top of page
Search
  • Writer's pictureDigital Polo

Outsmart Your Peers on Color Psychology in Marketing

Updated: May 16, 2019

The psychology of color in marketing and branding has been explored by marketers for decades. The reason why marketers are interested in color psychology is that colors can have a positive or negative impact on the customers. However, we all perceive color in a different way. While some colors are preferred by teenage girls, the same colors may not be liked by ladies in their 30s.

But the good news is that we all, I repeat, ALL OF US are influenced by colors, irrespective of our age, gender, occupation, etc. Warm colors such as red, orange, etc. are known to arouse a feeling of comfort and warmth. On the contrary, cool colors such as blue, green, and purple are known to evoke sorrow or indifference.

However, it does not mean that you cannot use cool colors when applying color psychology in marketing. Each color has different meanings to depict. Your aim is to create the perfect balance of colors so that you can engage and entice your customers. But I have a request before starting. Please do not manipulate your customers’ buying experience by using color psychology. Your aim is not to provoke them to buy what they do not need. Rather, use colors intelligently so that both you and your customers are happy and satisfied.

Another thing that I would like to mention is that there is no color-bible to follow. There is no ‘right color’ or ‘wrong color’. You have to go through trial and error to make sure that you know what your audience likes.


Did you know that 85% of the buyers decide whether to buy a product or not depending on the color? It is even more amazing to know that a brand gets 80% improved recognition because of the colors it uses. Remember the logo of Coca Cola.



As much as you remember the logo for its font style, you also associate with the colors white and red used in the logo. The company has changed its logo multiple times over the years. But one thing that remains consistent since 1950 is the colors that are used in the logo.



Hence, you can understand how a specific brand uses colors. There are many brands that change the color of their logos for better branding of the company.

The logo is a perfect example of using cool colors effectively. Even though the color blue is often associated with depression and sorrow, the bright blue used in the logo of ClassPass actually gives a very vibrant effect.

Colors can impact the buying decision of the customers. Red is used by many brands even in their stores. Yellow is also a color that is often used in restaurants or fast food joints. What do you see when you visit the nearby KFC Store? Or when you order a takeaway from McDonald’s?





Red and yellow are no doubt the prevalent colors used in these stores. And why is it so? According to psychologists, red stimulates hunger in us and yellow triggers a happy feeling. And that is why many fast food services and restaurants use these two colors for their interior and exterior. The hungrier you are, the more you will order and the happier you are, the more you will eat. It’s that simple, really.


Different demographic? Choose different colors:

Are you marketing to a diverse demographic? Does your target audience comprise of both male and female? If yes, you need to use color psychology in marketing wisely. As per a study by Joe Hallock, the favorite colors vary between males and females. The color blue is liked more by males than females. Purple does not even stand a chance to win the male hearts.




When it comes to tints and shades, it is seen that females like tints of colors while males prefer pure colors or shades of colors.

So, when you are choosing colors for either your brand or your store, you must keep these pieces of information in mind. The colors you use to represent your brand will create the first impression of your business among your prospects and customers. I must warn you that using color psychology for a diverse demographic can be challenging. But if you are able to mix and match the colors the right way, you are going to nail it. You will definitely see a difference in the ROI of your business.


How to use the colors to coax the customers?

Michael Campbell wrote in his book “Color Persuasion: The Science of using Colors to Persuade and Influence Purchasing Decisions” that the background color used by a brand can stir the human emotions intensely. According to Campbell, the white background does not serve the purpose always. Sometimes using accent colors can make a huge difference.


If you end up using colors that do not gel well, you may repel your prospects. On the contrary, using the colors that go well with each other and complement each other will make your prospects react in a positive way.



Assume that you are designing your website. The subtle use of colors can ensure that your customers or prospects spend time on your website. However, the fun part is that they won't even realize that their decisions are based on the colors used by you. There is also a negative side to everything. In this case, you will not be able to get feedback based on which you will be able to understand whether your color scheme is working or not.



What do you see in the image above? It is a website that uses a subtle color background with high-quality colored images of products that it sells. On the contrary, imagine opening a Wikipedia page. Which one would grab your attention? I'm sure if you do not have any question to ask, Wikipedia will not be the website that you browse through in your leisure.


Even though I said previously that colors are perceived differently by each of us, I also mentioned that colors do influence our decisions. There are some colors that have more or less similar effects on all of us.


Using the color palette in the right way:

Warm colors such as orange, yellow, red, etc. portray excitement, friendliness, creativity, etc. When you use these colors moderately, they can communicate very well with your target audience. While red gives a powerful effect, orange and yellow colors can be used to give your brand a lively and confident appearance. Green, when used sensibly, can be associated with growth and prosperity. Green is especially good for those who are either in the health industry or in the finance industry.




On the contrary to popular belief that cool colors represent emotionlessness and depression, many companies have been successfully utilizing the cool colors for marketing. Blue is known to give your customers a relaxing effect while purple is mostly linked with royalty. Pink reflects femininity, youth, and passion.



Even the colors black and white that you may have imagined the worst color for marketing can be used in branding. There are many companies that choose a black logo to reflect sophistication and power. The companies that want to showcase purity and flawlessness have used white color for their logos.



Is your homepage color coordinated?

It is important for you to color coordinate your homepage. I know I already mentioned that your website should have colors that entice your customers and prospects. However, now, I want you to focus on color coordination for the application of color psychology for marketing. It is the way you use colors to drive your customers to a specific place. And what is the specific place?

Take a look at the image below. The background has a subtle image of a person and the shade of blue used creates a calming effect. The bold fonts that are written in white engage the attention perfectly. There is a small catch when it comes to the call-to-action buttons.



You may think that the green text is clickable. But it is not. Rather it drives you straight to the CTA button which is bright green in color. Smart use of color is what I see here.



Here is another example. The background of the homepage is simple white in color. A tint if blue is used to highlight what the company wants you to know specifically. And the CTA button is colored in bright yellowish orange to ensure that you do not miss it when you visit the page.



This is the call-to-action button on my homepage and I can tell you that it is working. As I told you before that there is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ while choosing colors for your website or logo or business overall. My aim here was to place the CTA button in such a way that people can't help but notice it. And the reason I used red? Well, I have mentioned the importance of the color before.


Do you know the F-shaped pattern of reading?

Do you know how your readers scan your homepage when they land on your website? They use the F-pattern.



The image you see above is the F-pattern heat-map. This is the way your viewers will also scan the pages. Now, if you know the specific way your prospects will scan your page, it will become much easier for you to place the colors accordingly.


Check out the image below:


Apparently, the page just looks colorful, isn’t it? I must admit that it has used the colors in a very creative way. However, if you take a closer look, you will see that the usage of the colors is concentrated mostly on the uppermost part of the page. Imagine it to be the upper hand of F. The middle portion of the page has just two colors (black and pink) while playing with the fonts. It would be the smaller hand of F. The lower portion of the page contains only the necessary information that the viewer will read only if he/she goes through the whole page.

You may ask why the necessary is information kept in the lower part while the upper portion does not contain basically any useful information. It is because the idea here is to grab the attention when someone lands on the page. Once the reader sticks to the page for long enough, chances are that the person is interested in going through the information shared in the lower portion.


Conclusion:

I have mentioned throughout the article that there is a fixed rule when you are trying to use color psychology for marketing. You have to try and test which colors work for you and which does not. Keep in mind that like any other marketing technique, color psychology should also increase your conversion rate. Color psychology is an ongoing process. You have to keep on researching and updating your tactics to make sure that it keeps working as you want it to. Do not forget to measure the rate of growth to understand whether your approach is right or wrong. Last but not least, use the colors wisely. Do not use a color just because it is known to depict sincerity if the color does not go with your brand. I hope that you will find this article helpful. Best of luck.

43 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

5 Blunders to Avoid While Hiring a Graphic Designer.

No matter what the size of your business is, like every business, you also need visual materials. Visual materials include your website, logo, brochure, business cards, etc. So, when you need a consta

How does Graphic Designing help in Digital Marketing?

The world of marketing is changing rapidly. With the advent of digitalization, marketing approach has also changed rapidly. Digital marketing is not just a buzzword. Every SME is embracing digitalizat

bottom of page