throw red into the mix to get an equally effective and unique combination.
Purple
Purple is a unique color as it has the traits of both masculinity and femininity. Its overall impact on an individual can also be altered easily by changing its shade- reddish purple for warmth, and blueish purples for coldness.
Purple is one of the most common colors used for “royalty” or “elite” and there is actual history backing this idea. This is because,during the Elizabethan era, the color was reserved for the royal family. In fact, Queen Elizabeth I’s laws actually barredeveryone save for the close relatives of the royal family to wear purple. Another reason what that back in the day, creating the purple dye required a lot of work and money which made the color a rarity.
Today, we have cheap purple dyes which make it easy for anyone to create purple clothing and other items. However, the history has had its impact and even today, when we see purple, out mind associates it with exclusivity. Many brands also use it to establish personas about luxury, spirituality, and creativity.
Black
The color psychology of black is quite vast. After all, it’s an incredibly powerful color which is produced when all the colors of the rainbow are combined together.
One would be hard-pressed to come up with a color that doesn’t go well with black. Think about it, black and blue, black and red, black and yellow, all of these are good color combinations. However, black itself is mainly used when you want to show authority and security.
Black is also a popular pick for formal or bold brands. However, due to its incredible power, it has negative implications like evil, death, etc.
White
The opposite of black, white is the color that’s created when all colors are absent. This is the reasons why it’s also considered a pure color, one that reflects innocence and cleanness.
The only problem with white is that it can be too basic or minimal for a brand, which is why if you are inclined to using it, then you have to use a few powerful or attractive colors with it that can highlight the logo.
So, there you have it- some of the most popular colors used by brands across the globe. By learning about the psychology of each one, you can create a color palette that does justice to your brand’s mission and idealogy. Good luck!