Embracing the Dark Side: Adapting Digital Marketing to Dark Mode

Have you embraced the dark side? No, I don’t mean that you’ve decided to become a Sith lord. I’m talking about dark mode, the trendy and sleek display preference that oh so many of us are adopting across our various pieces of tech. It’s captivating, sometimes polarizing, and definitely a feature that more and more consumers are demanding across platforms. From operating systems and phone displays to app interfaces and websites, the popularity of dark mode is reshaping how we as marketers interact with our target audiences.

A Glimpse into Dark Mode’s Past

Dark mode was once the standard for computer displays. In the 1970’s when cathode-ray tubes (CRT) screens were introduced, a black screen was the norm due to technology’s capabilities. ?At the time CRT screens weren’t efficient enough to fully illuminate the entire display without burning out the system. The introduction of the color television changed consumer expectations. As design historian Paul Atkinson notes, "Once people at home were using color, it was fairly obvious that businesses needed to follow suit." With the advancement of backlit CRT screens, freedom of design became possible and a shift to white displays began.

The influence of paper on early computer design is undeniable. "Our expectations for viewing information," explains Bert Keely, "were essentially established by paper." Giants like Xerox and Apple played pivotal roles in shaping these design trends, popularizing skeuomorphism, which incorporated on-screen elements that mimicked real-world objects (think of the delete icon as a trash can or the save button as a floppy disk) with the belief that it would make interfaces more intuitive and familiar to consumers.

So, you may wonder, when and why did we backtrack? How did we come full circle?

Dark Mode's Resurgence

A common agreement across the internet is that dark mode made its resurgence in 2019. That year, at the Google I/O conference, one of Google's major announcements was the introduction of “Dark Theme” on Android. Shortly after, Apple announced “Dark Mode” as a new feature on iOS.

Google and Apple claimed that dark mode had some sweet advantages:

Apple said about Dark Mode that it’s a dramatic new look that helps you focus on your work, as well as a distraction-free environment that’s easy on the eyes — in every way. Google was much more pragmatic, saying Dark Theme can reduce power usage by a significant amount, improve visibility for users with low vision and those who are sensitive to bright light and make it easier for anyone to use a device in a low-light environment.

Since then, dark mode has continued to thrive. Major platforms like LinkedIn, Slack, TikTok, Twitter, and many more have joined the dark side, offering a dark mode setting option to their users. Additionally, since 2019, online searches for “dark mode” have skyrocketed, demonstrating user interest in such a feature.

The Good: Alleged Benefits

Dark mode has been said to have interesting benefits for users, including:

• A novel design that’s appealing to the masses
• Improved focus from a distraction-free environment
• Improved accessibility for users with low vision and those who are sensitive to bright light
• Battery efficiency due to OLED screens’ power requirements when displaying dark colors
• Reduced blue light exposure and limited screen glare

The Not So Good: What We Don’t Often Hear About

On the flip side, counterarguments have been brought up for most of the points listed above. For example, Purdue University researchers have found in a recent study that dark mode “might not make a big difference for power consumption with typical usage” and that true power saving benefits are only seen at 100% brightness with a potential savings of 39 to 47%. When brightness is set to 30-50% (think auto-brightness that adjusts to 30-40% while indoors), dark mode only saved 3-9% of battery power.

In addition, one critical aspect to consider is accessibility. While dark mode can enhance readability for many users, it might not be suitable for all. The Bureau of Internet Accessibility has raised concerns about how accessible dark mode really is. If implemented incorrectly, dark mode becomes a problem for certain users.

Accessibility concerns include:

• Site navigation: For those who use a keyboard to navigate websites without a mouse relying on browsers to provide keyboard focus indicators, dark mode may inhibit the ability to make those indicators visible.
• Dyslexia: For those who deal with dyslexia in their daily lives, total contrast designs may be difficult to read.
• Astigmatism: Due to the way that our irises contract and expand with light exposure, Dark mode can cause a halation effect (brightest part of an image or text appears to bleed into the dark area) for people with an astigmatism.

Interesting Statistics

When it comes to dark mode usage, data from various reports show a significant interest from respondents. Gitnux published a market data report on Dark Mode Usage Statistics and Trends in 2023 and their findings conclusively demonstrate consumer interest in the dark side.

Here’s a summary of what they gathered:

• Stack Overflow’s 2020 survey reported that 91.8% of software developers have a preference for dark mode
• A study conducted by JetBrains indicated that about 39.6% of users enabled dark mode within 24 hours of the macOS Mojave launch
• Reddit’s admin team stated that close to 83% of Reddit users have enabled dark mode
• On average, smartphone users utilize dark mode for 6.39 hours per day
• In a small survey by Narola Infotech, 95% of respondents indicated a preference for dark mode
• In a Flurry Analytics study, 82.7% respondents indicated that they switch their phones to dark mode after 10PM

How is Marketing Affected by Dark Mode?

A switch from light to dark undoubtedly affects corporate branding, email marketing, social media marketing, display ads, and many other parts of digital marketing efforts. Even email signatures require adapting!

Consider the visual identity of a brand. The way corporate colors, logos, and preferred image designs are displayed in a dark setting are drastically affected. If visuals and corporate colors are predominantly dark, will they stand out in dark mode or will they blend into the background due to a lack of contrast? What about a primarily black logo? The latter will no longer be visible in email campaigns.

How Can We Adapt to It?

The way we craft our content, the designs we implement, and even the way we use our logos and corporate colors require adaptation. As marketers, we’re accustomed to testing our work in different mediums, different screen types, and so on. Adapting to dark mode is no different.

Here are some considerations that can help when crafting campaigns:

• For email campaigns, determine the type of color inversion that a target audience’s email client applies when in dark mode: Email clients offer either no inversion (no change to the email), partial inversion (only light backgrounds and dark text are inverted), or full inversion (inverts light backgrounds, dark backgrounds with light text, and dark text).
• For emails and websites, evaluate the benefits of custom CSS that detects dark mode (this can get complicated).
• Swap colors if corporate branding includes dark and light options.
• Avoid saturated colors: The latter may look lovely on light backgrounds, but in dark mode they’re harder to see and read due to a lack of contrast.
• Consider that maximum contrast is not always better: The contrast between a black background and white text can be difficult to look at. Going for a darker white is a good way to create balance. Additionally, Light text on a dark background tends to look bolder than the reverse. Testing with a lighter font weight may be appealing.
• For dark logos possible solutions include using an inverted logo when available, adding an outline or a glow around the logo, or adding a light background to the logo with sufficient white space, ensuring it looks intentional.
• For images and icons possible solutions include using transparent backgrounds or adding a background with sufficient white space, ensuring it looks intentional.
• Most importantly, test emails, ads, posts, etc. in light and dark mode.

These considerations are guidelines to help marketers prepare for dark mode. They may not all be applicable for every situation, but are definitely handy to have.

Check out the lists below to see how your business may be affected by dark mode settings!

Social Media Platforms and Email Clients

Below is a compilation of email clients and social media platforms that offer dark mode to users. Additionally, Google Chrome, Edge, Safari, Firefox, and many more browsers offer dark mode.

A few email clients that support dark mode:

Mobile apps:

• Gmail app (Android and iOS)
• Outlook app (Android)
• iPhone Mail and iPad Mail

Desktop apps:

• Outlook 2021 (Windows and Mac OS)
• Office365 (Windows and Mac OS)
• Windows Mail
• Apple Mail

Web clients:

• Outlook.com

A few popular social media platforms that support dark mode:

• Facebook (Android, iOS, and web)
• Instagram (Android, iOS, and web)
• LinkedIn (Android, iOS, and web)
• Messenger (Android, iOS, and web)
• Pinterest (mobile only)
• Reddit (Android, iOS, and web)
• Slack (Android, iOS, and web)
• Snapchat (Android, iOS, and web)
• TikTok (iOS and web)
• WhatsApp (Android, iOS, and web)
• X, formerly Twitter (Android, iOS, and web)
• YouTube (Android, iOS, and web)

Final Thoughts

Since its re-popularization, dark mode is still going strong. Knowing the numbers, adapting to it is worthwhile for digital marketers. Using the information listed in this article, we can evaluate our digital marketing strategies and tactics to ensure we’re not alienating dark mode users. Neglecting this display preference could negatively affect the customer's experience and engagement. Researching target audiences, understanding their display preferences, and testing will go a long way when embracing the dark side.

I want to hear from you!

What are your thoughts on dark mode? Is it here to stay?

How will it continue to evolve our marketing strategies?

Do you have plans for world domination?

Let me know in the comments below. ??