Colors are a lot more complicated than what meets the eye. Each one evokes specific emotions, which is why they are so important in branding.
So let’s dive into what colors correlate to which emotions… well just a few!
Red: Excitement, passion, energy, and action. (Think YouTube or Nintendo)
Youtube is one of the largest video platforms on the planet and ultimately wants you to “take action” by clicking on a video or hitting the subscribe button.
As an entertainment company, Nintendo wants to excite its audience and cause dopamine hits so that they are buying and playing more games.
Green: Nature, growth, positivity. (Think John Deere or Starbucks)
John Deere revolves around nature and growth as their products are farm focused.
Starbucks – I mean, who doesn’t love coffee? Caffeine is a hit of energy, whether it is in the morning or an afternoon pick-me-up.
Yellow: Happiness, positivity, and optimism. (Think Nikon or National Geographic)
Nikon can capture the happiest moments in life and preserve them as memories. How many pictures of sunrises, smiles, and summers are there? … Probably billions.
National Geographic shows the incredible parts of the world that not everyone may be able to see. They capture the excitement and what the world has to offer.
Blue: Dependable, calm, trustworthy. (Think Lowes or Walmart)
Lowes, being a hardware store, would want to be viewed as dependable by their audience. You know you can find an odd screw or piping part there when something inevitably breaks.
Walmart has a little bit of everything. It’s almost a one-stop shop, and you know you won’t be paying through the roof for some fancy vegetable.
Purple: Power, nobility, and luxury. (Think Crown Royale or Cadbury)
Crown Royale is a liquor that originated in Canada – a part of the British Empire hence the royal colors and the bottle having crown-like shapes. Another example would be Cadbury, which is slightly more upscale chocolate and feels a little luxurious.
Restaurants will want to use colors that stimulate the appetite like red and yellow, while a hardware store wants to be dependable so they may use blue. The type of business you have and the industry you are in will also be a factor when picking colors. You’ll want to stand out… but in a good way. You wouldn’t want to be a hardware store with a glittering hot pink logo.
Here are some questions to ask when thinking about what colors you want to use for your brand whether you are starting from scratch or rebranding:
- How do you want people to feel when they see your logo?
- Do you want to be trendy or timeless?
- Who is your audience? Children or an older demographic?
- What industry are you in?
- What feeling do you want them to walk away with?
These are just a few of the questions that you’ll want to consider – remember your brand is much more than just your colors!
