As with all senses, particular colours stimulate the brain’s hypothalamus and pituitary glands in different manners which then trigger thyroid glands into producing hormones which can affect our mood, emotions and behaviour.
Consider your own purchases – how much does the colour of a product or service affect your choice as to whether to purchase or not? Is the colour (in your opinion) trustworthy, reliable or effective or does the colour convey quality, luxury, action, thought?
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With this in mind, it makes sense to use colours that are in alignment with your desired brand
image and which will enable your products and services to be perceived in the way in which you wish them to be.
Apparently, from initial encounter it takes just 90 seconds* to form an opinion regarding a product or service and the choice of colour forms a part of the ‘to purchase or not to purchase’ equation.
According to this Kissmetrics report by Jeremy Smith** which has some great graphic branding examples ‘women don’t like gray, orange, and brown. They like blue, purple, and green.
In a survey on color and gender, 35% of women said blue was their favorite color, followed by purple (23%) and green (14%). 33% of women confessed that orange was their
least favorite color, followed by brown (33%) and gray (17%)’
‘Men don’t like purple, orange, and brown. Men like blue, green and black. If you’re marketing to men, these are the colors to stay away from: purple, orange, and brown. Instead, use blue, green, and black’
Psychological colour associations***:
- Blue - trustworthiness, serenity, tranquillity, calm, security, loyalty, intelligence
- Yellow – warning, bright, energy, creativity, happiness
- Green - eco-friendly, nature, environment, growth, fertility, fresh
- Orange – fun, impulse, courage, confidence, success
- Black – luxury, value, dramatic, classy, formal
- White - freedom, space, innocence, purity, fresh, clean
- Red – love, energy, power, strength, passion
- Brown – earthy, conservative, outdoorsy
- Pink – playful, happy, feminine, friendly
- Purple – royalty, luxury, ambition, success, spiritual
- Grey – security, reliability, solid
- Silver – glamorous, sleek, hi tech, grace
- Gold – wealth, prosperity, tradition, money
What does your colour choice say about you and your business?
References
* Satyendra Singh
** Jeremy Smith - http://blog.kissmetrics.com/psychology-of-color-and-conversions/
*** One Lily creative agency/ColorMatters.com - http://gb.pinterest.com/pin/323837029428203318
