How To Use Color Psychology In Marketing And Branding (Choose Your Brand Colors)

Red Blue Yellow Orange Green Purple Magenta  Black and White each of these colors have a   psychological impact on what we think and  how we feel that's why choosing the color   for your brand should never be based on taste but  a strategic decision to shape your brand's image   in this video you're going to learn how to  use color psychology in branding and marketing   so you can understand the psychological impact of  color on decisions and emotions and use them to   influence how your customers perceive your brand  now we begin to develop an emotional connection   to colors from our early childhood this goes far  beyond simple expression of likes and dislikes   different colors affect us differently the right  color can make us feel calm happy or vibrant   the wrong color can invoke feelings of fear danger  or even oppression this notion of psychology   of colors makes choosing your brand colors all  the more important it's essential to consider   color meanings before committing to your brand's  color scheme and understanding the psychology   behind those colors and why they're important when  choosing the colors for your brand is exactly what   you're going to learn in this guide i'm going  to take you through and have a closer look at   color associations and the relation beyond your  brand identity with reference to some examples   along the way now humans are emotional creatures  and human behavior is often dictated by how we're   feeling at any given moment therefore purchasing  decisions are often emotional choices as well   what we choose to buy and who we buy it from  often depends on how we emotionally perceive   a brand so it follows then of course that if  colors affect our emotions then choosing the   right color combination for your brand is one  more important marketing tool that you can use   to attract the ideal customer now of course color  connotations vary depending on the context and   they have different meanings to different people  different demographics different individuals   however color theory born from numerous color  psychology studies means we can outline some   general understandings note that there are  different shades tints and tones within each   color and we'll see that later within the color  wheel when we dive into that that means that there   is scope for a whole range of associated emotions  within the category red let's take a look at each   color to give you a better idea red now the  color red is used for stop signs sales tags   negative finances and call to action buttons and  it's one of the most striking stirring colors used   use it with care because it can trigger powerful  emotions both positive and negative the attributes   and the personality traits associated with  red include power passion energy fearlessness   excitement but there are also negative attributes  associated with red as well including anger danger   warning defiance aggression and pain so when  should you use red within your brain or when   should you stay away from it well one of the most  famous brands in the world coca-cola uses the   color red and there are many other famous examples  we'll jump into some more examples later but   red creates a sense of urgency making it  really effective for sales but it also   encourages appetite as well which wasn't lost in  mcdonald's red also evokes a feeling of excitement   which is why fast cars and lingerie are really  popular in red but on the flip side it does have   negative connotations including danger fear and  anger and some studies show that the color red   actually reduces analytical thinking so let's look  at a few examples of brands that use the color   red we've got coca-cola netflix levi's canon h m  virgin adobe and target moving on now to the color   blue now without a doubt blue is the most widely  used color of any brand and it's used extensively   through brands and marketing and the reason for  this is the feelings that it evokes it evokes   this feeling of serenity and calm and leans to the  idea of trust and security so a lot of businesses   a lot of brands they want their audiences to trust  their their work to trust doing business with them   so that's why so many brands use that color but  it's really important to understand the context   of your brand within your market and although  these feelings are evoked and these feelings of   trust and security although these are evoked  and you might want to align with these feelings   if you're going to blend in within your  market then that's a strategic decision   that you need to make on the attributes and  personality side of things the positive attributes   associated with blue include trust loyalty  dependability logic serenity and security but   there are also some negative attributes associated  with blue as well including coldness emotionless   unfriendliness and that unappetizing feeling as  well so when should you use blue in branding well   as i mentioned before blue has that calming  effect on the mind and it is considered   the color of reason strength wisdom and trust  so it is common for businesses like healthcare   i.t and financial institutions to rely on  the color blue to communicate that sense   of trust now according to a hugo survey  blue is the world's favorite color however   that doesn't mean that it's always the right  choice and there are shades of blue that will   make your audience feel sad or even cold now  there aren't many naturally blue foods in the   world of nature and that's why some audiences can  lose their appetite with the color blue and it's   one reason that there aren't many food companies  with blue in their branding so use blue to foster   a sense of calmness and dependability but be  careful because its overuse can make you feel   bland and make it blend in rather than stand  out so it's not without its risks some famous   brands using the color blue include facebook ford  paypal american express nivea samsung intel visa   dell nokia and volkswagen moving on to the  color yellow now yellow represents youthfulness   happiness fun and sunshine and it can be  powerful to use as a complement to darker colors   yellow attributes and personality traits on the  positive side include optimism warmth happiness   creativity intellect and extroversion as well now  the negative attributes associated with yellow   can include irrationality fear caution anxiety  frustration and cowardice as well so when should   you use yellow in branding well as i mentioned  before it is a very positive color and we see   the yellow color used with the omnipresent  emoji these days as well and that iconic happy   face reflects yellow's connotations of optimism  and happiness and creativity yellow is bright   and it reminds us of sunshine so it's a great  strategic color to align with that warm feeling   yellow tints can challenge the eyesight though  while darker yellows can make people feel a little   bit sick or a little bit ill so it can evoke  feelings of depression and sadness as well so   it's best to use this color very very carefully  if you want to evoke those feelings of happiness   then it might be a good choice some household  name brands that use the color yellow include   cat mcdonald's best buy hertz post-it bic dhl imdb  nikon yellow pages shell and the commonwealth bank   green now it's fair to say that in recent  years certainly the last decade or so green   has been a little bit overused with eco-friendly  branding and the concept of going green but   it can be easy to overlook the importance and  the power of the color green within branding   from an early age we learn to associate green  with nature because it's refreshing it's healthy   and it resembles growth from a brand personality  perspective positive attributes of the color green   include health hope freshness nature growth and  prosperity but there are also negative attributes   as well and negative connotations including  boredom stagnation envy blandness and debilitation   so when should you use the color green well as  i've mentioned before green is now synonymous   with the idea of being eco-friendly and  if you're getting into a market where   there are a lot of players a lot of competitors  putting the same message out there and using the   color green then it might not be the best choice  but there are many different shades and tints   that you can choose from so make it a strategic  decision and understand the market that you're   playing in first and foremost but it's also  important to remember that green is more than just   about eco-friendliness as well it also represents  power and we see it in finances and the military   so that might be a strategic decision that you can  make it really depends on the market that you're   in and the competitors that you're playing against  but it's important to understand the connotations   both positive and negative examples of brands  using the color green are australian maid   john deere british petroleum energy australia  animal planet whole foods land rover perrier   android starbucks woolworths and xbox moving on to  the color orange now orange like yellow and red is   warm and vibrant it immediately attracts attention  hence its universal use for traffic cones   its brightness inspires innovation excitement  and confidence making it the perfect choice   for home depot to encourage you along your diy  journey when it comes to brand personality the   positive attributes associated with orange include  courage confidence warmth innovation friendliness   and energy but the negative connotations of the  color orange include deprivation frustration   immaturity ignorance and sluggishness so when  should you use orange in branding well orange   garners that feeling of warmth and energy because  when we think of the sun we think of that warmth   and we think of that energy so it makes it  a bright light and fun choice for youthful   non-corporate brands so those brands that want to  stay away from those formalities at the same time   darker shades are associated with autumn and more  earthy sensations as well orange is often used as   an addition to grounding colors as well so blues  blacks browns they're commonly used with the color   orange when using the color orange context is  absolutely key for example orange's negative   connotations include silliness and immaturity yet  both of these traits can be positive if you're a   brand like nickelodeon but it's also worth to note  for your strategy that orange is the color that   most people consider cheap so it's not surprising  that brands like payless users brands that use the   color orange include amazon harley-davidson orange  mastercard continental hermes firefox easyjet   nickelodeon penguin books and tnt next up we have  the color black now the color black is elegant   and sophisticated with connotations of wealth and  class and that's why it's used in so many luxury   brands from chanel to prada and gucci and even  apple's simple black logo as well positive brand   attributes for black include sophistication  security power elegance authority and substance   but there are some negative connotations  with the color black as well which include   oppression coldness menace heaviness evil and  mourning so when should you consider using black   in branding well when used strategically black  is an effective color associated with luxury and   power luxury brands often use it in combination  with white for that minimalist look on occasion   using a bright color as an accent can add energy  to that sophistication however it is crucial to be   mindful of the context using black for sportswear  brand would be significantly different than using   it for a healthcare brand which could cause some  discomfort as it's associated with death and   mourning brands using the color black include nike  chanel wwf hugo boss jack daniels l'oreal puma and   ralph lauren next up we have white now where black  is the absorption of light white is the reflection   and highlights the absence of any color it's  associated with purity cleanliness and innocence   positive personality traits of white include  innocence purity cleanliness simplicity and   pristine but just like any other color there are  some negative associations with white as well   including emptiness plainness caution and distance  so when should you use white in branding well   the simplicity of white dovetails well with the  class of black which is why it's such a classic   combination it represents cleanliness and has  become the go-to for a modern look and feel   however when poorly executed it can feel lazy  and bland white space can also evoke emptiness   and isolation so the notion of white space  in branding is helpful but it should be used   sparingly sleek and chic can become sterile and  cold with poor execution brands that use the color   white include adidas cartier apple lexus prada  sony tesla and zara let's move on now to the color   purple now historically the color purple has  been considered luxurious and this goes back to   ancient times when fabric dyes were extremely  expensive and hard to come by which meant   that only royalty and upper class citizens could  afford to wear purple outfits and decorate their   homes with the color purple positive personality  attributes associated with the color purple   include wisdom wealth spirituality imagination  and sophistication while on the flip side the   negative attributes of purple include reflection  decadence suppression excess and moodiness so   when should you consider using the color purple  in your branding well purple lends itself well   to brands that want to convey a feeling of class  sophistication and prestige however it can also   stir feelings of excess and extravagance as well  so it's best to be careful with the color purple   purple shades can be moody but purple tints can  provide a feminine touch brands using the color   purple include cadburys yahoo hallmark fedex bing  milka starlight foundation zupla and taco bell   and then we have the color magenta now  traditionally magenta is seen as a more   feminine color and it can be very very impactful  it's a positive color that inspires comfort and   represents hope magenta has successfully been  used in traditional industries as a way to stand   out from the competition some positive personality  traits associated with the color magenta include   imagination passion caring creativity innovation  and quirkiness but the negative connotations   associated with magenta include outrageousness  rebelliousness flippancy and impulsiveness   so when should you use magenta in branding well as  i've mentioned before magenta is the most widely   used color to portray femininity but it's also  an effective color to choose when trying to break   the mold of your industry or stand apart from your  competitors if they are more traditional and that   was the case of t-mobile using it to differentiate  itself from mobile carriers using the classic   blues yellows and oranges magenta works really  well as an accompanying color to inject some   youthful vibe into formal brands but used in  excess it can feel a little bit eccentric and   overwhelming brands successfully using the magenta  color in their brand identity include donut king   bourgeois t-mobile cosmopolitan barbie indesign  priceline roxy supre and victoria's secret so   now that you understand all of these colors all  of the positive and negative associations with   these colors how do you use color psychology in  your brand strategy as you review the various   psychological associations of the colors above you  may be thinking okay so what's right for my brand   how can i take this information and use it to make  those strategic decisions now look obviously there   are many different ways to communicate your brand  to your target audience but choosing the best   colors for your brand is one of those crucial  steps color psychology is one factor consider   alongside aligning colors with your brand's  personality so let's dive a little deeper into   the process of choosing the right colors for your  brand strategy number one understand your audience   now step one is fairly predictable the first step  in any marketing decision any branding decision is   understanding your target audience  understanding who you're trying to influence   the brand exists to serve the audience and it's  in their mind that the brand is built therefore   defining and understanding your target audience  can't be overstated now when it comes to defining   your target market you might look at into the  broad market and decide on a very specific segment   within that market to focus on the narrower the  better for your communication because that then   feeds into your marketing activities if you're  very very specific about who you're trying to   appeal to then getting in front of those people is  a lot more cost effective than trying to approach   the whole market now of course you're going to  develop an understanding of your target audience   through creating buyer personas so these are  fictional characters that represent a specific   portion or specific segment of your market now you  need to know who these people are you need to know   their likes their dislikes their hopes and their  dreams and their biggest fears and understanding   their market demographics and their psychographics  is a very good starting point to get a feel for   who these people are now this will help you to  make ongoing strategic decisions that will be   really important when determining the colors that  you choose within your brand when you know who   your audience is when you know the attributes  that they have and the attributes that they're   attracted to it makes it much easier to find a  color palette that will appeal to who they are   number two define your brand's position now a  strong brand positioning strategy is an absolute   must for all businesses striving for success brand  positioning is all about setting your company   apart from the rest and defining your unique value  to the customer positioning is about understanding   how you compare to your competition and where you  will sit in the market comparatively so giving   your audience that reason to choose you ahead  of your competition now there are many methods   to do this and it's helpful to use a positioning  matrix to help you define your brand's position   in the market first help you identify the gaps  that exist and then to develop at that position   now again establishing a competitive position will  help to inform your branding process so your logo   design your slogan and of course your color scheme  that brand identity and the color palette that you   use now of course it's really important to choose  colors that feel appropriate to your industry and   authentic to your products your services and your  brand but it's also important to remember that   you can't forget you're also trying to stand out  from the competition and differentiate yourself   from the rest of the market as well number three  craft your brand's personality and attributes   now going above and beyond simply defining your  brand position you need to firmly convey your   brand's personality and attributes within your  brand strategy personality is something that we   attribute to humans which is why it's so impactful  within branding we connect with brands in the   same way that we connect with humans we look for  attributes that we like and that we're drawn to   and brands that display those attributes are  more likely to get our attention in fact there's   a word called anthropomorphize now this means  to attribute human characteristics or behaviors   to a god animal or object so we actually have  a word for it because it's what we do as humans   now since color is such an immediately  provocative tool for evoking emotions   in the viewer it's one of the easiest ways that  you can convey your brand's personality to your   audience now of course color isn't the only way  to communicate your brand's personality but it is   super super simple and super effective as well  colors are jarring they're conflicting they   evoke emotions and when you understand the  attributes that your audience is attracted   to the role that you want to play in their  lives what you want to communicate to them   then your color can play a really important role  in shaping how they perceive your brand number   four match your brand's attributes to relevant  brand colors now once you can clearly communicate   your brand personality your position and your  target audience who you're trying to appeal   to then you can think about choosing suitable  brand colors do youthfulness and cheerfulness   characterize your brand if so then maybe yellow is  a good choice for your brand are you a healthcare   provider looking to instill this calming trust in  your audience well if so maybe incorporating blue   into your brand identity is a good idea are you  a luxury fashion brand or boutique looking to   make a splash in the elegant and sophisticated but  competitive world of high fashion then maybe black   would be a great base but consider other colors  to differentiate your brand from the rest and   number five create a color palette to express your  brand now of course when you think about colors in   brand identity you tend to think of logos but in  fact color psychology and branding will go beyond   the logo into other elements and depending on the  business this might include web design in-store   design staff uniforms and so on as such you'll  need to understand the collection of complementary   colors otherwise known as a color palette what  colors are you going to use as primary what colors   are you going to use as secondary how do they work  together this means choosing colors that don't   clash with each other that work well together that  play well together that are pleasing on the eye   now although there is an element of subjectivity  here there are general rules to follow in finding   complementary colors this involves some knowledge  of the color wheel now the color wheel is a visual   representation of hues arranged according to their  wavelength color wheels allow color harmonies to   be represented geometrically and show up in  the relationship between primary secondary   and tertiary colours in other words it's a very  very useful tool in essence a colour wheel can   take the element of chance out of simply eyeing  the colour combinations and provides a foolproof   way of selecting colours that all go together  here are some ways to use the color wheel to find   colors that don't clash complementary colors now  these are direct opposites on the color wheel an   example of this would be purple and yellow in the  planet fitness color scheme analogous colors now   these colors are next to each other on the color  wheel a good instance of this in action would be   the green and yellow scheme of john deere and then  you have monochromatic now monochromatic color   palettes make use of the one hue and they use a  range of its shades tints and tones an example of   this is twitter's use of blue across its content  that hopes to evoke a sense of reliability triadic   colors are colors that are evenly spaced around  the color wheel while split complementary colors   are base colors plus two colors that are adjacent  to the base color so these colors complement the   primary color now within each main color or color  hue as it's also known there's also a full range   of tints shades and tones as well as different  levels of saturation so what is a tint well what   you get when you add white to a particular color  that is what a tint is a shade is what you get   when you add black to a particular color and then  a tone is what you get when you add varying grays   to a particular color and then of course you  have saturation which defines the range of color   starting with gray at zero percent saturation  and ending with a pure grayless form of the color   which is 100 saturation what all this means is  there is a dizzying range of possible combinations   of colors to create your perfect color palette  the paint company bare stocks over 1400 different   color paints but that pales in comparison to  the one million possible colors detectable   by the human eye the upshot you need to spend  time finding colors that represent your brand   identity that complement each other that evoke the  kind of emotions that you want to communicate to   your target audience do you want to go with  a trustworthy blue well if so what shade of   blue specifically is it royal pastel cobalt yale  baby each shade has different connotations and   has different complementary counterparts number  six apply your brand colors consistently now once   you've thoughtfully selected your brand's color  palette you'll need to utilize it appropriately   building brand consistency is crucial in  establishing your relationship with your   ideal customer brand recognition takes time so you  need to inject your brand's personality into your   consumer touch points over a sustained period  of time why well ultimately bran consistently   considerably increases revenue over time now look  building brand recognition and an effective brand   identity to communicate your brand strategically  is absolutely critical choosing a brand color   palette is a critical element of branding  because it communicates your brand identity   your personality and your attributes to who your  audience is there are several things to consider   when choosing your colors and familiarizing  yourself with how the color wheel works will   go a long way to a successful outcome you'll also  need to reflect on the psychology of the colors   so take the time to inspect and understand the  connotations of your color choices why because   we now know that different tints shades and tones  have varying effects on the consumer it's critical   that you find the right combination to convince  your audience to emotionally invest in your   business since emotion often drives purchasing  decisions remember as humans we connect through   attributes and emotions and there are a few tools  as powerful as color to do just that now if you   want to dive deeper into brand strategy then  this video will help you out but before you do   if you want to become a master of brand hit that  like and subscribe to get more videos like this   until next time brian like a master  and i'll see you in the next video you

Channel: Brand Master Academy

Views: 79,879

Keywords: color psychology, color psychology in marketing, marketing color psychology, color psychology in design, color schemes, color palettes, color nuances, color harmonies, color meanings, psychology of color, color in marketing, how to choose colors, how to pick the right brand colors, psychology of color in marketing, Brand strategy, Brand design, Graphic design, Branding, Marketing, Stephen houraghan, Learn brand strategy, Brand master secrets, Brand master academy

Id: -4L50dvXvLg

Length: 27min 11sec (1631 seconds)

Published: Tue Jun 21 2022