Get a load of this; Research shows that up to a whopping 85% of consumers say that COLOR is their biggest motivator when choosing a product. Even more so, 92% say that product and brand aesthetics are what persuades them most to make a purchase. So needless to say, the colors you choose for your brand are hella important.
Why The Colors Matter
As we all know, the first impression is the only impression. How we first experience something, whether a person, place or brand, is forever ingrained in our minds. Colors you choose elicit certain emotions within your audience as well as signal certain information. Based on color alone we subconsciously come to certain conclusions before we even intellectualize what the product or service is.
Choosing Your Colors
A lot of research has gone into color theory so it’s easy to get lost in research. We touch on it in our psychology course and we’ll give you a little rundown here ! Aight so boom:
Whole Lotta Red
Rojo if you know a little espanol, we associate with danger. Fun fact: When languages are developing they come up with a word for red before any other color. You may have heard too that red cars get pulled over more often than any other car. Red is also considered a power color. It’s bold. It’s also passionate, think love and lust. It’s all red. Everything about it is INTENSE !
Think Pink
Pink is red’s cute little cousin. It’s feminine in most peoples minds. It’s soft. Instead of being lusty it’s romantic. If you opt for a vibrant or neon pink it also symbolizes youth.
Channel Orange
Orange is especially for the creatives. It’s fresh and full of vitality. Orange is adventurous. We also associate it with being cost-effective.
And It Was All Yellow
Yellow is the color of optimism ! It’s the color of the sun. People associate the color yellow with happiness. It’s also very playful. Yellow and orange together is a dynamic duo.
Lean Green Machine
You likely already know green is alllll up in nature. We have the phrase ‘going green’ because we heavily associate it with nature and sustainability. People also associate green with *drumroll please* SCHMONEY !
Boys In Blue
Blue is to signal trust and reliability. That’s one huge reason we see lawyers and police officer in blue. Interesting enough, blue is also heavily associated with depression. I’m just… going to leave that there as is and say choose wisely.
Purple Rain
Purple is the color of royalty ! If you’re feeling regal you might gravitate towards purple. Granddaddy Purp keeps coming to mind but it actually has nothing to do with this. Purple is also a spiritual color. Lavender on the other hand, or purple lite, signals creativity.
Down With The Brown
Brown and green are besties. Brown is the symbol of earth and honesty. It’s found on organic, wholesome type products. We also sometimes associate brown with strife. That one’s not as sticky as the other messages but it does come and go.
Black, White, Piano
These are more often than not used together. People use them as default colors but you still want to choose wisely because they have strong meanings ! White is known for purity. Think wedding dresses. It conveys simplicity and innocence. Also think homes, minimalism. The walls, floors and furniture are usually all white. Black on the other hand is luxurious, sophisticated and elegant. Black is formal af. Black can also be sorrowful, sort of like blue. Think funerals.
Rainbow Gang
Rainbow or multicolor used in branding will make people think LGBTQA+. It also will symbolize diversity and open mindedness. Unity and vastness. Think Google !
Color Homework
Let’s do some homework friends ! Look at the apps on your phone right now and see how closely the colors each app uses matches the vibe they give off.
If you’re a business owner or a brand, reflect on the colors you’ve chosen. Do they match the vibe that YOU’RE trying to give off ? I’d love to know if you really did it, feel free to leave a comment !
Next week we’ll be talking about CAPTIONS ! After you have your color scheme right, you’ll want to use them in all of your social media content especially. But aesthetics isn’t enough. You want meaningful captions as well. Subscribe so that you don’t miss it !