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Choosing Brand Colours with Colour Psychology
The ASE Group
Overview
This video explores the psychological impact of color on branding, explaining how different colors evoke specific emotions and associations. It guides viewers on how to strategically choose brand colors based on color psychology, moving beyond personal preference to align with business goals and target audience. The content covers the general meanings of various colors, provides a framework for building a brand color palette, and offers practical advice on ensuring color consistency and accessibility across different mediums.
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Chapters
- Color is a potent branding tool that influences customer perception before conscious thought.
- Brand colors trigger feelings, associations, and assumptions about a business.
- Choosing colors based solely on personal liking is insufficient; strategic selection is key.
- Understanding color psychology helps align brand visuals with desired business outcomes.
Strategic color choices can significantly impact how customers perceive your brand, influencing their emotional response and purchasing decisions.
The difference in feeling between a fast-food restaurant and a high-end spa, largely influenced by their distinct color palettes, illustrates color's immediate impact.
- Red: Communicates energy, urgency, passion, and excitement, often used for sales and calls to action.
- Orange: Conveys warmth, friendliness, creativity, and enthusiasm, making brands approachable.
- Yellow: Represents optimism, happiness, and clarity, but should be used cautiously due to readability and potential for overwhelm.
- Green: Associated with nature, health, growth, calm, and money, versatile for wellness, finance, and eco-friendly brands.
- Blue: Evokes trust, reliability, professionalism, and calm, making it a popular choice for corporate and financial sectors.
- Purple: Signifies luxury, creativity, wisdom, and mystery, often used for premium or spiritual brands.
- Pink: Traditionally linked to femininity, now used more broadly to express playfulness, romance, or modern boldness.
- Brown/Earth Tones: Suggest natural, honest, grounded, and rustic qualities, ideal for artisanal or authentic brands.
- Black: Represents sophistication, luxury, power, and elegance, often used for high-end or minimalist brands.
- White/Neutrals: Communicate simplicity, cleanliness, space, and calm, serving as essential background and balancing elements.
Knowing the general psychological impact of each color allows you to select hues that align with your brand's core message and desired customer perception.
Coca-Cola uses red to convey energy and excitement, while PayPal uses blue to build trust and reliability.
- Select one primary color that represents your brand's core message and will be most prominent.
- Choose one or two secondary colors to support and complement the primary color, adding variety.
- Incorporate a neutral color (like white or beige) for balance, breathing room, and backgrounds.
- Analyze competitor colors to understand industry norms and decide whether to fit in or stand out.
A structured approach to palette creation ensures a cohesive and effective visual identity that supports your brand's communication goals.
A coffee shop might choose a warm brown as its primary color, complemented by a creamy white and a subtle green accent for its packaging and logo.
- Ensure sufficient contrast between text and background for readability and accessibility.
- Be aware that colors can appear differently on screen (light-based) versus in print (ink-based).
- Always obtain physical proofs for printed materials to verify color accuracy.
- Document your chosen color codes (hex for digital, Pantone/CMYK for print) to maintain consistency.
These practical steps prevent common pitfalls, ensuring your brand colors are consistently perceived and accessible across all platforms and materials.
Using a free tool like WebAIM's contrast checker to ensure dark text on a light background is easily readable, preventing accessibility issues.
Key takeaways
- Color is a fundamental element of branding that communicates meaning and evokes emotion before words do.
- Each color carries general psychological associations, but context, culture, and shade modify its impact.
- A well-chosen brand color palette should reflect the brand's core values and desired customer experience.
- Strategic color selection involves understanding both the psychology of colors and the competitive landscape.
- Prioritize readability and accessibility by ensuring sufficient color contrast, especially for text.
- Maintain color consistency across digital and print mediums by using and documenting specific color codes.
- Avoid basing your entire brand identity on fleeting color trends; opt for timeless, authentic choices.
Key terms
Color PsychologyBrand ColorsPrimary ColorSecondary ColorNeutral ColorColor PaletteContrastReadabilityAccessibilityColor Codes (Hex, Pantone, CMYK)
Test your understanding
- How do colors influence a customer's initial perception of a brand?
- What are the general psychological associations of red and blue, and in what business contexts might they be most effective?
- Describe a framework for building a brand color palette, including the roles of primary, secondary, and neutral colors.
- Why is it important to consider color contrast and document color codes when implementing a brand's visual identity?
- How can a business differentiate itself by strategically choosing colors that stand out from its competitors?