You have one task for the day written on your list labelled “Pick a brand colour.” Seems easy enough and you can spend the rest of the day with your feet up on your desk binge-watching the newest trending show. Well, it’s not quite that simple. There are so many little things to think about when deciding what colours will represent your brand. They’re the staple of your brand and will be used throughout all your visual elements from social media posts to your website, your business cards, and flyers. The colours will also be one of the first things your customer notices about your company.
How many big box stores can you think of that have an iconic colour? If we asked “What fast food restaurant uses the colour red?”, you could probably name a couple that comes to mind instantly. Or “What big box store in Canada has the blue logo with yellow in it?”. For chain stores, it’s the colour that we are searching for when driving through an unfamiliar town on a road trip. The same thing happens when you’re scrolling through social media and see a brand’s aesthetic or colour scheme that you instantly recognize without reading their profile name. Their marketing department has to think long and hard to strategically find a good colour palette that represents their brand. There are millions of different shades out there and it can be overwhelming deciding which colour to choose for your brand. That’s why we have put together this quick guide to brand colours so you can make an educated choice, deciding on a colour palette that is rooted in something more than “I like it”.
Why it’s important to choose the right brand colours
Studies show that colour increases brand recognition by up to 80%. 92.6% of customers say sight is their most important physical factor when purchasing products. 90% of customers say the colour can assist in attracting them to a new product or service. And, within 90 seconds of viewing a company’s product or service, 62% – 90% make a subconscious judgment based on the colour alone.
Those are high numbers just for the colour representing a brand. But, it shows the importance of strategically picking your colour scheme and sticking to it for recognition. Colours engage and increase consumer interest and can impact sensory input without the customer even realizing it. Colours trigger emotions and feelings which assist in forming an initial impression about the brand that influences a customer as to whether or not they want to engage with your product, service or company as a whole.
What colours are best for your brand?
It’s important to explore various colour meanings so you can create a voice behind your brand colour. We all know blue can represent sadness, yellow can represent happiness, and red can represent anger. But psychology shows that there is a deeper meaning behind these colours. Just because Facebook’s logo is blue, doesn’t mean it represents sadness. Blue can also represent calmness, credibility, medical, professional, trustworthiness, reliability, etc. But, why is Facebook the colour blue you may ask? Well, it would be nice to have a long, cool answer to solve all your brand identity questions, but the reason is that the creator of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, is red-green colourblind. This means that blue is the colour Mark can see the best. Which is also not likely what you expected either.
Although Facebook succeeded without thinking deeper into the colour choice of its brand, as a new business or a business that wants to rebrand, choosing a colour is still important strategically. Your brand may not have the same success story as Facebook’s weaving tale, so picking a brand colour is key to increasing your customer’s interest.
So, how do you choose the right colours for your brand? Identify what your brand represents so you can align with relevant colours. Think about your target audience, your brand goals, and your brand voice. Whether you are a real estate agent, a lawyer, a dog groomer, or a plumber, you want to think about these three things to determine what colour is best for your brand. Is your target audience young, urban, elegant, established? Are you trying to attract new customers or refresh your brand’s image? Is your brand voice fun? Sophisticated? Serious?
A bright hot pink might not be the best option if you are a hunting shop that has a target audience of males aged 30 to 50. If you’re a real estate agent, a dark, nauseous orange may not be the best choice to attract home buyers. Your choice of colours impacts your customer’s first impression of the personality of your brand. If they get strange vibes from the colour alone, they will probably go to the next company that catches their eye instead.
Look at competitor’s colours to help choose your brand colour palette
There are so many different colour shades available. Are you searching for a similar brand’s colour palette for inspiration? If you want to differentiate yourself from your competition try looking at the opposite end of the colour spectrum. “BrandColors” has the biggest collection of official brand colour codes around. Pop on over to their website to take a look at just how many colour combinations are out there. It’s endless.
Where you should be using your brand colours?
Adapt your brand colours into every marketing piece you make. The logo is the most important starting point because that is one of the first things the consumer sees. Incorporate your brand’s colour palette when designing your website, product packaging, email newsletters, staff uniforms, promotional event materials, and in-store displays.
Most importantly, be consistent. When editing your own graphics, or working with a graphic designer, you want to get the exact colour composition so your brand’s colours are consistent throughout your marketing materials. If you keep changing your brand’s colour over and over again with each new advertising and promotional campaign, it won’t establish your company’s message. If your colours are always hilter-skilter, one might assume the way you operate your business is too. We are often distracted when scrolling through social media or reading a magazine. Knowing a company’s colour identity may be the first thing to capture the consumer’s eye.
Are you ready to choose your brand colour?
Choosing a brand colour can seem like an easy task but it requires a lot of strategic thinking. And once you’ve made the decision, all of your marketing will be based on its result. Starting to feel a bit nervous about your choice? Maybe it’s time to call in the experts.
At 3SIXTY Marketing Solutions, we have a strategic eye for design and branding plus we can help you come up with a plan to determine your brand colours, what your brand stands for, and how to build those colours into all of your marketing campaign elements seamlessly. From creating a logo, branding kit, and vision board, to executing marketing initiatives, building your website, and designing your pitch deck, we’re happy to help. Give us a call, shoot us an email or book a consultation through our website and let’s bring the vision of your brand to life.
