The Power of Color

How do you feel when you see a cool, pale blue? What about a bright, primary red? If you walked into a room painted in the blue color, your reaction would be very different than if you walked into the same room painted bright red. Whether you’re looking at an entire room or simply a product on a store shelf, color is a difference-maker.

The colors of a brand and its accompanying marketing vehicles play a large part in consumers’ feelings toward its personality and message. Are your brand’s colors sending the right message, or is your audience seeing something different?

What We Know
There’s countless research available on colors, their meanings and their influence on human behavior. We’re all familiar with some of the basic associations: red reflects passion and power; white is clean and pure; green is fresh and natural. Because of these strong associations, you see color repetition within specific industries. For example, consumer technology giants like Intel, Panasonic, Samsung and Nokia all use a very similar blue palette – sending a message of dependability, intelligence and progressiveness. And top cable/satellite providers Verizon, Comcast and Dish Network all use red, black and white as their primary brand colors – communicating energy, entertainment and style. Before consumers read a single word, these color palettes influence them to make judgments about the associated brand.

Getting Trendy
Each year, some colors are “in” and others are “out.” But why do certain colors make the cut and others don’t? Color reports like ColorForward and Pantone’s Fashion Color Report come from experts who dictate color trends in fashion, interior design and marketing. The results are based on everything from consumer behavior to politics and pop culture. In 2010, the color forecasts are based largely on the struggling economy. As a result, vibrant, cheery brights and nostalgic, 1960s pastels can be found on the fashion runway and in design blogs. These colors tend to be more attractive during economically gloomy times, but they are also particularly appealing to mature consumers who view them as youthful and optimistic.

Social and Emotional Influences of Color
Color associations are usually based in a culture’s unique history. In some Asian cultures, for example, yellow – a traditionally “happy” color in the U.S. and North America – is associated with mourning. When a brand or product is transitioning from one culture to another, the color should be evaluated to ensure you’re sending the right message to international consumers. Brady Communications had to keep this top of mind when designing labels for PPG’s line of Master’s Mark Distinction interior paints, which was being distributed in China. Color selection was incredibly important, and three rich tones of red, gold and blue were selected. These colors have positive affiliations in China and are also strongly tied to the United States, reinforcing the paint’s status as American-made product, a big selling point for Chinese consumers.

Brady Communications also turned to color as a primary communication tool in the rebrand of Wesley Spectrum Services. Before the rebrand, Wesley Spectrum used primary colors to reflect their focus on education. But Wesley Spectrum is much more than that, providing education, social and mental health services for children, families and adults. Brady Communications understood what was special about the organization: the relationships created between staff and those they serve. And the new brand colors needed to reflect the warm, nurturing and optimistic nature of those relationships. Looking at the new Wesley Spectrum color palette, even if you don’t know what the organization does, you immediately understand the brand’s personality.

These examples showcase important factors in the process of selecting colors for your brand and its accompanying marketing materials. Before choosing the perfect palette, carefully consider the message you’re trying to send. Remember that, without using any words at all, colors are communicating a lasting impression to your customers.