So you started a business, what’s the next step? A logo right? Ok, what colour should you go for… your favourite? Yep. That will do, jobs done. Let’s just wait for those customers to roll on in!
And then… nothing. Those darn crickets!? Where did you go wrong?
Using colour within your business needs to have more thought behind it than two seconds of consideration, because of the power colour can have on the emotions within us all. Colour can change our moods before we even realise it, it is a proven influential factor in our buying behaviours and a strong motivator in our choice of products and even opinions of businesses and people.
Don’t believe me?
Consider red, where do we see red the most; retail sales, hospitals, fast food chains. Why? Because red has the sense of urgency to it, we are drawn to red as we have come to know it as a ‘warning' colour, it evokes impulsiveness within us. So why would a brand like Coca Cola use it within their brand, there’s no danger, no emergency, no warning? Or maybe this was strategic to create a sense of urgency within their customers? You see that familiar logo and suddenly you NEED a diet coke, right now! And if you are as addicted to diet coke as I am, I bet this is making a lot of sense.
Red also evokes a sense of thirst within us too, but did you know that yellow and red together have been know to make you feel hungry? Kind of makes you think McDonalds did some research into their brand colours…
Why is green used so much within healthcare? Because of its calming qualities on our emotions. Because we associate green with health and growth, such as within nature.
We associate black with power, elegance and superiority. When you think of the big designer labels such as Gucci or Chanel, what colour are their logos? Solid black, or gold, which evokes the same responses.
It’s almost like all these big, profitable companies did their research and put some thought into their brand identities…. And who were they considering when doing their research… themselves? Or the people there were trying to attract....?
Rather than considering your personal choices when choosing the right colours for your business, instead ask yourself these three questions first:
Who am I trying to attract?
What do I want them to feel when they see my brand?
What am I saying about my business?
Remember the purpose of your business is to sell your products or services, as much as you want to help, or just have a creative outlet, at the end of the day we all want to earn a wage too. There is such a thing as ‘silent service’ - all the little things you can do to ensure a smooth experience for your customers, that can be influential in their buying decisions without saying a word. The simple use of the right colours within your business could potentially do a lot for your sales, with minimal effort from you:
Colour increases brand recognition by 80%.
93% of consumers place visual appearance above other factors when shopping.
85% of consumers place colour as the primary reason for their purchase.
94% of first impressions are related to design.
I encourage you to read those stats again. Still feeling confident about the brand colours you chose?
All elements of your branding should be chosen carefully, and with purpose. A good colour palette is a great place to start, as colour can be an incredible tool to utilise within your brand strategy as a whole.
If you are looking for more guidance on how to nail your colour palette, including which colours to choose based on colour psychology, how many and how to set tone within your palette then I have just the thing! My free ‘Perfect Palette Guide’ is available to download now on my home page of www.magicfeatherdesigns.com.
Happy colour creating!
