Chocolate Blues Business Networking Festival June 2013 | Page 10

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www.BizFestival.com • Facebook.com/ChocolateBluesFans

www.BizFestival.com • Facebook.com/ChocolateBluesFans

2D or 3D... Either Way,
NovaCopy Has Your Solution

COLOR THEORY:
What does it mean for your Brand?
Color Theory is a science that studies how colors affect
people. Every color creates a different feeling or reaction
from people. Different people may react differently to the
same color because of associations that they may have.
However, in general, colors generate certain specific
emotions. Some colors even have conflicting meanings
depending on the context and the supporting colors.
Red can represent love and passion, while at the same
time represent anger and evil.
Color plays an important role in the branding of your
business. The colors you choose can either attract
or deter the audience that you want to target. For
example, you probably wouldn’t choose a red and
black color scheme for a company that sells baby
items. Red and black are very edgy and bold and most
likely will not draw the eye of a customer shopping for
baby clothes or accessories. A better choice would
be more pastel colors or maybe even bright blues
and pinks. Choosing a color scheme is not just about
picking colors that you personally like. It needs to
be based on the science of the colors and how you
can use those colors to subconsciously attract your
customers.
When choosing your color scheme, you need to ask
yourself a few questions.
What will the chosen colors make your customers
feel? Will they feel energized or calm, happy or sad,
powerful, healthy?
Do the emotions they feel coincide with the message
you want your business to relay?
Is this color scheme going to support your brand
message or contradict it?
Do those colors represent the values of the company?

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To answer these questions, you need to know what each
color represents and what emotions are represented. Keep
in mind, that each color has different meanings depending
on which shade of that color is used. A bright red is perceived
as energetic and vibrant, while a dark red symbolizes power

Energy, Power, Elegance, Love, Passion,
Anger, Danger, Evil, Action, Intensity
Orange: Energy, Happiness, Vitality, Friendly,
Courageous
Yellow: Happiness, Hope, Caution, Cheerfulness,
Traditional, Permanent, Warmth, Joy
Green: Money, Growth, Stability, Comforting,
Organic, Vibrance, Abundance, Nature
Blue: Refreshing, Friendly, Calming, Responsible,
Sadness, Strong, Trust, Security
Purple: Royalty, Creativity, Imaginative, Romantic,
Mystery, Sophistication
Black: Mystery, Evil, Death, Elegance, Formality,
Edgy
White: Purity, Cleanliness, Virtue, Simplicity, Health,
Goodness
Brown: Nature, Wholesomeness, Dependability,
Reliability
As you can see, determining a color scheme can be a
complex process. It is important that you not only choose
the right primary colors, but that you also choose the
right supporting colors. The way you combine colors can
have an effect on what they symbolize. When choosing
your colors, you want to make sure they are sending the
right message.
Choosing the right colors should be a critical part of your
branding development. Branding is the most important
thing you can do for your company. If your brand is not
developed to attract your ideal customer, your business
can’t succeed. Every company needs a brand. If you
want your business to grow and be successful, you
need to invest in finding the right person to develop
your brand. Find a graphic designer with the experience
and knowledge to develop a strong brand. Make sure
that designer can incorporate the right color scheme for
your business and create a consistent message across
all of your marketing platforms.

-by Jennifer Stephens, Rayne Design

Networking Tips:
1. Try to find ways to help others first.
2. Wait to give your business card until the end of
the conversation
3. If you’re in a group networking setting where
everyone takes turns with their commercial, make
sure you pass your business cards around (take a
stack pass it to the right) when you stand up to give
your commercial.

4. Audit your LinkedIn account and send a friend
introduction message to first connections you haven’t
talked to in a while or perhaps have never met. If
you’ve never met, suggest meeting over coffee.
5. Practice your commercial several ways: always be
ready with a 30, 45, 60, and 90 second commercial.
6. Seek out networking opportunities in easy ways
by searching on websites such as Meetup.com.

7. Befriend your competition. Often they can be a
great resource for cross-referrals for things the other
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