Understanding How Colors Impact Messaging

The power of color psychology is well-documented. It can do everything from summon up feelings of hunger or thirst to convey feelings of peace and calm. When used in marketing, color theory should be thought of as a combination of science and creativity. 

Understanding what individual colors represent and how you can use them in your organization’s brand as well as in your digital and print marketing materials is essential. Color choices influence a target audience’s mood and behavior and help your community tell its story. In fact, choosing the best colors to represent a community is a significant part of the process when we work with organizations to create their brand design or even just refresh their logo. 

If you aren’t quite convinced of the powerful impact color has on people, here are a few statistics that might change your mind:

• When making buying decisions, 93% of consumers focus on visual appearance only.
• Color can increase brand awareness by as much as 80%.
• Up to 90% of first impressions are linked to color.
  
  

By spending a little time learning more about color theory and the power of color, you can increase the impact your marketing efforts have on your target audience. 

The Science Behind Different Colors

Here is a quick overview of some of the most popular colors and what feelings they evoke:

• Blue: Often cited as the world’s favorite color, blue conveys respect, loyalty, security, calm, and trustworthiness. You’ll often see it used by health care institutions and insurance companies.
  
  
• Red: As you might suspect, this color evokes passion, energy, excitement, power, and adventure. It’s often used as a warning or to indicate danger, such as in police lights or stop signs.
  
  
• Orange: At the opposite end of the color likability scale is orange. People frequently say it’s their least favorite color. It can be used to reflect adventure, creativity, courage, and an overall sense of quirkiness. You might find it paired with other colors in logos for ad agencies or other art-related organizations.
  
  
• Green: Growth, life, nature, freshness, and prosperity are represented by the color green. Like blue, it’s a favorite of hospitals, as well as natural food stores and health-focused grocery stores.
  
  
• Yellow: If you are looking to find a color that expresses youth, positivity, happiness, intelligence, and innovation, yellow might be a good choice. It’s a favorite of chain restaurants, children’s companies, travel-related businesses, and snack foods.
  
  
• Black: A serious, sophisticated color, black is a staple in most marketing libraries. It represents security, power, and authority. The color is popular in the fashion and car industries, but it’s rarely used in health care settings. That’s because it may be linked to death and grief.
  
  
• Purple: Another color that suggests wisdom and sophistication is purple. It can also evoke a sense of spirituality and imagination. Some say it represents superiority and royalty, too. Many consider it to be a feminine color.
  
  
• White: Cleanliness, purity, simplicity, and innocence are all linked to the color white. It also conveys innovation and uniqueness, which is why companies like Apple, Chanel, and Tesla utilize it in their logos.
  
  
• Pink: When you are trying to invoke feelings of femininity, imagination, creativity, caring, or playfulness, consider using pink. Shades of this color are popular among fashion brands, magazines, ice cream companies, and upscale household appliances.

If you are looking for more insight on developing marketing collaterals that connect well with your desired audience, Creating Successful Flyers and Reader-Friendly Newsletter Layouts are two articles that might be helpful to review! For help creating or updating your brand or logo, get into touch with our design team.