Colour is a powerful communication tool. It has the ability to impact our moods, behaviours and emotional responses. You may be familiar with the phrases “feeling blue” to describe sadness, or “green with envy” for jealousy, but have you ever stopped to think about how they came to be? Colour plays a much larger role in our lives than we may realize. In truth, colour is an underestimated, yet powerful force in our lives that when implemented correctly and with an understanding of colour psychology, the study of how different colours affect human perception, can be extremely effective. Understanding how to apply colour theory correctly is an essential skill for commercial artists.
There are some universal understandings when it comes to colours. If colour is a spectrum, then red and blue are on opposite ends. The red side, which consists of red, orange and yellow, are considered “warm tones” and are known to evoke feelings like warmth, comfort, anger and hostility. On the other side we have blue, purple and green, or the “cool tones”, described as calm as well as sad. But colours can also have different symbolic meanings in different cultures and regions. For example, it’s a longstanding tradition in Western culture for brides to wear white on their wedding day because it represents purity, however in many Eastern and African countries white is the colour of mourning and commonly worn to funerals.
It has been proven that colours also have influence over brain function. Thinking back to your time in school, receiving back graded assignments covered in red ink was never a good feeling. In that same vein, a study was conducted to determine whether exposure to different colours prior to an exam would have any impact on the results. 71 American college students were given participant numbers in either red, green or black before taking a short test. The results showed that the students who received red numbers scored 20% lower than those given black or green numbers before taking the test, concluding that exposure to the colour red did actually hurt test performance.
According to research conducted by WebPageFX,
“People make a subconscious judgment about a product in less than 90 seconds of viewing, and a majority of these people base that assessment on color alone. In fact, almost 85% of consumers cite color as the primary reason they buy a particular product, and 80% of people believe color increases brand recognition.”
Colour has also been known to improve comprehension by as much as 73%, with promotional materials using colour being read 42% more than those done in black and white.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the most popular colours used in marketing and branding and their practical applications:
Red is probably the most widely-used colour in branding and marketing, which is no accident. It is thought to be the colour that attracts the most attention and is the most energized colour, motivating us to take action. This makes it an obvious choice for CTA buttons on digital ads, on webpages or in emails. Red is also associated with physical needs and survival instincts and is believed to encourage appetite, which explains why it is so commonly used for logos among grocery stores, restaurants/fast-food chains and food brands.
Blue is considered the most universally favoured colour. It has the opposite effect on the brain that red does- its calming, tension-reducing, slows the heart rate and reduces appetite. It represents trust, peace and serenity, and conveys ideas of loyalty, predictability and integrity. Because of this, it is helpful in establishing trust and customer loyalty, and therefore is unsurprisingly commonly used in the corporate world and for businesses where reliability and trustworthiness are of the utmost importance like banking, insurance, news outlets and airlines. It is also believed that you can signal to others that you possess these traits simply by wearing blue, making it a popular colour choice for politicians and news anchors. Try wearing blue to your next job interview (especially if you’re applying for a job in any of the previously mentioned sectors).
Green represents nature, growth, harmony and balance. While darker shades relate to money, wealth and status, lighter shades connote a sense of rebirth and freshness. It should come as no surprise that lighter greens are a staple of brands in the health and wellspace space, particularly if they are promoting organic and environmentally friendly products. It may be advantageous to wear darker shades of green to sales meetings, especially ones where you’re requesting funding. But be sparing with your use of green, as overuse can stimulate feelings of greed, jealousy or selfishness.
While there is currently no proof that any one colour generates conversions more successfully than any others, there is something to be said for implementing the “Isolation Effect”. This principle suggests that an injection of a singular colour against a more monochromatic backdrop will help it to “pop”. What this could look like in practice is a brightly coloured CTA button on an otherwise blandly coloured webpage, or bold colours used on product packaging to make it stand out amongst a shelf full of competitors.
There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to choosing the perfect colours for each project, but an understanding of colour psychology is a major asset. Knowing your target market, you can use colour to your advantage when conveying certain messages, helping you to ultimately build better connections with your audience.
Sources:
https://www.verywellmind.com/color-psychology-2795824
https://londonimageinstitute.com/how-to-empower-yourself-with-color-psychology/
https://appliedpsychologydegree.usc.edu/blog/color-psychology-used-in-marketing-an-overview
https://www.fastcompany.com/3028378/what-your-logos-color-says-about-your-company-infographic
https://www.colorcom.com/research/why-color-matters
