Reveal Your Brand’s True Colors

It’s no surprise that color has the potential to influence our moods. That’s why branding agencies pay such close attention to this notion when developing a brand’s identity. Color psychology is the study of color’s impact on audience perception and emotion. From optimism to strength, colors represent a wide array of emotions, therefore, it’s crucial to understand how and why color psychology matters in branding.

Behind the Basics

Color psychology didn’t just appear out of the blue. Chromotherapy began centuries ago in ancient cultures, like Egypt and China. The belief behind the treatment was that color possessed the ability to heal sickness. In today’s world, we may not use color psychology to combat illnesses, but a professional branding agency will understand that color can potentially affect consumers’ moods. It’s been noted that people see color before anything else and this can easily boost brand recognition by 80%. With this information alone, you can see why it’s critical for a company to understand how a brand’s color is going to be perceived by the average consumer.

Color Meanings

Now that you’re aware of the impact color has on our mindsets, it’s time to reveal some of the meanings behind each hue. It’s necessary to fully grasp what each color represents and understand how they can affect a brand’s image.

Red: Red promotes feelings that range from love and passion to fear and panic. Regardless of the emotions provoked, this color is loud and powerful, so it’s almost guaranteed to catch anyone’s attention.
Yellow: Yellow can easily radiate optimism, happiness and joy, which is why a branding agency may opt to use this when it wants a brand to appear welcoming and friendly.
Orange: As a color that’s already a part of the warm spectrum, orange gives off a compassionate, heartfelt vibe. It’s halfway between red’s strength and yellow’s pleasant, upbeat energy, which makes orange a comfortable medium.
Green: Green is the ideal harmony between logic and emotion because it’s often associated with either prosperity or nature.
Blue: When envisioning blue, it’s common for someone to instantly think of the sky or water because it’s such a soothing color. Since it sparks a mental reaction that naturally calms us, it can portray trust and responsibility to consumers.
Purple: If you want to express imagination and creativity, purple is a favorable color to incorporate into a brand because it’s a balance between physical and intangible. It can come across as luxurious, mysterious and magical.

Where to Start

If branding is not your forte, it may be difficult to understand what colors to choose or when to acknowledge that it’s time for change. Hiring a professional branding agency is the safest way to ensure your brand is heading in the right direction because experts are up-to-date with the latest techniques and trends. Even if you’re a novice, consider the five dimensions of brand personality to have a better direction of where you want the brand to go.

Sincerity
Excitement
Competence
Sophistication
Ruggedness

By understanding what your focus is, you can better identify what colors should be used based on which personality you want to convey. A prime example of this is Appleton’s logo because sincerity can often be expressed with the color, green. Earlier this year, Greenery was designated as Pantone’s Color of the Year for 2017, which is the same color that Appleton has been flaunting for decades. Greenery encourages consumers to rejuvenate themselves, which makes it the ideal color for Appleton since we specialize in revamping brands.

All things considered, color psychology is a prominent study that companies are prone to pay attention to. Even though these are simply guidelines, it’s essential to have a profound understanding of the influence that color can have, as well as how to use its powers to properly represent a brand’s spirit.

A professional branding agency will help you soar with flying colors. Appleton Creative is an award-winning, full-service advertising agency in Orlando, Florida that specializes in delivering a strong, unified visual and verbal presence through branding and messaging. Appleton works with local, national and international clients to build a strong and cohesive brand that standardizes any company’s look and communications across print, web, social media and video. Your branding goals are worth a conversation: contact us at 407-246-0092 or info@appletoncreative.com.