Never under estimate the power and importance of colours when it comes to branding. Colour is the visual component people remember most about a brand, followed closely by icon then numbers and finally words.
It has been researched and confirmed that 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 colour alone. Also it was established that about 85% of consumers cite colour as the primary reason they buy a particular product, and according to a study by University of Loyola, Maryland, 80% of people believe colour increases brand recognition. Little wonder many of the most recognizable brands in the world rely on colour as a key factor in their instant recognition.
COLOURS, THEIR MEANINGS & IMPLICATIONS IN BRANDING
Red
Red is considered a high-arousal colour, often stimulating people to take risk. It evokes strong emotion, encourages appetite, increases passion and intensity and symbolises love. For Branding purposes it attracts attention and adds high visibility to the brand. It can be used by food brands to trigger appetite, create urgency and encourage impulse buying.
Yellow
Yellow increases cheerfulness, warmth, encourages communication, stimulate mental processes. Conveys positivity, high energy and optimism. For Branding purposes it can be used to grab attention of window shoppers and to show clarity.
Blue
Blue is often associated with water, peace, the coolness of the sea and sky. It has been shown to calm the senses and lower blood pressure. It may stimulate feelings of trust, security, order, and cleanliness. It is most preferred by men. It curbs appetite. For branding purposes, it creates a sense of security and trust in a brand. It’s often used in corporate business because it is productive and non-evasive
Orange
Orange is considered a high-arousal colour. It reflects excitement and enthusiasm. It may stimulate feelings of energy, balance, and warmth. For branding purposes it signifies aggression, creates call to action, effective on impulsive shoppers. It represents a friendly, cheerful and confident brand, mostly used by food brands.
Green
Green denotes nature and is often associated with the coolness of leaves. People often associate it with health, growth, good luck, and jealousy. It alleviates depression. For branding purpose, it is used to project a relaxing image and environment in stores, associated with wealth and connotes freshness for food brands.
Purple
Purple is generally considered a low-arousal colour. It may stimulate feelings of spirituality, mystery, royalty, wealth, success, or arrogance. It is often used in beauty or anti-aging products, used to soothe or calm and represents a creative, imaginative and wise brand.
Pink
It connotes sincerity, sophistication, sweet and compassion. This is romantic and feminine, used by health and beauty products for woman and young girls.
Black
This is dramatic, shows class, formality and security. Gives an impression of strength, elegance and authority. Powerful and sleek, it’s used to market luxury products.
The power of colours has been laid bare before us and it’s now left for us to take advantage of them. Howbeit, there are certain colours that are off limit for some brands, e.g. using colour pink for a food brand is a No-No for me, and the reasons are obvious -it will evoke the wrong emotions towards the brand and you will be setting the brand out on a wrong footing.
So what colour or what combination of colours are you considering for your brand? Whatever they may be, make sure they communicate the essence of your brand. Trust me, you don’t want your brand to be misinterpreted or misjudged.
If you need help with your brand Identity development, talk to me at toluorogun@yahoo.com, or Whatsapp: 0802 826 4000.
Follow me on instagram @brandingwitht4tolu
– Tolulope Adebayo,
Brand Identity Consultant.
