The meaning and psychological role of colors in marketing “According to studies shared by Neil Patel (ex-Kissmetrics), 85% of people cite color as the main reason for their purchase. Changing a product’s color can boost its sales by more than 80%!” (source: audreytips.com) The influence of colors in marketing Colors enhance your brand’s visual identity and UX (user experience). They grab customer attention and evoke emotions. Today, people can recognize a brand even without its logo. “The right use of color increases brand awareness by 80%" (source: fouineteau.fr). Your purchase intentions are influenced by this, which can significantly increase your conversion rate. Simply working in an environment of a certain color can affect how we work. For example, people tend to be more creative in a blue setting, and more productive in offices with red, etc. (source: video alioze.com) Color perception in marketing This perception is not an exact science. The meaning can vary based on individual experience, gender, political trends, context, country, and more. It is subjective. Blue evokes the sky and the sea. This color inspires trust and freshness, bringing a sense of calm, confidence, security, peace, and stability. But it can also give an impression of coldness. Blue is often used in healthcare, finance, high tech, transportation, travel, and more. For example: PayPal, Facebook. Red is highly effective for calls to action. It triggers impulse purchases when used this way. Red is a stimulating color associated with passion, power, anger, and urgency. It’s known to increase appetite and symbolizes ambition and authority. You’ll often see it in the energy, food, technology, and agriculture industries... For example: Coca-Cola. Orange creates a friendly, welcoming feeling. This color inspires ambition, enthusiasm, and happiness. It’s often used in creative companies and the tech sector. For example: Orange, Amazon. Yellow is connected to the sun, energy, optimism, warmth, and happiness. It brings cheerfulness but can be tiring for the eyes. Overusing yellow can increase anxiety. You’ll find it in food companies and toy brands... For example: McDonald's, La Poste, Ikea. Green is perfect for reading. It gives a sense of serenity, growth, stability, relaxation, and freshness. Commonly used for topics like the environment, organic products, and health. Green also symbolizes money and fertility. It’s chosen by sectors such as energy and ecology. For example: Starbucks, Aroma-Zone. Organic products: using green. Source: https://www.aroma-zone.com/ Pink creates feelings of playfulness, tenderness, and romance. It is soothing, relaxing, and uplifting. Pink is often associated with femininity. Brands with a female audience have adopted pink in their visual identity. For example: Victoria's Secret. Purple is an elegant color. It inspires wealth, success, wisdom, power, and luxury. Purple stimulates the mind and calms the spirit. However, it should be used in moderation or it may come across as “arrogance.” Luxury, finance, and beauty brands often use it. For example: Milka. Source: margyconsultants.com Brown is the color of the earth. It brings a feeling of relaxation, calmness, and comfort while inspiring authenticity, trustworthiness, and security. You'll often find brown in health, wellness, craftsmanship, and natural products. For example: UPS. Black is elegant and sophisticated and easily pairs with other colors. It evokes authority, mystery, power, and control. Black is internationally recognizable, but its meaning can be different in certain countries. Commonly used by luxury brands and in the automotive industry. For example: Chanel. White is classic and elegant, symbolizing purity, cleanliness, and freedom. White inspires creativity and matches well with other colors. However, in some countries, white may have a negative connotation. You’ll often find it in the luxury and tech industries. For example: Apple, ASOS. Finally, gray represents neutrality and balance. Negative feelings it may evoke include sadness and fear. If not combined with other colors, designs can look dull. It’s mostly used in headers, visuals, and text. Paired with black and white, the effect is neutral and professional. For example: Apple Learn how to choose your marketing colors “Black (34%), blue (30%), and red (30%) are the most used colors,” according to Reboot study statistics. First, choose your color based on your target audience. Are you aiming for women, men, an international audience...? An international audience will interpret colors differently. You should conduct a study on color perceptions in the countries you want to expand into. However, you can use universal colors as well. When it comes to color perception by gender, women are more likely to buy from your business if you use soft colors (like blue, purple, green) and are more reluctant toward colors like gray, brown, or orange (source: alioze.com). If your target is men, go for blue, green, and black. On the other hand, brown and purple are less appealing to them (source: alioze.com) Define your colors according to your storytelling and the message you want to convey. The colors you choose will reinforce your brand image. For a harmonious graphic charter, don’t use more than four colors. They should be visible on your logo, website, CTAs (Call To Action), pop-ups, your newsletters... It’s important to repeat them for a cohesive and well-defined visual identity. Source: code-couleur.com When it comes to yourCTAs, make sure to make your button stand out. As mentioned earlier, orange and red boost calls to action. Your background should be neutral, such as white or black, for example. Your color choices may also depend on your communication, as well as important sales events or key moments of the year. For example: red / pink for Valentine’s Day blue / yellow for summer black for Black Friday There is a color wheel that is often used by graphic designers. It can help you combine colors. Opposite colors on the wheel usually go well together. Source: passionmtout.ca All these elements help you create a brand style guide that truly stands out from your competitors. Conclusion Colors are essential when building your brand identity. They create specific emotions, setting a mood that encourages your customers to buy. Colors are a reflection of your brand and products. Perceptions may vary from person to person, but they should be chosen based on your target, storytelling, and key messages. Select the right color combinations (two to four) for a more harmonious result.

Categories: Marketing & Technology Watch, Multichannel Marketing

Marion Drapala

Marketing can be described as “the art of persuasion.” Colors play a significant role in this marketing strategy. In fact, they affect perception, mood, and consumer behavior, and generate different feelings for each individual.

You use them across all your materials: flyers, posters, business cards… They define your brand’s identity. That’s why we’ve put together this article to help you understand the meaning of colors, and how to choose and use them effectively.

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