Use of Color in Marketing

RM2 Project Blog:
written by Tammy Kollinger

I found a great little article on the Psychology of Color in Marketing. A woman by the name of June Campbell wrote it, and it’s worth the read, especially if you are thinking of starting a new business or re-inventing you marketing.www.nightcats.com

What colors have you chosen for your marketing materials? What were your reasons for making that particular choice? Was it because you liked those particular colors, or did you have a particular marketing message in mind? While visual appeal is an important consideration, your color choices could be sending a specific message to the people who view them. Are you sure you know what that message is?

You’d be wise to consider the psychology of color when designing your marketing materials. Be it business card, brochure, web site, posters or other material, you’ll be making color choices. Colors not only enhance the appearance of the item — they also influence our behavior. You will do well to consider the impact that the colors you use will have on your target audience.

For instance, have you noticed that most fast food restaurants (McDonalds)are decorated with vivid reds and oranges? It’s no accident that these colors show up so frequently. Studies have shown that reds and oranges encourage diners to eat quickly and leave — and that’s exactly what fast food outlets want you to do.

It’s also no accident that you see a lot of reds and blacks on adult web sites. These colors are thought to have sexual connotations.

Ever notice that toys, books and children’s web sites usually contain large blocks of bright, primary colors? Young children prefer these colors and respond more positively than they do to to pastels or muted blends.

Market researchers have had a field day identifying the colors and the likely effect they have upon us.

However, the effects of color differ among different cultures, so the attitudes and preferences of your target audience should be a consideration when you plan your design of any promotional materials.

For example, white is the color of death in Chinese culture, but purple represents death in Brazil. Yellow is sacred to the Chinese, but signified sadness in Greece and jealousy in France. In North America, green is typically associated with jealousy. People from tropical countries respond most favorably to warm colors; people from northern climates prefer the cooler colors.

In North American mainstream culture, the following colors are associated with certain qualities or emotions:

Red –excitement, strength, sex, passion, speed, danger.
Blue –(listed as the most popular color) trust, reliability, belonging, coolness.
Yellow –warmth, sunshine, cheer, happiness
Orange — playfulness, warmth, vibrant
Green — nature, fresh, cool, growth, abundance
Purple –royal, spirituality, dignity
Pink — soft, sweet, nurture, security
White –pure, virginal, clean, youthful, mild.
Black –sophistication, elegant, seductive, mystery
Gold — prestige, expensive
Silver — prestige, cold, scientific

Market researchers have also determined that color affects shopping habits. Impulse shoppers respond best to red-orange, black and royal blue. Shoppers who plan and stick to budgets respond best to pink, teal, light blue and navy. Traditionalists respond to pastels – pink, rose, sky blue.

Want to test some of this out? Check out web sites belonging to companies with marketing budgets that allow for extensive research into what sells best.

Jaguar (Visit Website)

A luxury car with a luxury web site. There’s a predominance of black (sophistication) and silver (prestige). Jaguar markets to people with high incomes who view themselves as sophisticated and look for a prestigious vehicle.

Volkswagon Microbus (Visit Website)
Check out the predominance of yellow (happiness) and orange (playfulness). Matches the type of owners that Volkswagon is trying to attract, don’t you think?

So how can you put this information to use?

First, think about your target market. Let’s say that you are selling books for young children, but you are marketing to grandparents. You’d probably design the books in bright, primary colors (reds, blues, yellows) to appeal to the children who will use them. However, the marketing materials (web site, brochures, etc.) would be designed with grandparents in mind. You might decide to go with blues (trust, reliability), pinks (nurture, sweet, security) and yellow (happy, playful).

Of course, you would test your ads and colors on a small market segment before rolling out a large scale campaign.

Give some thoughts to the message you want to send and to the psychology of the recipient. Then choose your colors accordingly.

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RM2 Project Blog: Good Ideas!

Understanding LOGO Design

RM2 Project Blog Entry
written by Tammy Kollinger
Whether you’re starting a new business or trying to re-invent your marketing and brand, a great logo goes a long way. Your logo represents your company; it’s the icon that people will think of when they think of your products and services. A logo is the image that should have staying power in the consumer’s mind.

Coming up with a great design for a logo is more than just picking a cool font and a nice picture. There is a lot of thought that should go behind a great design. Is it simple enough to have staying power? What is your target audience taking away? Complicated logos might look good, but they are easy to forget. Simple logos are easier to remember, which will hopefully come to mind when your audience needs your services.

The color and shape of your logo are important at the subconscious level. Certain colors make one feel a certain way, and certain shapes bring on specific feelings. Do the shapes and colors of your logo combine to bring the right feel for your company?

And what about the font? The font is extremely important because if spells out your business name, which ultimately, you want the consumer to remember. Therefore, it needs to be clean, crisp and easy to read. If you think about well-known company logos with staying power, you’ll see the fonts are straight (as opposed to curvy or curly) and quick to read.

Finally, your logo should be transferable–meaning that it can easily be reduced for the web or a promotional pen, or enlarged for a billboard. Consider current and future uses of your logo before you settle on a particular design.

One final thought: If you’re paying good money for your logo, make sure you get the bang for your buck–and that doesn’t mean a complicated logo with all sorts of bells and whistles.  It means simplicity and it  means staying power. This is the foundation to helping build your brand.

Check our portfolio for examples of our Logo Creations Portfolio