A well-chosen palette is one of the most powerful branding tools. 84.7% of consumers claim that it is color that motivates them to buy certain products. Therefore, the choice of brand colors should be taken seriously and you should first understand what emotions and associations are behind each of them. The basics of color theory and our article will help you.
Why colors are so important
All brands want one thing: to establish a strong emotional connection with their customers. The problem is that it’s hard to do that with just a slogan or a storefront. That’s where brand colors come to the rescue, whose job is to provide quick access to your customers’ hearts.
One of the most famous color theorists, Faber Birren, wrote at length about the connection between colors and the emotional state of a person. Just as the words “love” and “gas station” evoke different emotions, the colors red and blue stimulate different human responses. But the interesting thing is that the same colors provoke similar reactions in completely different people. In other words, yellow has the same effect on everyone. Even the most cold-blooded businessman and inveterate skeptic, can not ignore the psychological effect of the color palette. So the question is not whether corporate colors work. But how do you make brand colors work for you?
- define your brand character
Choosing brand colors for your brand is easy if you know who you are and what you want to say. Fiery red has done wonders for the energetic and incendiary Coca-Cola, but would look odd on the mattresses of the calm and tranquil Dormeo. So the first step in selecting a signature palette is to determine your personality traits. - study the meaning of colors
Once you’ve established your brand identity, you can begin to explore the hues. Here’s a summary of their meanings and the effects they have on people:
Red – passion, excitement, anger, determination, courage. Stimulates, attracts attention and excites.
Orange – playfulness, vitality and friendliness. Associated with a young audience and encourages action.
Yellow – happiness, youth and optimism.
Green – stability, prosperity, connection with nature. Dark shades evoke associations with money and prosperity.
Light blue suggests calmness, trust, openness.
Dark blue – professionalism, safety, formality. Actively used in finance, healthcare, technology.
Violet – creativity, wealth, luxury.
Pink – femininity, youth, innocence.
Brown – conservatism, experience, confidence and longevity. Used seldom and with care.
White – cleanliness, health, simplicity.
Black and grey – luxury, elegance, classics, style. Suitable for premium goods and services.
When it comes to handing over all your savings to someone, trust is paramount. That’s why there’s so much blue on the Chase Bank website and other financial institutions.
- Use a formula for choosing a color scheme
Obviously, there’s no one right way to pick colors for a corporate identity. Nevertheless, a little guidance wouldn’t hurt. Use it as a guide rather than clear step-by-step instructions.
Choose 3 colors.
Base, accent, and neutral. A brand’s palette can include 1 to 4 signature colors. But even single-color palettes need different shades for different purposes.
Determine a base color.
It should reflect your brand’s most dominant personality trait and appeal to your target audience.
Determine the accent
Choosing an accent is a little more difficult than choosing a base color because it has more limitations. Not only must the accent match the brand’s personality, but it must also visually blend with the base.
Determine a neutral color.
A neutral color should not attract attention. These are usually different shades of gray, but beige and white are also suitable. Black isn’t a bad option either, but be careful: it tends to dominate whatever color scheme it’s a part of.
- Choose a color scheme.
Throughout the process, you should also keep the question in mind: which color scheme do you go with? Typically, brands choose one of the following schemes:
Monochromatic. Suitable for minimalist brands that want to focus on one character trait. Its main task is to differentiate the hues so that the corporate identity does not look monotonous.
Analog. Uses two colors next to each other on the color wheel. This is a win-win option, as adjacent colors usually have similar emotional connotations.
Complementary. Uses color opposites – hues placed directly opposite each other on the color wheel. Suitable for dynamic, stimulating visuals, but can be considered an imitation of another brand because it is often used.
Triad. Uses three colors the same distance apart on the color wheel.