For part one of the series, click here
If you read our blog last week, you’ll remember that the colors you choose to brand your company can make or break the image you’re trying to portray. The brain is greatly affected by color, as well as the personal experiences of the individual with each color, so pick a few colors that really define your brand and use them wisely.
Here are some more colors you might want to use in your website, logo, packaging, and the like. These are just guidelines to help determine the message you want to be expressed to your future customers and clients.
BLUE – This color creates a sense of trustworthiness, which is why you see a lot of banks or credit card companies with blue logos. Bank of America, Chase, Capital One, Citibank, and PNC all use the color blue somewhere in their logo. This color is also considered the most dependable. Companies that sell products you will have for a long time (computers, for example) need you to know you can depend on them. In addition, blue is often associated with the male gender, and 57% of men say it’s their favorite color. For a company that needs their audience to know they’re dependable – a car company, a bank, a software company – the color blue can send off that message.
Blue logos you can depend on: IBM, Lowe’s, NASA, Volkswagen, Wal-Mart, Ford.
PURPLE – The color purple is known to stimulate creativity and problem solving. It’s a creative color also associated with royalty. Purple is dramatic, mysterious, and elegant. It is also preferred by women to most other colors and appeals to pre-adolescent children as well. It can be used to create a sense of fantasy, wonder, and elegance. Companies that sell beauty products geared towards women often use this color to market their products. Lighter purples are used to evoke nostalgia, which is why anti-aging beauty products specifically utilize this color.
Popular purple logos: Hallmark, Cadbury, SyFy, Aussie, Crown Royal, Wonka.
YELLOW/BRIGHT ORANGE – Yellow and bright orange are friendly colors that promote cheeriness, positivity, and energy. They are youthful colors – not usually favorites of adults, but they create a lot of energy in children. It’s been said, however, that yellow can make babies cry because of its intensity. Yellow and bright orange is used to create quick awareness – an orange cone or flag signals traffic patterns, yellow cabs are easy to spot in a city, yellow lights on the road signal “caution.” Because of this, they often create anxiety when used too often. To use yellow and orange to create happiness and energy, pick a softer tone and don’t overdo it. If you’re attempting to create anxiety and alertness, use them all you want!
Famous logos with yellow and orange: Nickelodeon, Fanta, Pac-Man, part of the McDonald’s logo.
PINK – Pink is a romantic, feminine color that is mostly used when a business is looking to target a female audience. Almost every color appeals to both genders, but pink is unique in the way it implies “ladies only.” Pink is a delicate color that can be used to sell lingerie, cupcakes, or dolls. Using the color pink to market to men is tricky – the only major company with a pink logo (that I can think of at this moment) is T-Mobile. Pink is also the symbolic color of breast cancer awareness, and companies often create pink versions of their logo to use for breast cancer awareness month.
Companies with pink logos: Barbie, Victoria’s Secret, Susan G. Komen, Mary Kay
As always, go with your gut and do what you think is right for the image of your company. It’s your business – make it uniquely you! Need help getting started? ENX2 Marketing is always here to help. Contact us today for a free consultation and see how we can help your business succeed.