Many of us have a favorite color or a personal preference for particular colors. But did you know color can influence people’s emotions and decision-making?
Before branding a company or creating marketing materials for your business, it is imperative to understand your target audience and colors’ influence on them. People may want specific colors in their logo, website, or product packaging because they “like” or “prefer” those colors. However, understanding the power of color must take precedence over one’s preference. With a well-thought-out color pallet, this approach can increase brand recognition and motivate an audience through their buyer’s journey.
Many factors play into how we perceive colors, such as the surrounding environment (where we live and have lived), different ethnic backgrounds, and even different childhoods (how we were raised). Culture also plays a significant role in how color influences people. This suggests that how we feel about color is learned.
How Colors Affect Emotions
For example, historically, red is known to evoke anger, excitement, and hunger. Blue gives a professional, somber, calming, or sad impression. Warm colors are energizing, but too much may cause overstimulation. Cool colors are calming and are often painted in a home for that very reason.
Red has the longest wavelength, therefore, reaching the eye first out of all the colors and causing more strain on the eye. However, cooler colors have shorter wavelengths and cause less stress on the muscles of the eye.
How Colors Influence Buying Practices
Since red reaches the eye faster, it is used in sales materials to grab attention quickly. It is known to work best with impulsive shoppers. White in western culture symbolizes purity and is often used in cleaning products, toiletries, or wedding products. Purple is considered to be high-end or fancy and may persuade customers to pay more for the product. Often, black in marketing is considered to be sophisticated, encouraging marketers to use it in high-end products or to make cheaper products appear more valuable.
So, the next time your business designs an ad, logo, website, or any other marketing materials, think about how colors can be used strategically rather than by preference or simply what will look “nice.” Think about what your audience will feel and how the colors might influence them. With this approach to color, your business will be able to help increase brand recognition and move your customers or clients better through their buyer’s journey.