The Psychology of Color in Marketing and Branding

This might come as a shock to you, but those involved in marketing are heavily invested in psychology. Most notably, they have a full understanding of how the use of color can evoke emotions in the viewer. Predictably, one of the things these individuals do is to properly analyze the use of color to assist various companies in their selling pursuits. This can come in handy for you if you are interested in becoming an entrepreneur yourself. Here are some examples of how companies utilize color to influence your buying decisions:

Hot Colors

Companies use what is considered to be “hot colors” for a variety of reasons. First of all, these types of colors have a tendency to evoke some type of desired emotion in the consumer. For example, Sign It Awnings explains that red is associated with passion, including drives such as hunger. The color red also has a tendency to evoke passions such as love or hatred, so it really takes a color marketing expert to make sure the color does not overwhelm the viewer. Moreover, color marketing experts also realize that the correct use of this color can also evoke a sense of urgency. Thus, it is used quite often for those who want something to be sold as quickly as possible. It’s part of the reason why Coca-Cola utilizes red.

Cool Colors

Cool colors evoke different emotions than the “hot colors” like red or orange. First of all, Desktop Publishing talks about how cool colors such as green or blue can have a calming or relaxing effect on the viewer’s emotions. This means that companies that want to convey a message to help you slow down. A retail outlet might want to utilize this type of coloring.

Contrast and Pop

SitePoint describes that using contrasts can be an important way to influence your marketing. One of the reasons for this is because it can reduce eyestrain and it can be used to dictate an emotional response by drawing attention to certain colors. However, it is important to keep everything in moderation. Too much black can evoke an overwhelming response; too much grey can evoke nothingness or depression; on the other hand, too much white can seem like a clean slate to some.

So, what does color marketing mean to you? Well, if you’re a consumer, research on this can help you realize just what type of message these companies are trying to convey. Moreover, if you are an entrepreneur yourself, you can utilize color to help you grow your company and convey your message to potential customers. As Podium points out, color is an important part of your brand story - you are telling people what to think of you, so choose carefully.