Using Color Psychology to Improve Your Marketing

21 Feb Using Color Psychology to Improve Your Marketing

What Your Brand’s Colors Mean to Your Customers

Have you ever wondered why McDonald’s uses red along with its golden arches, why most banks use blue or why the Whole Foods logo is green? The truth is that the color choices of these popular and highly successful brands is no accident. Colors can subtly convey a lot of meaning and emotion, and these big brands know exactly how to use it. And you can take advantage of using color psychology to improve your marketing too!

Color Impacts How Customers Interact with Your Brand

Think about the last time you were shopping for clothes or an appliance or you went out to eat. What brand did you choose? What colors did that brand’s logo have? Did you know that those colors probably played a role in your purchase decision—even subconsciously? It’s true! That’s why color psychology is important.

Big corporations are tuned into customer preference when it comes to colors and connecting with their client base. And the same information is available to you. In fact, applying color psychology is one of the most powerful ways to catch your customers’ attention, trigger purchases, drive more sales, and create brand loyalty.

Here are a few marketing facts that relate to color psychology and logo/product color.
• A customer will assess your product within 90 seconds.
• 62%–90% of this assessment is based on color alone.
• Women prefer softer colors, while men prefer bolder colors.
• Red, orange, and green call-to-action buttons have a higher conversion rate.
• 93% of shoppers find a website’s visuals are the top influencing factor in their purchase decisions.

Color Psychology: Emotions, Industries, and Brands

Now, let’s look at the emotions that colors suggest as well as what industries work well (or don’t) for each color.

RED: Evokes excitement and boldness, increases the heart rate, is an emotional color, creates a sense of urgency and hunger
Red works well for these industries:
• Food
• Technology
• Agriculture
• Transportation

Red doesn’t work well for these businesses:
• Airplanes
• Clothing
• Finance
• Energy

Successful brands that use red:
• McDonalds
• Target
• Coca-Cola
• Kelloggs
• Lay’s
• Colgate
• TIME
• KFC
• Red Bull
• CNN

BLUE: Creates a feeling of trust, productivity, and tranquility
Blue works well for these industries:
• Health care
• Banks
• Technology
• Airplane
• Energy
• Finance
• Agriculture

Blue doesn’t work well for these businesses:
• Clothing
• Food
• Cars

Successful brands that use blue:
• Ford
• IBM
• Facebook
• Twitter
• LinkedIn
• VISA
• GE
• PayPal
• Oral-B
• Lowe’s
• DELL
• AT&T

GREEN: Signifies growth, health, nature, and harmony
Green works well for these industries:
• Food
• Technology
• Energy
• Finance
• Household

Green doesn’t work well for these businesses:
• Airplanes
• Clothing
• Cars

Successful brands that use green:
• Whole Foods
• Subway
• Holiday Inn
• Animal Planet
• John Deer
• Hess
• BP
• Starbucks
• Edward Jones

ORANGE: Suggests creativity, ambition, enthusiasm, and confidence
Orange works well for these industries:
• Creative
• Technology
• Health care

Orange doesn’t work well for these businesses:
• Airplanes
• Clothing
• Cars
• Energy
• Finance

Successful brands that use orange:
• Harley Davidson
• Fanta
• Nickelodeon
• Firefox
• Payless
• Gulf

BLACK: Conjures the image of wealthy, class, opulence, authority, power, and elegance
Black works well for these industries:
• Technology
• Clothing
• Cars

Black doesn’t work well for these businesses:
• Food
• Health care
• Finance
• Energy

Successful brands that use black:
• Mont Blanc
• Jaguar
• Chanel
• Nike
• CBS
• Puma

WHITE/SILVER: Shows perfections, cleanliness, purity, coolness, youthfulness
White/Silver works well for these industries:
• Credit Cards
• Health care
• Clothing
• Charity

White/Silver doesn’t work well for these businesses:
• Food
• Agriculture
• Finance
• Energy

Successful brands that use white or silver:
• Apple
• Ralph Lauren
• BMW
• Adidas

PURPLE: Displays royalty, wealth, and power
Purple works well for these industries:
• Health care
• Technology
• Finance

Purple doesn’t work well for these businesses:
• Agriculture
• Energy

Successful brands that use purple:
• Crown Royal
• YAHOO!
• Taco Bell
• Welch’s
• Hallmark
• Syfy

YELLOW: Conjures joy, happiness, sunshine, intellect, cheer, and energy
Yellow works well for these industries:
• Food
• Energy
• Household

Yellow doesn’t work well for these businesses:
• Airplanes
• Clothing
• Finance
• Cars

Successful brands that use yellow:
• DHL
• Pennzoil
• Hertz
• Shell
• National Geographic
• Best Buy
• Ferrari
• IKEA
• Sprint
• Denny’s

When creating a logo, graphics, signs, and other branding materials for your company, always consider the type of business that you are in and the emotion you want to evoke from your customers.

Need Help Choosing Colors for Your Logo and Signage?
Gate City Signs & Graphics can help you design logos & signs that are pleasing to your customers!