Great news! You may not realise it, but you already know a lot about colour psychology for branding. That is because you are a human (hopefully 😄), and palettes affect people’s emotions and behaviours. All you need to discover now is how to tap into your inner wisdom and leverage the psychology of colour to increase sales and bolster your bottom line.

This article aims to turn your instinct into scientific knowledge.Let’s start by getting the terminology sorted out:

  • A palette is a range of colours
  • Hues are pure – primary colours (red, blue, yellow), secondary colours (purple, green, orange), or even tertiary colours (blue-green, red-violet, et cetera)
  • Tints are hues mixed with white to make it paler, like pastel colours
  • Shades are hues mixed with black to darken the colour
  • Tones are hues mixed with grey which results in diminished intensity of colour.

What Is Brand Colour Psychology?

Along with your logo, your brand colours form strong associations in the minds of your customers. Coca Cola is red, Lucozade is orange, and Cadbury is purple, right?

Now think of the feelings you experience when you see a bottle that has red on it – the excitement and positivity of Coca Cola – versus an orange bottle – the energy-giving properties of Lucozade. Or the sophistication of Cadbury’s purple wrapper.

Colour psychology explores the powerful effect colours have on emotions and what kind of reactions and human behaviours occur as a result. When you understand how emotions are coloured by different hues, you can take advantage of this in your business branding.

Neuroscientist Antonio Damasio long ago proved that emotions play a pivotal role in decision-making. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) brain scans have shown that consumers are driven more by personal feelings than factual information when evaluating brands. Behavioural scientists have gone as far as to say that the persuasiveness ratio of emotion to reason is 24:1!

Moreover, the amygdala area of our brains activates the self-preservation fight-or-flight response in response to danger. Humans are programmed to react to an emotion. Being pushed into action by emotions can be a powerful tool in your branding.

Why Is Colour Psychology In Branding Important?

Being able to tap into emotional perceptions consumers have about your brand can drastically boost engagement. Using colour psychology to emotionally align your brand with shoppers and consumers inspires action from them – ultimately increasing your sales.

Cashing in on the psychology of colour requires a thorough understanding of the perceptions linked to different colours. It also needs an appreciation of the nuanced cultural, personal, and neurological contexts. Please bear that in mind when referring to the table below.

Warm colours are generally regarded as red, orange, yellow, and combinations thereof. On the opposite side of the colour wheel, the blue, green, and purple families are regarded as cool colours. Although basically correct, you can have warm-hued greens and blues alongside cool-hued reds and yellows. A lot depends on the shade or tint of the colour, as well as other colours in your brand’s palette.

Tips For Picking Your Brand Colours

As you pour over the font, graphics, and colours of your branding and advertisements, keep the following hints in mind:

Red

  • Power
  • Passion
  • Excitement
  • Anger
  • Danger

Orange

  • Warmth
  • Enthusiasm
  • Friendliness
  • Energy
  • Frivolity
  • Immaturity

Yellow

  • Optimism
  • Happiness
  • Cowardice
  • Caution

Green

  • Nature
  • Growth
  • Prosperity
  • Envy
  • Boredom

Blue

  • Enthusiasm
  • Global appeal
  • Dependability
  • Logic
  • Aloofness
  • Unappetizing

Purple

  • Luxury
  • Spirituality
  • Extravagance

White

  • Cleanliness
  • Simplicity
  • Coldness
  • Sterility

Black

  • Elegance
  • Security
  • Authority
  • Menace
  • Mourning

Don’t be swayed by trends but choose a colour that is authentic and appropriate to your business and its context.

As with all marketing, the colour must be what your ideal customer would want for your brand.

Think of your brand as a real person and use a colour that represents its personality.

Without being inappropriate to your industry, your colours can differentiate you from your competitors.

For all the promotional items you could possibly apply the colour psychology for branding on, contact Tara Slevin Group today!