COLOR IN MARKETING
IIt may seem that color choice is merely a secondary aspect of
design that you must go through to complete a project.
However, the colors you choose play a much stronger role in
delivering your message than you might think. Many of us can
look at a color scheme in an ad and instinctively feel whether
it is “right” or not, even with no experience in the use of color
in marketing. Why is this? How deep does the psychology of
color actually go? How can someone, even without training,
obtain any meaning simply by looking at one color versus
another?
The human brain instinctually uses colors to recognize traits
in objects and products in the same way hummingbirds are
attracted to colors they see in certain flowers. Color
associations can go farther than you may expect.
For the food service industry, marketers often use warm
colors like yellow and red in their branding. Researchers state
that the colors yellow and red excite people. This excitement
causes an increase in the viewer’s heart rate, leaving people
feeling hungry as a result. The world’s most successful
restaurant chains like McDonald’s, Burger King, and KFC all
use warm color palettes in their branding and advertising.
Cool colors like blue and purple have the opposite effect, so
much so that they can even be used as an appetite
suppressant. Blue is not commonly found in most fresh foods
in nature, and our brains will often associate blue with mold.
So, if you are running a food establishment, it is a safe bet to
stick to a warm color palette.
Conservative brands like insurance companies and financial
groups use blue in their branding because it’s said to have a
calming effect. Blue puts people at ease, creating the feeling of
trust and stability. These same brands should avoid using red
in their visuals because it causes a feeling of urgency, which is
not what you want clients to feel when they think of your
business. Green is also commonly used by these companies
because it symbolizes wealth and creates a subconscious
“green light,” making people feel comfortable to “go ahead.”
The colors in our environment have a major impact on our
mood. Many businesses know this and paint and decorate
accordingly. Hospitals use pale yellow because it is a happy
and uplifting color. Red is the color of confidence and passion.
It makes people feel energetic. Red is a great color to use in
bars, restaurants, or anywhere there is a social gathering. In
hotels, you will find that the décor has a lot of gray and tan
colors. These neutral colors are used not necessarily to appeal
to anyone but to avoid being unappealing.
Language often fails when it comes to the representation of
something visual or something experienced through the
senses. It brings to mind the old saying: a picture is worth a
thousand words.
COLORS ARE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE
THROUGH EMOTION AND ARE AN
EFFECTIVE TOOL WHEN IT COMES TO
PERSUASION, SO MUCH SO THAT SOME
RESEARCHERS HAVE FOUND THAT
COLOR IS THE PRIMARY REASON FOR
PURCHASING A PRODUCT FOR ALMOST
85 PERCENT OF CONSUMERS.
That number is even higher when impulse buys are taken into
account.
So what factors should we consider when choosing colors? The
key factor is the purpose of the design. What do you want the
person to feel when they see your ad? Do you want them to do
something after seeing it? The message and purpose of the ad
are intimately connected to the colors chosen and the overall
design. Even the best color scheme will not help if it is not in
harmony with the other elements of the work. The colors you
are using in marketing or
advertising can change the
message that you are trying to
convey to your audience. Choosing
the right color for the right
situation is essential to reaching
the right audience with the right
message and accomplishing the
goals of your advertising plan.
This is a deep and complex topic,
but it is one that can be learned
with a bit of effort.
Carmen McKay is the Lead Designer at Tulip Media Group. She has over 10 years of experience in the creative field and got her
start designing and layout for a local magazine. This is where she found her calling in the world of publishing which led her to
write and illustrate her first children's book Spring Is Coming! She is committed creating top-notch visuals for our client-partners
and is a firm believer that a clients success is her success.
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