The Business of Color

Every once in a while it is good to walk away from writing and commenting on human capital, outplacement, and career management to talk about something that I just find interesting. Ever since my early days in marketing, I have always had a keen interest in the business of color - how certain trends take off, its psychological impact, and how important a color selection can be for the success of a brand.

I have noticed that color seems to be getting a lot of news coverage these days. This gave me the opportunity to jump in and comment.

For instance, at the end of each year, Pantone announces their prediction for what they believe will be the color of the next year. For 2017 Pantone predicted that color would be Greenery - A refreshing and revitalizing shade symbolic of new beginnings). I connected with this news since the color is actually one of the base colors in our The Frontier Group logo.

This year, Pantone announced that the 2018 color of the year will be Ultra Violet # 18-3838.

According to Pantone, Ultra Violet is:

Complex and contemplative, Ultra Violet suggests the mysteries of the cosmos, the intrigue of what lies ahead, and the discoveries beyond where we are now. The vast and limitless night sky is symbolic of what is possible and continues to inspire the desire to pursue a world beyond our own.

Nuanced and full of emotion, the depth of PANTONE 18-3838 Ultra Violet symbolizes experimentation and non-conformity, spurring individuals to imagine their unique mark on the world, and push boundaries through creative outlets.

Historically, there has been a mystical or spiritual quality attached to Ultra Violet. The color is often associated with mindfulness practices, which offer a higher ground to those seeking refuge from today’s over-stimulated world. The use of purple-toned lighting in meditation spaces and other gathering places energizes the communities that gather there and inspire connection.

This press release may generate some snickers among many of its esoteric and animated description of a color that most of us would simply call “purple”. I believe that this vastly underestimates the importance of announcements like this since it does not recognize the importance of groups like Pantone and The Color Marketing Group (more on that later) as being forecasters and trendsetters on how color impacts consumer choice.

We only have to go back to the great scene from The Devil Wears Prada where Meryl Streep as the insufferable Miranda Priestly gives Anne Hathaway a quick lesson on how color impacts the world of fashion.

The movie clip entertainingly explains how color can drive commerce. For instance, red used to be the power tie of choice. Now it seems that the preferred color is blue. Just watch any gathering of political leaders and check out what color tie they are wearing. i am not sure what was the chronology of events that lead to the emergence of the blue tie as the power tie of choice but I am sure that it dates back to some fashion trend or trendsetter who put the whole thing in motion.

Years ago I had a membership to the Color Marketing Group where I got a first-hand education how important color is to brand and product development. As this graphic shows, the Color Marketing Group (CMG) provides some insightful analysis on the direction and application of color to the marketplace (in this case fashion, furniture, and jewelry).

Here is how CMG provides some romance to their December 2017 Color Of The Month Dark Infinity.

Just shy of black, Dark Infinity embraces the design world. Its depth seemingly takes you on endless travels of discovery as it caresses the psyche and soul. Established during CMG Asia/Pacific meetings in 2015, as a 2017 emerging color, it envelops everything from fashion to automotive, home to jewelry.

This rich and luscious 90% black hue creates a tempting color voyage, made the better with tactile materials and special effects. As the name implies, its reach is infinite, taking our eyes, and perhaps our minds, on an expedition that moves ever forward. It is a hue for exploring as there is no fear in the dark, only profound wonder.

Embrace this deep hue suggestive of new things to see and discover. Conclude the year, and prepare yourself for the next, with Dark Infinity, the possibilities are limitless.

Color also has an impact on the psychology of workplace productivity. A recent blog “Why You Should Never Paint Your Walls White” by Stephanie Vozza discusses how a University of Texas study showed how room color can have an impact on office productivity.

The study provided some interesting insights:

White walls produce a sterile environment that raises people’s overall anxiety and leads to additional errors. Stephanie Vozza goes on further to quote Nancy Kwallek from the University of Texas who says this about white rooms:

 “White doesn’t help us be productive, and most work environments are white, off-white, or gray,” says Kwallek, who suggests the sterile quality isn’t conducive to work. Aqua, however, is a good choice. “There have been studies that asked worker preference about environment and color, and the majority felt they liked to work in a blue or blue-green environment,” she says.

The article also talks about how different wall colors affect people in the office:

Red For The Detail-Oriented . A powerful color, red stimulates the pulse and can raise blood pressure. A  study  by the University of British Columbia (UBC) found that red can help increase performance in employees who have detail-oriented assignments.

Blue For Creative Types . Blue is calming. It promotes communication, trust, and efficiency. It also helps people with creativity by opening the mind to new ideas. In the workplace, blue would be a good color in a room that is used for brainstorming, suggests the UBC study.

Don’t Paint Conference Rooms Yellow . The color of optimism, yellow is stimulating. Too much of it, however, can cause anxiety, and  studies  show that people are more likely to lose their temper in yellow rooms, which might make it a bad choice for conference rooms.

Green For Inspiring Innovation . Similar to blue, green is a calming color that promotes harmony and balance. It also can enhance creative performance, according to a  study  published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. Green would be a good choice in an office where innovation is a key component.

Avoid Gray To Keep Morale Up . While gray is psychologically neutral, the color also lacks energy. It is suppressive and prepares people for hibernation, according to  Colour Affects , a London-based color psychology consultant. Heavy use of gray can foster a lack of confidence and even depression. This color should be used in small amounts in an office and offset by a brighter color, such as red or yellow.

This all leads us back to the business of color and the impact that it has. While we may snicker at the romanticized description of Ultra Violet as being nuanced and full of emotion we also have to give all due respect to the dresses, shirts, blouses, ties and other accessory items that will be created based on this upcoming color trend.

As Miranda Priestly aptly said:

... you think that you made a choice that exempts you from the fashion industry when in fact you are wearing a sweater that was selected for you by the people in this room.

Patrick Lynch is the President of The Frontier Group, a human capital management consulting firm that provides outplacement, executive search, talent development, and executive coaching solutions.