How To Choose The Right Color For Your Brand

Color evokes emotion, expresses personality and creates associations in people’s minds. It triggers memories, experiences and affects how we feel. When creating a brand identity it’s important to think about color and how it will affect the overall experience of your brand. A strong brand identity is much more than a logo. It is several visual elements that work together to form a distinctive and cohesive whole. This includes well-crafted typography selections, a memorable logo, various graphic elements that have the flexibility to span across all types of communications, and a complementary color palette to tie it all together.

If we analyze brand identity from the perspective of visual perception, the brain sees shape first (Logo), COLOUR second, and content (Company Name) last. This means that when a person sees your brand in the world whether it be on the street or in a magazine, it’s the color that creates the emotional response in a person before the name of the business itself. Pretty important then isn't it!"

Choosing a color for a new identity requires a core understanding of color theory and a clear vision of how the brand needs to be perceived and differentiated. While some colors are used to unify an identity other colors may be used functionally to clarify brand architecture, through differentiating products or business lines. Traditionally, the primary color is assigned to the symbol, and the secondary color is assigned to the logotype, descriptor or tagline." 1.When putting together a family of colors for a brand, a palette of complementary and contrasting colors are used to ensure that a good range of diversity in communications is possible and also that the integrity of the identity is kept intact as it is put to work in the market.

So, how do you choose the right one? We will start with some color theory and by answering a few questions.

• What does the color need to convey in an emotional sense?

• What does it represent to your audience?

• How does it differentiate you in the marketplace and in contrast to your competition?

• Is it in alignment with your core business values?

To answer our first two questions we will apply some basic color symbolism to the exercise:

Red: Red shows energy, strength, love, passion, romance, warmth, excitement, blood, desire, enthusiasm, danger, joyfulness, speed, courage, prominence, intensity etc. For businesses, red can be used for portraying passion, excitement, and attention. Red can bring enthusiasm to your brand.

Blue: Blue portrays creativity, wisdom, gentleness, calmness, trust, loyalty, intelligence, devotion, confidence, comfort, ideas, harmony, friendship, patience etc. A business can use blue to represent loyalty, confidence, and trustworthiness. Most businesses use blue to build customer loyalty and brand reliability.

Green: Green typifies success, fertility, growth, endurance, freshness, nature, immortality, environment, good luck, youthfulness, safety, contemplation, joyfulness, hope, dependability, friendliness, etc. Companies often use green for food and health products. Green can represent healthiness, plentifulness, and dedication.

Purple: Purple depicts spiritual power, knowledge, dignity, influence, royalty, mystery, enlightenment, extravagance, sophistication, cruelty, arrogance, empathy, imagination, déjà vu, fame, sensuality, luxury, elegance, majesty, etc. Purple is generally used for premium service businesses. Purple represents businesses as wise, celebrated, and sovereigns.

Yellow: Yellow represents brightness, light, intelligence, imagination, social energy, respect, shine, happiness, optimism, purity, honor, perception, understanding, dishonesty, wisdom, betrayal, curiosity, mellowness, confidence, jealousy, mellowness, summer, philosophy, glory, etc. For businesses yellow is a color of happiness, warmth, and awareness. Companies use yellow to bestow a feeling of relaxation.

Orange: Orange symbolizes enthusiasm, vibrancy, vitality, balance, justice, flamboyance, attention, attraction, endurance, steadfastness, fascination, heat, determination, autumn, creativity, encouragement, social structure, uninhibited, fun, kids, youth. Vivacity, potency and playfulness can be portrayed through orange. You can use orange if you want to display youthfulness and liveliness to your customers.

White: White exhibits peace, purity, spirituality, innocence, simplicity, precision, cleanliness, winter, snow, sterility, fairness, safety, innovations, holiness, femininity, positivity, etc. White can be seen in medical and health services or hygiene/spa products. Purity, cleanliness, and youthfulness can be pictured through white.

Black: Black means power, formality, classy, protection, sophistication, wealth, elegance, fear, depth, sadness, compunction, empowerment, bad luck, authority, reliability, prestige, seriousness, binding etc. Most corporate and high-end branding is done through black. Black gives the feeling of credibility, elegance, power, and strength.

While this list gives us some basic ideas and associations for choosing color the process is not so formulaic. Sometimes to stand out in the marketplace you need to combine association with the element of surprise.

For example, Alice Chocolates, who utilizes a pure white background, contrasting black as its primary color and pink as its secondary color. Pink and white may not immediately bring to mind the sweet and savory delight that is chocolate but it definitely speaks to its intended audience: Women. The adorable logo and name are in perfect alignment with these colors. As a whole, the brand identity uses color effectively and also gives us the perfect example for differentiation. How does it differentiate you in the marketplace and in contrast to your competition? The colors is this example set Alice Chocolates a part in the marketplace by speaking directly to their target market in a unique and original way. This is not meant to be chocolate for everyone. This is chocolate for young women and emulates the timeless tradition of chocolate making. It is special and will be treasured as a result, as is its intention.Is the color of choice in alignment with your core business values? Does it convey the feeling that you want your customers to feel when they think of you and what have you offer? Does it give them the confidence in you it should? Or does it put them at ease and make them feel at home?Whatever your intention the color needs to be in alignment. By brainstorming and getting clear on your goals and target audience you can find the perfect color for your brand.

1) Alina Wheeler, Designing Brand Identity, An Essential Guide For The Whole Branding Team, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2009.

2) Meaning Of Colors In Designing, www.logoinn.net, 2009.