Studies have shown that certain colors spark different emotions and associations in people. This means that when you’re selecting a color palette for your website, it must accurately reflect who you are, what you do, and elicit an emotional or associative response in the potential customer.
Sound complicated? It doesn’t have to be! Here’s some insight from our marketing team on how to choose effective colors for your brand.
Different Colors Spark Different Reactions
When you’re selecting your colors, keep in mind that you want to catch your audience’s attention without distracting or confusing them.
For instance, anytime I see pink, I immediately think of cancer care or philanthropy. So using pink in the logo of a boys’ little league team would certainly be distracting to the viewer, which would likely result in them ignoring the logo altogether.
Here is a very basic breakdown of how modern Americans associate colors in brands:
- Pink is associated with cancer care and philanthropy. However, there are different colors of pink: light pink is more nurturing (breast cancer awareness, Johnson & Johnson) while hot pink is more energetic, usually geared toward young women (Victoria’s Secret, Cosmopolitan Magazine).
- Green is often associated with money, whether it’s a banking institution (TD Bank) or PayDay lenders. Green can also be associated with health and wellness (Whole Foods, EcoDepo).
- Blue is often found in the medical arena (Blue Cross Blue Shield) because it is associated with cleanliness and care.
- Red and yellow are both powerful and assertive colors that can communicate a variety of ideas (McDonald’s, Target, Toyota, Verizon).
For more information on how we make color associations, have a look at the study “Exciting Red and Competent Blue” or this article published by Psychology Today.
Chart out the Colors in Your Branding
It’s a good idea to look at reports that analyze what the average person experiences when looking at different colors. Do your research! If you’re selling a game that is marketed for boys, you may not want a logo that is purple.
A good place to start is by assessing the competition. Look at your competitor’s colors to see what they’re using. While you certainly don’t want to copy them, you also don’t have to reinvent the wheel.
Consider how successful companies use color to communicate the benefits of their products, and remember that your logo will appear in many places: your website, social media platforms, printed out on letterhead and marketing materials.
Ideally, the colors in your logo will effectively communicate what you do, the tone or feel of your company brand, connect with your audience on an emotional level, and look great across many platforms.
Choosing colors for your organization can be a big job, but if you do it right, it can give your business a huge leg up. Would you like some help from experienced marketers? Click HERE to set up a phone call with a member of our team.
