Why Color Matters: Color Psychology

If you have ever felt a sense of rejuvenation after walking into an orange room, a feeling of calm when glancing at a blue piece of art, or a notion of relaxation when looking at greenery, you are not imagining it. It is the subconscious work of how various colors evoke specific feelings in all consumers, otherwise known as color psychology.

Whether you are new to the block, or a well-established cornerstone brand, marketing with color psychology in mind can become the resource you need to differentiate yourself. 

What is Color Psychology

In marketing terms, color psychology focuses on how distinct colors affect how a consumer perceives a brand and how colors influence consumers when considering specific brands, products, and services for purchase.

The concept of color psychology is not new in marketing or any other professional field. The psychological aspect of color goes as far back as our early ancestors that, for example, associated blue with favorable weather or a sought-after watering hole, leading to the feelings of calmness most get today when seeing blue.

However, with that said, universally accepted colors can still hold bleak perspectives for some individuals on personal levels. For example, an individual may associate a displeasing taste, smell, or frightful event with a particular color. While colors have been instrumental in how we behave, experience, and interact as far back as history can remember, they have an even grander impact on what we consume in the marketplace today. 

Why Color Is Important

Color has always been a big piece of the pie for decision-makers as 85% of consumers say they made a product purchase due to color alone, according to Inverve Marketing. Adding to that, 90% of consumers make impulse buys because of color presentation, according to HelpScout.

Color psychology plays a major role when creating marketing materials, rebranding a current business, and establishing a new business in any industry. Consider that in a study by the University of Loyola, consumers said color increases brand recognition by 80%. Pinpointing what colors appeal to your audience, align with your brand ideals and goals, and best represent your products and services is key to gaining the attention of your desired consumer. 

From persuading impulse to cementing trust, it is undeniable that color impacts marketing everywhere. So, how do you implement colors into your brand and its various products and advertisements to maximize sales? Let us dive into what emotions each color evokes in consumers so you can reach your desired goals.

How Each Color Affects Consumers

The use of color should be strategic, depending on what you are trying to evoke from a consumer. The first step to be taken when deciding which colors to use is understanding how each color will impact an individual.

• Red: This color tends to bring out powerful emotions such as excitement, energy, and passion. It is also a color to alert someone of a deadline or limited opportunity.
• Orange: When you use orange in your design, you evoke feelings of adventure, creativeness, and enthusiasm. 
• Blue: The use of blue draws people to the words calm, stable, and trustworthy.
• Purple: Royalty, luxury, knowledge, and imagination are expressed when using purple in your design.
• Pink: Femininity, youthfulness, and childhood are associated with pink, representing hope, innocence, and optimism best. 
• Green: Green brings out feelings of growth, health, friendship, and relaxation.
• Yellow: Positivity, happiness, warmth, and cheerfulness are all feelings of this color.
• Brown: Brown often brings out emotions of security, dependability, and simplicity.
• Black: Black is a neutral color with high versatility that pairs well with any other color. It represents sophistication, power, authority, and elegance. 
• Gray: This is the true neutral color on the scale. Gray invokes feelings of balance, solidarity, and neutrality.

It does not take long, only a couple of minutes or less, for someone to form an opinion about a product or service your brand is promoting. The associated colors play a significant role in this opinion, making color psychology a pivotal factor in fully understanding your consumer. Developing knowledge of color and the dynamics of how it affects people will give you an advantage when undertaking marketing projects and campaigns.