do you know what message your branding colours are saying?

Karen Haller 01
Karen Haller

“People make a subconscious judgement about a person, environment or product within 90 seconds of viewing it. Between 62% and 90% of that assessment is based on colour alone” – The CCICOLOR-Institute

Beyond the Words, why colour is important
We are constantly processing information, looking for meaning to what we see. Before we had the spoken language, our primary signaling system, our language was colour. In nature, red, black and yellow signal danger, warning to stay away and not safe to eat. For example; red back spider and wasps.

When it comes to marketing, it’s not just the words and logo that convey your brand message. Did you know the language of colour is communicated quicker to the brain than words or shapes as they work directly on our feelings and emotions? That’s the power of colour psychology.

Branding Colours Message - Peace and Calm

Peace & Calm - black and yellow or blue and green?

You will feel peace and calm when you look at the black and yellow example? More likely it has the effect of making you feel ‘on alert’, perhaps tightening of breathe. Now look at the blue example. Notice how you instantly feel more relaxed and breathing easier. That’s because light blue is the colour of calm and green represents peace.

Thinking about your own branding colours, do you know the reasons you chose them? Perhaps you’ve even let someone else choose them for you arbitrarily? What subconscious messages is your business communicating through the colours you use in your branding?

Instead of using colour in your branding as decoration or as an afterthought, think of colour as a language, another way to communicate. To not use this to its full affect, you’ll be missing out on an important element of your brand.

In order to do this, you must first understand your Brand Personality.

Brand Personality
Every business brand has a personality, qualities that define who they are. When these are translated into colour, your branding message is strengthened. You are effectively communicating your Brand not only in words and images, but also through colour. Using the right harmonious colours for your brand’s personality, your brand message will be supported on an emotional, mental and physical level.

Applying it consistently to all your branding literature and products will further increase brand recognition and trust with your customers. Consumers buy trust.

Branding Colours Message - Pink Toolbox logo

Business branding aimed at the female market

Who do you think this company is aimed at? If your company was selling power tools for men, would you use pink in your branding? I’m going to guess you said ‘no’. That’s because on a conscious or sub conscious level you know that pink is about nurturing, femininity.

Do you know what your Brand colour personality is?
The next step is ensuring that your Brand Colours will be perceived by your customers in the way that you intend them to be.

Targeting your market
Think about your target market, especially if you are targeting a particular culture. Even though the psychological affects of colour is the same, we also need to be aware of colour symbolism, which is our conditioned conscious associations to colour. You may, without realising it, be sending a completely different message. The last thing you want to do is alienate your target market. For example purple symbolizes royalty and luxury in western cultures, however in Thailand it is the colour for widows in mourning.

By using applied colour psychology with the cultural awareness of colour symbolism, ensures your company’s values are conveyed not only through words, but through the colours used. You are effectively doubling your branding message, instantly differentiating your brand from your competitors.

Find out more about how a business colour branding consultation can strengthen your brand’s marketing message.

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About the author: Karen Haller specialises in Applied Colour Psychology. Karen helps business owners to communicate their brand’s authentic business personality in colour, further strengthening their marketing message.

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3 Comments

  1. Sarah on August 6, 2013 at 5:24 am

    Just starting a business manufacturing pet waterbeds. I haven’t got to the branding yet but I’m glad I read this article. Very interesting. I fess blue green makes sense for me!

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