/Color Psychology: How to Use it in Marketing and Branding

Color Psychology: How to Use it in Marketing and Branding

Try closing your eyes and transporting yourself to the metaverse. Your thoughts? Perhaps the colors of the cosmos, twilight and the far future are splashed on the virtual world around you. 

The Metaverse and Web3 may be a daring new frontier for the digital world, but the colors here are all too familiar. The color blue is commonly associated with honesty, whereas purple is often linked to creativity and black is often seen as mysterious. 

Color psychology is a significant marketing technique because it can affect purchases for up to 85% of customers. The color matching and standard systems manufacturer Pantone collaborated with the Web3 VC studio sLabs to develop these color schemes for the metaverse. 

Nonetheless, conventional advertising has traditionally made use of color psychology. Merchandisers employ techniques such as the use of color to evoke specific feelings in clients that lead them to make a purchase, for instance. It’s also applicable to self-promotion; think about the message you want your online persona to send. With the right use of color, you can create the perfect impression. 

What Is Color Psychology? 

Examining the effects of color on mental processes and actions is what “color psychology” is all about. We associate different meanings with various shades of color. There might be cultural and individual differences in how people interpret color. 

Because of the power that color has on consumers’ impressions of businesses and their offerings, it’s important to select hues that are in line with your brand’s values and the demographics of your customer base. 

A Look at the Way Successful Business Owners Use Color Theory 

There is a distinct effect of color on shoppers. Creative director and CEO of Yellow Tree Marketing Kevin Kaminyar made advantage of color psychology to hone in on his intended demographic. 

When I polled my clients about the emotions elicited by various hues, yellow emerged as the clear winner. According to Kaminyar, “they brought up kindness, warmth, and empathy — and that resonated with my brand.” 

Kickcharge’s marketing director, Dan Antonelli, says, “We utilize a more research-driven approach on the usage of color that is already on the market.” Using a color scheme that stands out from the competition and that no one else has adopted is a surefire way to do just that. 

Creative director Hillary Weiss proposes expanding one’s palette beyond the four corners of the hue wheel: “When we think of color psychology, people say I’m going to be a tranquil brand, so I’m going to use green. Or, if I’m going for a more sophisticated look, black it is! Contradicting expectations is a technique I find very appealing. 

In order to distinguish herself as a pioneer in her industry, Weiss chooses a bold color palette that includes red, blue, and yellow. 

Dissections by Color 

Blue 

Trust, loyalty, dependability, logic, calm, and safety are all messages it sends. It’s unfriendly, unappealing, and a reflection of a lack of warmth and empathy. The BlueCross BlueShield logo is used to illustrate this point. Blue is trustworthy, polite, and friendly. 

The majority of people around the globe agree that blue is their preferred shade, with males favoring it more than women. It’s no surprise that this soothing shade is the most popular choice for logos, as many well-known companies share consumers’ sentiments. 

When we see blue, we think of stability, power, sageness, and trust. Companies like Facebook and Twitter, who keep vast amounts of user data, often use blue as a brand color because it projects an image of trustworthiness.

However, blue is also associated with negative meanings. We don’t become hungry looking at blue since there are so few blue meals in the world. It can also be used to signify a lack of warmth and friendliness.

The color blue is crucial to the identity of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. They must strike a balance between gathering customers’ personal information and giving them excellent service as a health insurance provider. Its color scheme conveys to clients that they can rely on the organization for guidance in making tough choices. 

Purple 

It’s a sign of intelligence, prosperity, spirituality, creativity, and affluence. Reflection, decadence, repression, excess, and melancholy are also communicated. As an illustration, we’ll utilize the Hallmark logo. Individuals that identify with the color purple tend to be diplomatic, respectful, and empathetic. 

Purple is a color associated with aristocracy and power. Tyrian purple, worn by Roman nobility, was so expensive it was considered more valuable than gold. In fact, Queen Elizabeth I made it illegal for anybody not in her royal household to wear purple.

The ancient meanings of purple have given it a sense of sophistication, luxury, and wisdom. Companies can utilize the shade to indicate high-quality offerings. To avoid coming across as opulent or morose, purple should be used with moderation. 

Hallmark’s mostly female clientele might be seen as the rationale for the brand’s frequent use of the color purple. Furthermore, the TV network uses purple to emphasize the distinctiveness of its movie selection, since very few businesses opt for this shade. 

Orange 

It’s an expression of bravery, self-assurance, warmth, originality, friendliness, and vitality. Negative emotions such as lack, anger, irritation, immaturity, stupidity, and lethargy are also communicated. As an illustration, we’ll utilize a Nickelodeon logo. Orange is a free spirit, a fierce competitor, and a cynic. 

This vibrant hue suggests boldness, originality, and confidence. Its lighthearted tone makes it a good fit for brands that aren’t really business-oriented. Since orange is commonly connected with the sun, it also evokes feelings of warmth. 

Nonetheless, not all associations with this hue are positive. It may cause one to experience annoyance, deprivation, and lethargy. Possible signs of immaturity or ignorance include. This separates Hermès from Cheetos. 

The orange splat that represents Nickelodeon is one of the most recognizable logos in the world. Since the color orange evokes thoughts of originality and even childishness, it is a good fit for their offbeat content and funny identity. There is no other studio that could possibly accommodate orange-themed series like SpongeBob SquarePants and The Wild Thornberrys.

Red 

Why we associate danger with the color red. It’s a statement of strength, confidence, and excitement. It’s also a signal of pain, hostility, resistance, and fury. The Coca-Cola brand logo is presented as an example. Red is an outgoing, risk-taking, and active character. 

This bold shade evokes feelings of enthusiasm, energy, power, bravery, and passion. Due to its association with action and urgency, the color red is often used for call-to-action buttons in sales. Furthermore, the color red has a physiological effect on humans, inducing hunger. 

But red can also be used to amplify unfavorable emotions. It’s a symbol of wrath, threats, peril, defiance, violence, and hurt. Stop signs force automobiles to a halt, while flashing red police lights tell them to pull over. Disney’s Inside Out gives rage its own flaming red beast to represent it. As a branding tool, red can be effective when applied appropriately. 

Coca-Cola, for one, has used the hue as its trademark for many years. The company’s beverage goods benefit from the color red since it attracts customers and complements the company’s vibrant branding: “Real Magic” is the brand’s current tagline.

Green

It’s a symbol of well-being, optimism, renewal, growth, and wealth. It’s also a metaphor for feelings like boredom, stagnation, envy, blandness, and weakness. As an illustration, the Whole Foods Market logo is used. Green is fearless, fiercely competitive, and emotionally distant. 

Without being overstated, green is the color of life. The color green evokes images of nature, stimulating associations with serenity, health, prosperity, hope, and a sense of newness. However, the color’s inherent crudeness also makes it a symbol of monotony, inertia, and blandness. 

Green represents Whole Foods’ commitment to provide customers with healthy, high-quality options. The company markets itself as “America’s healthiest grocery store,” thus it makes sense that they would choose a color linked with vitality and expansion. 

Yellow 

The mental effects of yellow. It’s a signal of confidence, friendliness, joy, creativity, intelligence, and extroversion. It’s also a symbol of being unreasonable, scared, cautious, anxious, frustrated, or cowardly. Consider the McDonald’s logo as an illustration. Yellow is a free spirit who thinks on his or her own and acts on impulse and strategy. 

Yellow, like orange, is a symbol of joy and youth. Happy grins, sunflowers, and rubber ducks are all associated with this cheerful hue. Yellow is used in marketing because it is associated with happiness, originality, sociability, and warmth. 

Yellow branding, however, has the potential to create sentiments of worry, panic, and irrationality in some people. Yellow is used for law enforcement tape, traffic signals, and street signage. So, before you dive headfirst into the rainbow, keep this warning story in mind. 

The golden arches of McDonald’s are an excellent example of how the color yellow can be used to convey a cheerful message. Fast food chain’s logo, which features a cheerful yellow sun and an appetizing red heart, conjures up images of young people and celebration. The yellow grin on Happy Meals only adds to the chain’s positive image among families with young children. 

Black 

Considering black’s psychological impact. It is a sign of maturity, safety, strength, beauty, poise, prestige, and substance. It’s also a symbol of gloom, sadness, and a sense of being weighed down by evil. For illustration, a Nike logo is used. Black is a serious, self-assured, and resolute individual. 

You’ll notice that most online content, including logos and email signatures, is black. Brands that choose black as a primary hue often come across as authoritative, elite, and stylish. Oftentimes, the trademarks of high-end brands (like Chanel) are all rendered in black to convey an air of sophistication and elegance. 

Black, however, can also be a symbol of repression and frigidity. It’s possible that the color black itself is associated with evil because of fictional characters like Ursula the Sea Witch and Scar from The Lion King. 

And while black is a color that has done wonders for the fashion business, its impact isn’t always felt elsewhere. As an example, the color black is rarely used in the medical field because it is associated with death and grief. 

To emphasize its authoritative message, Nike markets its products in black and white and features its iconic swoosh logo. The sophisticated black is a fantastic complement to the company’s message of enabling athletes and assisting clients in developing into stronger performance. 

White 

White’s psychological significance as a color. It’s a symbol of naiveté, chastity, tidiness, simplicity, and pristineness. It’s also cold, barren, boring, careful, and detached. The Adidas emblem is used to illustrate this point. White is a doer with a strong will and an unflinching confidence. 

It’s possible that white is the best option for your company’s aesthetic if that’s what you’re going for. White, like black, is a color that is both timeless and contemporary, and it may be used to create an air of innocence and purity. 

The contrast is that white can have a clinical, hospital vibe about it. Your brand could come out as bland, dull, and empty if you don’t use colors. However, this hue can appear different depending on the surroundings. The logos of some of the most cutting-edge companies in the world—Apple and Tesla, for example—are white. 

Just as white is effective for Adidas, black is for Nike. Adidas’s target market is far less sporty than Nike’s. They frequently collaborate with people who aren’t athletes, such as singers, artists, and others. Consequently, by using white, they can tap into a universally appealing simplicity. 

Pink 

It screams originality, originality of thought, creativity, originality of expression, and originality of character. Reflection, decadence, repression, excess, and melancholy are also communicated. To illustrate, a Barbie logo is utilized. Pink is highly ethical, creative, and realistic. 

Pink, the most well recognized symbol of femininity, is a good choice for any company that wants to portray a sense of fun, youthful creativity and individuality. For instance, T-Mobile uses its signature magenta color as a marketing tool to set itself apart from rivals. 

Pink, though, can also evoke a playful or defiant spirit. Its initial impact fades as customers become accustomed to the color, yet a visit to a Victoria’s Secret might leave some people feeling queasy due to the store’s signature pink decor. 

Pink may be the ideal compromise between sophistication and playfulness, making it ideal for brands like Barbie. The pink emblem of the play doll giant aids in its targeting of the younger demographic.