Color Your Brand Story – How Psychology Shapes Brand Success

Color Your Brand Story – How Psychology Shapes Brand Success

During the peak of Covid crisis in 2021, the Gujarat Chapter of Indian Medical Association suggested that the people should wear N-95 masks to minimize the chances of contracting the of coronavirus, I started browsing Amazon to buy one.

There were quite a few brands all unknown names but spontaneously decided to purchase Brand BoldFit, a name I had never heard before. In fact, leaving aside 3M, none of the other brands were familiar.

But what made me purchase BoldFit was the color of the packing – a bold vibrant yellow color. It is the color psychology which influenced my purchasing decision.

Color psychology in branding is much more than a mere explanation of what each color stands for.

Color can affect the brain’s limbic system, the seat of emotion sensors. Color psychologists say that colors can call attention, inspire emotions, give assurance, or tap into nostalgia.

Carl Jung the most prominent color psychologist goes to the extent of saying that “colors are the mother tongue of the subconscious”.

It is true that specific colors can influence the choices of consumers, like the vibrant yellow color of BoldFit helped me make a snap buying decision.

Why Colors on PC Screen Look Different from the Printed Material

You may be wondering why very often the shades of colors you see on the computer screen and later in actual print differ. When it comes to our pharma industry, our designers, and visualizers bank on two color models, CMYK and RGB.

The color model for printed material is called CMYK – i.e., Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Key (or black). The CMYK color model visualizes how colors appear when mixed. These include the inks used for printing any type of marketing material, like flyers, brochures, merchandising, T-shirts, magazines, or our eternal visual aids.

The color model for digital material is called RGB. When the colored lights overlap in different intensities, they form all the other colors. This is the color space that designers use for all digital design, including websites, landing pages, social media visuals and more.

When designers create content for print, they will switch to the CMYK color space. When working on digital content, they use RGB. When the same content is used for both, designers start with RGB and then switch to CMYK before sending the files to the printers. Sometimes, color adjustments need to be made to ensure consistency across all mediums. (1) ?A good designer will predict the how the actual colors will look like to the brand manager and show you. That’s the difference between a brilliant designer and a good one.

The CMYK color model?was introduced?in the early 20th century by the Eagle Printing Ink Company. After research on different pigments, they concluded that the best three colors to achieve the largest number of colors were cyan, magenta, and yellow. (1)

The RGB color model is sometimes confusing because the main colors are red, green and blue, instead of red, yellow and blue. This is because the RGB model is made of colored light. When red and green lights shine together, they make yellow light. That is why yellow cannot be one of the primary colors in the RGB model. (1)

The RGB color model was incorporated into color television screens. If you’re old enough, you probably remember that when you looked at the TV screen closely, you could see red, green and blue rectangles. (1)

?Color Psychology

Since ancient times, people have believed that color has profound effects on the mind and body.?"Our relationship with color has evolved alongside our cultures, religions, and lives,” says color therapy expert?Walaa Al Muhaiteeb.

Come Vijayadashami and the nine days and nights of Navratri, preceding it! During the?nine days of Navratri, it is a tradition to wear different colours associated with each day of the festival. These colours have symbolic significance and are believed to represent the various manifestations and attributes of the Goddess. While outwardly it may take you to a festive mood, it is believed that these specific colours have deeper significance, symbolic as well as spiritual and mystical. Indian mythology says the festival and its ‘Navrang’ (nine colors) help you awaken your chakras so that you get the courage, knowledge, and boosts positive psychology which helps you to prosper and shine. So also, Holi is another festival of colors.

Color was also used to treat ailments in Ayurveda. Colours can help harmonize emotions, promoting peace of mind. You can use Ayurvedic color therapy and free form addiction of tobacco, liquor, and other narcotic drugs. Ayurvedic colour therapy keeps the proper balance and regulates the human body. Colour has been known to have some of the most powerful effects on your mind and body. (2) ?

Having said this, lets see the connection between colors and brands. See the marketing war between Coca-Cola (Red) and Pepsi (Blue) during the World Cup Cricket, 2023. ?In 1996 World Cup, Coca-Cola was the official sponsor. Pepsi responded with ‘Nothing Official About It' campaign. Pepsi stole the thunder entirely from official sponsor Coca-Cola. It went on to be one of the most disruptive moves in ambush marketing history in the country. An encore in 2023! Coca-Cola is the official sponsor while the Pepsi Sting is the new 'Unofficial Sponsor of Blue Energy' campaign.

In this battle, red is the color of Coca-Cola while blue is of Pepsi, distinct from red.

Choosing the perfect brand colors for your brand is as important as creating a logo, a mnemonic, or the font.?All these together make up the face of your brand.

Having said that, do colors influence the emotions of people and therefore become a very important branding exercise? The answer is YES.

Red

Take for example the color red. Why do the guards of a train use a red flag to stop a train? Why do you stop when you see a red light at the crossing? Because red is the most visible color. And this most visible color is used to signal of impending danger ahead.

Across cultures, people intuitively associate red with?the concept of danger. This relationship makes sense given that many people get red in the face from increased blood flow when they're angry. (3)

However, red is also a color of passion, energy, and excitement. (4) And that’s perhaps the reason it is associated with Eveready Batteries which is a source of energy.

Green

Take another color, green. Immediately after monsoon when you see green around. Green shows abundance. Green also is?associated with refreshment and peace, rest, and security. So, when the guard of the train shows the green flag, it tells the engine driver that it is safe, and the train can go ahead. So also, at traffic signals.

Incidentally, green is not a primary color. Green is a mixture of the two primary colors blue and yellow.

Why has Starbucks used green? It’s a relaxing color. The green color palate of Starbucks stands for freshness, uniqueness, and prosperity. Not only does Starbucks use green in its logo, it also uses the same color predominantly in its stores to promote relaxation.

Why do hospital nurses wear a green uniform? Many doctors even use green in their offices to put patients at ease. Green encourages a balance in your brain that leads to decisiveness. However, green may also be perceived negatively when associated with materialism, envy, and possessiveness. (4) However, green may also be perceived negatively when associated with materialism, envy, and possessiveness. (4)

Blue

Have you noticed why many executives and leaders wear shirts of a blue hue? Because blue is often viewed as a non-threatening color.?And who would like to have an aggressive or a threatening leader? Blue is a sign of stability and reliability. Businesses that want to project an image of security often use blue in their advertising and marketing efforts.

When used in offices, blue may foster a more creative environment. In retail spaces, blue has been shown to increase sales. In restaurants, blue is used to encourage leisurely dining and create a relaxed, sophisticated atmosphere. Blue may also relax patients, particularly children, in a hospital setting. (6)

Blue is the color of the sky and the deep waters of the ocean. It is associated with depth and stability. Blue is symbolic of trust, confidence, and intelligence.

Yellow is the color of the skies and the oceans.

So, coming back to where we started, as to why I chose a particular brand of a N-95 mask, it was because of the bright yellow color of the pack. Yellow color stands out distinctly. Recall the ‘Yellow Pages’ of the telephone directories? The color psychology of yellow is uplifting and illuminating. Yellow is a color that offers hope, happiness, cheerfulness and fun. (6)

In the meaning of colors,?yellow inspires original thought and inquisitiveness. Yellow is a superb color to create enthusiasm in an office environment. It can awaken greater confidence and optimism among employees and staff in the?office. Yellow loves a challenge, particularly a mental challenge. Brand managers can therefore get their workstation brightened up with hues yellow. (6)

The discussions on colors can go on and on and on. However, if you want to master color psychology, study Carl Jung. Current research supports the idea that certain colors can have positive psychological effects on both your employees and padocumers (Patients and doctors as consumers).

But color alone is not the only element of the brand-building mix. My daughter, an architect says: “A nice paint color won’t make up for poor design of a structure. Painting the walls with energising and invigorating bright yellow or red colors won’t hide or distract from problems like improper lighting, poor ventilation, uncomfortable furniture, and bad acoustics.”

To create a brand loved by all, you have to attend to all the elements of brand building, importantly engaging the sales force in crafting strategies

References

1. Centre Colors (2018). The Psychology of Colour. Available on https://www.centrecolours.co.uk/the-psychology-of-colour. Accessed on 28 November 2021

2.??Ayurvedic Color Therapy Available on: ayurvediccolourtherapy.blogspot.com. ?Accessed on 25 December 2021

3. Peromaa T, Olkkonen M. (2019)?Red color facilitates the detection of facial anger - But how much.?PLoS One. 2019;14(4). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0215610\\

4. Thorndike AN, Sonnenberg L, Riis J, Barraclough S, Levy DE.?(2011)/ A 2-phase labelling and choice architecture intervention to improve healthy food and beverage choices.?Am J Public Health. 2012;102(3):527-533. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2011.300391

5. Rachel Palmateer. The Psychology of Design: The Color Blue in Marketing & Branding Available on?https://www.impactplus.com/blog/the-psychology-of-design-the-color-green. Accessed on 28 November 2020.

6. The Color Yellow. (2015) “Yellow is the color of the mind and the intellect”. Available on https://unikavaev.com/blog/color-psychology/. Accessed on 27 November 2021

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