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The Branding Rainbow- Color Psychology Can Affect Your Branding

February 13, 2023

Whether you’re a technology brand trying to connect with college students or a financial service trying to connect with savvy investors, you can study color meanings to help you better attract and connect to your target market. Brand color psychology is about more than just associating a brand with its signature color, it’s about the feelings and emotions these colors inspire in us.

Color psychology is the systematic study of colors and their effects on human behavior. This information can be used to improve marketing campaigns, product packaging, and even our everyday interactions.

When it comes to branding, you have to be strategic with what colors you choose to portray your message. 

The first big step is to think about what you want your brand’s message to be, then choose the right color to pair with it. To help you convey the right color message to your customers, here’s a list of color meanings that can help you portray your brand the way you want to, and the way you want your target audience to see you.

Color Psychology in Branding Breakdowns

Red Popular brands with red logos. Coca Cola, Netflix, Marvel, Nintendo

If you want to brand yourself as influential, exciting, and not to be messed with, red should be your go-to color. In a comprehensive study, doctors found that red will elevate your blood pressure, enhance your metabolism, and increase your heart rate. By using the color red in your branding, you can spruce up your visuals and communicate that this is a call to action.

Orange

Popular brands with orange logos; Nickelodeon, Fanta, HomeDepot, Dunkin, Reeses

What do all of these brands have in common? They’re all associated with a fun and energetic aesthetic that appeals to a broad audience. Orange offers a happy medium between red and yellow, with yellow being warmth, and red being power. The in-between of both colors, orange, can encourage impulsivity, ultimately leading consumers to branch out of their comfort zones and try something new

Yellow

Brands with Yellow Logos: Schnappes, SnapChat, McDonalds, Post-it

Yellow is associated with smiley faces and sunshine, and all of the above brands are an extension of those feelings. Including yellow in your branding can help consumers associate that feeling of warmth and sunshine with your product or service. Aesthetically, yellow can also help your message stand out in a sea of information, driving action and encouraging brand recall.

Green

Popular brands with Green logos: Land Rover, Starbucks, Whole Food, Sprite

According to the American Psychological Association green is, in fact, good for you. It offers the calming effect of nature and can improve consumers’ moods. Green is the extension of wealth and money, this color will help consumers associate you with that feeling of making money.

Blue

Popular Brands with Blue Logos: Liquified Creative, American Express, Alexa, Facebook

Blue is one of the most popular colors and for a good reason. This color is often associated with feelings of calmness, harmony, and stability. Blue is also versatile not only in your branding but also in your office. Many researchers have theorized that having blue designs in your office space can help promote creativity and communication.

PurplePopular Brand with Purple Logos: Taco Bell, Roku, Crown Royal

You either love or hate the color purple, but it has always had its place in history. Purple has been used for thousands of years by the wealthiest of the wealthy, even by the royal family. As an example, Crown Royal is the most common alcohol associated with the color purple, but what really makes them stand out is the purple felt bag that comes with your purchase. The bag elevates the top-shelf liquor and ties its branding back in with the psychology of the color purple.

Concerning the Taco Bell logo evolution, the original color schemes of the branding were based on elements of the food. However, the Taco Bell logo became increasingly bold over the years, experimenting with new shades. The choice of purples, pinks, and bright yellows helped to separate the company from other fast-food restaurants.

Ultimately, purple may just put your brand a step above the rest!

When choosing a color for your brand, always consider its psychological effects. The purpose of using color psychology in branding is to capture attention and project personality without needing to say anything at all.

With the Eagles headed to the Super Bowl LVII on Sunday, Maryland-based ad agency Liquified Creative took a close look at the 2022 Eagles wordmark…
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