There must be a reason that Facebook is Blue, McDonalds is Yellow, and Victoria’s Secret is Pink. Psychology of color is not something to assume and experiment. It’s a science.
According to Wikipedia,
Many marketers see color as an important part of marketing because color can be used to influence consumers' emotions and perceptions of goods and services. Companies also use color when deciding on brand logos. These logos seem to attract more customers when the color of the brand logo matches the personality of the goods or services, such as the color pink being heavily used on Victoria's Secret branding. However, colors are not only important for logos and products, but also for window displays in stores. Research shows that warm colors tended to attract spontaneous purchasers, despite cooler colors being more favorable.
Let’s check 5 brands that are bang on when it comes to leveraging color.
# 1: Coca-Cola:
A bright and vibrant red is always associated with this soft drink manufacturing company.
When appeared with other hues, red always attracts viewers more than the rest. It’s believed to increase the appetite by speeding up the metabolism. Moreover, it created an illusion that time is passing faster than ever. Right!
Why it worked for Coca-Cola: The target audience of Coca-Cola are mostly young people. Red symbolizes youth, excitement, and boldness. Moreover, Coca-Cola belongs to the FMCG and food and beverage industry, where most of the customers are impulsive and often act upon a certain spontaneous desire.
# 2: Veuve Clicquot:
It’s a world-class French champagne brand. If you are fond of this brand, you would know that Veuve Clicquot is yellow.
Yellow speaks out fun, optimism, and happiness. It also evokes energy and grabs the user attention when used with other hues. Moreover, the color is proved to be useful in point-of-sale messaging.
Why it worked for Veuve Clicquot: The use of the bright yellow for a champagne brand is a little unusual, especially most of the other brands play safe with greens, creams, and golds. But the positive psychological effect of yellow, such as optimism and coziness worked for the brand, as it creates a warmth feeling at the consumers’ end.
# 3: Starbucks:
Starbucks is the largest coffee brand in the world. Even though the earliest color of the brand was coffee brown but later it was changed to green.
Wondering why they shifted from brown to green, when their main product directly belong to the former shade? Apart from the fact that green is the primary color of the University of San Francisco, where all the 3 founders completed their education from, the main reason behind the color shift is, green signifies growth, freshness, and prosperity that are, again, symbolic to a fast-growing brand.
Why it worked for Starbucks: A large portion of Starbucks audience belongs to the professional segment of the society. Green calms one down. Moreover, green presents nature. Any brands that use green, apparently look and feel like environment-friendly. Green also symbolizes health, which could be an essential branding message for any food-chain.
# 4: Facebook:
Facebook has always been blue, even though the logo was modified a couple of times. Although Facebook’s blue is associated with the color-blindness of Mark Zuckerberg, but it has a deep impact on the audience.
Blue is associated with trust, durability, and dependability. Moreover, it’s loved by all, according to a KissMetrics study. When people are asked to choose their favorite color, most of them choose different shades of blue.
Why it worked for Facebook: It’s the largest social network with the biggest hub of the user database. People trust Facebook and share their personal details with the brand. Based on the psychology of color, if we say that the blue has some impact on its growth, would we be so wrong?
# 5: The Home Depot:
This US-based retail chain heavily uses orange as the most prominent branding asset. The orange, used by the brand, is bright and blazing.
Orange evokes fun and cheerfulness. And it’s also associated with a good value. According to a study, bright shades of orange can encourage two-way conversations between a brand and its consumers, as the color evokes energy, both mentally and physically.
Why it worked for The Home Depot: As mentioned, orange signifies good value. For a brand like The Home Depot, the psychology of orange helps the customers perceive the brand as offering the optimum value for their money.
Want to explore more on color psychology on customer behavior? Watch this space for the second edition.
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