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Richard of York Gain Battle In Vain, the simplest way for young dummies like us back in the day to recall the colors of the rainbow! This was the formula back in kindergarten and my junior years, but we never really thought colors would have such a compound impact on our psychology and even careers. Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet are great colors for marketing because they were always a beautiful sight after a rainy tide had passed.
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A Brief History of Colors
Colors form a huge part back in our subconscious, but since we don’t pay close attention, we rarely ever notice the huge impact. Consider these two examples:
- A weird friend invites you over to their church service one Sunday morning. You think the black church door is weirder till you go inside only to find the whole place painted black with red-tiled floors and low yellow lights to light up the place. Now if your first instinct isn’t to run like Ferrari, then you differ from most people!
- Imagine a swimming pool with walls painted red! It wouldn’t be weird if you spent the day there but you’d probably have some questions back in your mind even though they’ll remain unanswered. Such is the impact of color selection and emotions marketing.
Psychology Tricks
There are instances when we are so used to taking in colors that receiving something different will immediately click some alarm bells back in our minds. Psychologists have done a good job in trying to generally categorize colors, but as is often the case, their findings rarely reflect the feelings of the majority. Thus, pink has been linked with feminine features but most girls and mature women have a natural dislike for the color.
Therefore, like a gambler needs to play their cards right, so you do when you want color psychology in your marketing techniques to work for you. This both applies to online marketing as well as on-the-ground sales. When you have mastered the art and the language of colors, you’ll be surprised at the kind of sales you’ll be driving your way. Sit down and buckle up as we give you a pinch of colors and marketing psychology; then we’ll proceed to demystify the myths people hold over colors and we’ll close it up by giving you the best colors for advertising.
Ancient Meaning of Colors for Marketing
What is the best color for marketing? Before even looking at colors for marketing, it’s important to take you through history lane as we find out where some of these colors were first derived from. Often, we make the mistake of neglecting the prestigious position we hold in the 21st-Century: whatever color you’d like is just a button click away. Previously during the early antiquities, artists and painters had to derive a different color combination through burned charcoal, animal fat, and a combination of different soils. It would be amazing to get a look at the different art that was made during this period – if at all they survived the test of time.
Let’s consider the colors for branding when designing a new brand logo. The blue pigment can be said to originate from the blue azurite which is a naturally occurring compound. It conveys artistic design, peace and serenity, loyalty, trust, and some military power. It also carries an aspect of productivity.
Red balances the blue color! This is commonly used in the mainstream to represent aspects of duality and the best example can be seen in the American flag – the blues (Democrats) vs the reds (Republicans). Not only does it symbolize blood, death, danger, and destruction, but it’s also used as a color that conveys erotic passion, love, intense emotions, anger, heat, and sacrifice. Deeper and lighter shades convey more meaning which will be discussed later on.
Yellow – the sunshine and golden color. Among the first colors for marketing to be used by ancient cave-drawers, the yellow color is derived from clay. It transmits a feeling of warmth and happiness while expressing positive energy, sometimes terror, danger, illness, betrayal, and even cowardice depending on how used.
Green color – back to nature. The color was hard to derive in ancient times and could only be enjoyed from the environment as art made with green would eventually fade. In the West, it can symbolize freshness, greed, jealousy, and luck. In the East, it symbolizes hope, youth, and new birth. It generally portrays balance, innocence, wealth, energy, and good health. The color green can evoke a sense of prosperity and growth, while also instilling trust and stability in users. Because of this, it is commonly used in wealth management tools, personal finance applications, and e-wallet app design.
Orange is not a particular favorite of the majority. The pigment came from a particularly toxic mineral known as orpiment which had huge traces of arsenic. It’s a mixture of yellow and red and contains diverse shades that can communicate a variety of messages. From the light pastel pitch which almost makes you salivate (when you think of Fanta) to more intense tones that bring about a feeling of vitality and encouragement. It’s not only an assertive color but also one used to demonstrate wider opportunities, adventure, ambition, self-pride, and affordability.
White is the achromatic color which is simply to say, it doesn’t have a hue. Most people, therefore, don’t regard it as a color but we’ll discuss more on how this will be crucial when considering the best colors for advertising and the most helpful colors for marketing.
Black is just as blue balances red so does white balance out black. While white brings a sense of good and peace, black brings a feeling of horror, and evil but sometimes shows a posh lifestyle and the finer things in life.
Why Should You Pay Attention to Colors for Marketing?
Before anyone can consider your brand name, their subconscious has first taken in the branding and the color, and design of your product. First impressions are always hard to erase and will form a basis of whether or not you have a loyal customer there. That is why color psychology – the scientific study of behavioral changes brought about by colors – becomes a key weapon and arsenal in your tools for your business marketing.
Moreover, a study on the Impact of Colors on Marketing clearly shows how 90% of purchasing decisions are made within the first 90 seconds and are primarily influenced by the combination of colors used. Now you have a clear picture of how colors in marketing and psychology could either lead to more sales or tantamount to nothing. It all depends on the colors for marketing used.
The Myth of Colors and Marketing Psychology
The adage, ‘One man’s meat is another’s venom’, happens to be commonplace in our society. However, rarely do designers and brand ambassadors consider this since they end up making the mistake of generally using statistics and general studies without putting it into practical test and application first.
For instance, you might find yourself attracted to orange as the new blue for you. You might even decide to apply this to your marketing strategy for your online men’s cloth line. Your marketing director may warn you over and again using statistics on how men are appalled by the orange color. Nevertheless, you might end up going for other colors for marketing your brand which may be against your inner will.
It is important to notice that people are generally different, just like their fingerprint patterns are. The scientific study of colors was made with the assumption that everyone would hold the very same feeling when exposed to the diverse color sets. This assumption is quite wrong and that’s why we strongly advise business owners and trendsetters to always test the generally held notions to see what amount of water they hold. Factors such as personal preferences, upbringing, and even exposure generally determine how your consumers will react to the different colors for marketing you make use of.
When all is said and done, be original and choose something that appeals to your senses, emotions and will have a direct impact on your consumers. Clearly outline your goals and ambitions, conduct a competitor analysis on the colors for marketing they use as you aim to maintain your original intent. Don’t just go with the norm – from the norm! Don’t think the designer will make all the right choices alone and don’t be tempted to use all colors at your disposal.
What Is The Best Color for Marketing?
Enough said, what the best colors for advertising and marketing are. Will they work for you as best as you expect them to? What more do you need to consider when deciding on colors in marketing and advertising?
Since you not only aim to make a success of your website, generate leads and even become a force in the industry, it is imperative to consider the following four basic principles that will aid you in colors and marketing psychology:
- Purpose: What is the purpose of the color tone used? What message are you trying to relay? Is it a mixed feeling and do you desire your readers to answer? Do you simply wish to be informed on a particular area in your niche that you feel is generally neglected?
- Audience: Who is your target audience? What’s the demographic like? Is it 80% female, 20% males? Is it mothers you are targeting or teens? What’s the age group? How will your colors for marketing impact on the individual target group?
- Time: Is it an urgent call to action? Is it a product that is in continuous order? Use the right colors and emotion marketing at the right time.
- Manner: There is a right way to use colors for marketing once you have considered all the points given above. You might need to use a combination of several colors for your headline, backgrounds, borders, pop-ups, and even C2A buttons. This is where timing becomes crucial.
Application of Colors and Marketing Psychology
Since some colors need personal attention and are normally neglected, we will take a look at them further. For a start, you can explore well-made infographics about colors for web designers.
White
White is often a liberating color and offers you freedom when applying colors in marketing and advertising. A white background is often useful for providing a break from all the previous details and gives a chance to contemplate. Your readers and consumers are likely to enjoy a fresh breath of air as they peruse your diverse product list thus making it easier for them to arrive at a decision.
Black
Have you noticed how luxury brands use darker colors and themes to convey a high lifestyle? Check out the Lamborghini website and even how Louis Vuitton uses black in their colors for marketing to bring out a taste of quality and extravagance. Would you be comfortable using black in your psychology attempts to reach out to your site visitors?
Blue
You might have noticed how blue has been emphasized in our table above for colors and marketing psychology. Blue is a symbol of peace, security, and trustworthiness, and is particularly in wide usage today. If you look closely, big names like Facebook, Twitter, Telegram, WordPress have majorly incorporated blue as their main color for marketing and advertising. The returns speak for themselves. Also, consider how the United Nations uses blue and white in their flag as a peace symbol.
Purple
Not only does it have a feminine touch just like pink, but it also conveys power, strength, stability, royalty, luxury, calmness and influence. Aristocrats have in previous times linked it to status and wealth since only the well to do could previously afford the Tyrian purple or simply purple dye.
Pink
Yes, there are emotions and romance involved here. It displays a touch of fragrance alongside fragility as the feminine colors for marketing are often associated with delicate thoughts. In as much as it identifies with women, too much of it out rightly shows immaturity.
High Contrast vs Monochromatic
You can use a single color and reach out to so many people instead of splashing each color at your disposal. Find the colors that appeal to your brand knowing that it will not only affect readability but also accessibility then design your website best you can. You can also use three contrasting colors in the ratio of 60:30:10 to avoid making it extremely colorful.
Parting Shot…
Psychologists have found out that taking part in coloring games not only improves your focus but also promotes creativity. Having completed your research on colors for marketing and realizing what great impact it will have on the response, you should always endeavor to do it, right? What is the best color for marketing business strategies? What color or set of colors best resonates with your brand? Share in the comment section below.