How Colour Affects Brand Perception

Visual communication has always been powerful when marketing and colour is the key.

That’s right. Colour plays a big role in marketing. In fact, brand recognition is increased by 80% when companies use a distinctive colour that clearly communicates their brand.?

But why is colour so important in branding?

Because colour makes people feel emotions.

Call it magic, but colour evokes feelings. Brands that can create a unique or familiar feeling can become more real and relatable - more human.

Drawing in emotion is a key component of marketing that works. Emotional marketing assists brands in engaging with their customers. It allows customers to recognise, remember and share a brand’s message.?

That’s why choosing the right colour can help a brand express itself in the best light. But what emotions to the colours of the rainbow represent, you ask??

Let’s take a look at some brand colour psychology:?

1. Red represents strong emotions. When it comes to marketing, red is actually known to increase your heart rate, raise blood pressure and increase appetite. This makes sense when you consider all the restaurants and food brands that use red such as Mcdonald's, Coca-cola and Pizza Hut, to name a few.?
2. Orange brings about lighter emotions and has more of a positive vibe. Due to orange being a warm colour, it’s likely to make people feel optimistic, joyful and happy. The comfort of the colour is why brands within the arts, entertainment, food and transportation industries use it.?
3. Yellow is a very happy colour that draws attention quickly.? The brightness of the colour is used in branding to bring a sense of awakeness and awareness paired with relaxation. If I asked you to think about a brand that uses the colour yellow, there would be too many to mention, but I’m sure big brands like Snap for Business ,? Nikon , and 壳牌 come to mind, don’t they??
4. Green is a natural colour that most people resonate with. It’s associated with feelings of completion, growth and health. These feelings ultimately make people feel balanced, relaxed and revitalised. It’s why you’ll find that brands like Spotify , WhatsApp and Sprite have chosen this colour.?
5. Blue is a colour that brings about trust and relaxation. For this reason, blue is the most popular colour used by brands across the world. Other feelings associated with this colour are confidence and security, which is why most security, finance, health care and accounting brands use this colour!?
6. Purple has a more luxurious yet mysterious feel. As you can guess, it's usually linked to luxury brands due to its common association with royalty. Purple also has a magical feeling, which can bring a mysterious element to any brand.?
7. Black is also closely linked to luxury and mystery. Plus,? it’s the most common colour brands use due to its classic feel.?But more importantly, black can make a brand stand out easily due to it’s contrast against all colours.?
8. White is a colour that brings about feelings of peace, innocence, and health. The colour white also has a clean feel, which is why most healthcare, cleaning and children-related brands. It’s a simple colour that communicates much more, such as purity, nobility and safety. As the saying goes, ‘simple, yet effective.?

The psychology of colour can be quite complex, but the key to forming a brand perception.

Every single colour holds a different meaning for everyone due to preference and experience. But generally speaking, the colours we mentioned are used to communicate feelings. And feelings help people connect with brands.?