How important is brand colour?

Before we dive into the level of importance of choosing the right colour for your brand, let’s take a step backwards and think about our relationship with colour from our early days.

As early as in our home, creche preschool unconsciously we start building a relationship and association with colours. 

For example your favourite colour most definitely came from a positive interaction or experience with the colour in question and the opposite also applies.

With that said when you are choosing the colours for your brand going by your favourite colour may be like shooting in the dark.

The Importance of Picking the Right Colour for Your Brand

Choosing the right colour for your brand is more than just a design decision; it’s a strategic choice that can significantly impact how your brand is perceived and how it resonates with your target audience. 

This is where colour psychology and behavioural analysis comes into play, putting it quite simply each colour has a different meaning and and each colour impacts people differently.

Colours in branding terms are very powerful, colour has the ability to evoke emotions, influence perceptions, and even drive and influence consumer behaviour. 

Colour psychology states that each colour has its own set of associations and can trigger specific responses in the person viewing the colour. 

This is why it is important to select the right colour or in branding terminology the right colour palette, which in turn will help founders create a strong and lasting brand identity.

What Does Each Colour Mean in Branding Terms

🔴The Colour Red Means: Excitement, Passion, Intensity, Excitation, Energy and Action.

The Behavioural response it produces: Increase heart rate, create a sense of urgency.

🔵The Colour Blue Means: Trust, Calmness, Wisdom, professionalism and Security.

The Behavioural response it produces: Produce a calming effect and is often associated with trust and dependability.

🟡The Colour Yellow Means: Optimism, Happiness, Creativity and Warmth.

The Behavioural response it produces: Stimulation and can capture end users attention quickly. It’s often used to evoke feelings of cheerfulness.

🟢The Colour Green Means: Growth, health, tranquillity and Nature.

The Behavioural response it produces: Green is associated with relaxation and is often used by brands that focus on health or environmental consciousness.

🟣The Colour Purple Means: Luxury, creativity, wisdom, and spirituality.

The Behavioural response it produces: Purple can stimulate problem-solving and creativity and is often associated with royalty and high quality.

🟠The Colour Orange Means: Enthusiasm, innovation, energy, and friendliness.

The Behavioural response it produces: Orange can evoke enthusiasm and creativity. It’s a stimulating colour that is less intense than red.

⚫The Colour Black Means: Sophistication, elegance, power, and authority.

The Behavioural response it produces: Black can signify control and authority but also sophistication and elegance.

⚪The Colour White Means: Simplicity, purity, cleanliness, and peace.

The Behavioural response it produces: White is often used to create a sense of space and simplicity. It’s associated with purity and minimalism.

 

Let’s break down some of this colour with some well known brands.

Now that we have covered the meaning of each colour let’s apply our knowledge to some of our well known brands.

Take Coca-Cola as an example for the colour red uses red to convey excitement and passion, aligning with its brand identity of bringing joy and refreshment.

For the colour blue let’s think about IBM and Facebook, they use blue to transmit trust and reliability, which is much sought after by tech companies.

Let’s take a moment to see how both IKEA and McDonald’s use the colour yellow in their brand.

McDonald’s uses yellow in its logo to create a sense of happiness and warmth, appealing to families and children. 

IKEA uses yellow to evoke feelings of optimism and friendliness, aligning with its mission to create a better everyday life for its customers.

How would you associate the use of green by BNP Paribas?

You just have to look at their slogan “The bank for a changing world”.

Cadbury uses purple to convey a sense of luxury and indulgence in its chocolates.

The Home Depot uses orange to convey energy and enthusiasm, reflecting it’s DIY spirit and Nickelodeon uses orange to reflect its network’s fun and playful spirit.

Chanel’s use of black in its branding exudes sophistication and luxury. The colour black is associated with elegance and timelessness, which complements Chanel’s high-end fashion offerings.

White is used by Apple to reflect its clean, minimalist design philosophy.

When Should Founders Focus on Color Strategy

Choosing your brand’s colour strategy should be one of the early steps in your branding process.

There are 3 main stages that founders should pay particular attention to in their brand strategy.

1. During Brand Development – When you’re defining your brand’s identity, mission and values choose colours that reflect these elements.
2. Before Product Launch – Ensure that your product’s packaging and branding materials align with the chosen colour strategy to create a cohesive look.
3. During Rebranding – If your company is rebranding, reassess your colour strategy to ensure it aligns with the company’s new brand direction.

One thing is certain, the right colour choice can significantly impact your brand’s perception,its emotional connection with customers and overall success. 

A sound understanding of colour psychology and strategically applying it to your brand can differentiate your startup and resonate deeply with your audience. As a startup founder, a careful consideration of the colours you choose for your brand and ensuring they align with your values, mission, and the emotions you wish to evoke is crucial.

With that said, it is fundamental that founders consider Cultural Differences i.e. colours can have different meanings in different cultures, which can lead to misunderstandings.

Subjectivity is also a factor to bear in mind as colour perception can be subjective and different individuals may respond to colours differently.