Whenever you think about something that can stimulate or influence buyers to take action, do or buy something then there is a chance that you are thinking about color psychology in marketing . It is also known as visual merchandising which primarily aims at influencing customers by engaging their senses , primarily sight . Although it seems very simple but it’s not so because design communicates with people who may be affected by colors without even realizing it! Colors and their effects on people’s mind and behavior is a fascinating and important part of marketing, branding and packaging. It works like magic or rather like your favorite shampoo that has the right scent , color and texture to attract you!
What is color psychology?
So , what actually is color psychology? If we define it in simple words then it can be considered as the art of understanding how colors influence people’s emotions, feelings , perceptions, opinions & purchasing decisions . You may ask why do marketers need this insight? Well , because human buying decisions are driven by emotions which play a big role in our lives. Products we buy carry meaning for us- either they remind us about some happy times or some sad ones and this emotional value determines whether we buy the product or not. Colors are powerful enough to influence our emotions, opinions and decisions without us even realizing it so marketers who understand this aspect of human behavior will be able to connect with their target audiences more effectively than their competitors .
Marketing strategies using the insight of color psychology
Wondering how ? There are several different marketing strategies which use color psychology but some common ones include :- Branding (colors carry emotional values for consumers) Logo design Packaging design Advertising/commercials Sales promotions (it is considered as one of the most important factors of sales success ) These were some examples of how marketers can use colors for further improving their profits!
Other applications of color psychology:
Did you know that there’s actually a science devoted entirely to studying colors ? It is called color science and it mainly focuses on different aspects of how colors affect the human mind . Some other applications of color science are :- Interior design Web design Art therapy Traffic light signals Military camouflage
How do colors affect purchases?
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The Psychology of Colors in Marketing and Branding:
The powerful effect of colors on human emotions, feelings, perceptions and buying decisions is often underestimated by marketers . It may be true that not all humans are affected equally by different colors but it doesn’t change the fact that they have a certain impact on our minds and the way we think. Every business owner who wants to market his product successfully can implement these findings of color psychology in marketing and branding strategies of his product so as to get an edge over their competitors.
Why is color psychology important in marketing?
Every business owner knows that their target audiences are very diverse in nature. Different people have different tastes, preferences and likings so it is essential for them to understand the psychology of colors of their target customers to be able to market their products successfully.
For example – Let’s say you sell designer sunglasses . Your primary target audience might consist of college students who want fashionable accessories without spending too much money but on the contrary , another part of your target audience might include middle aged executives who prefer more professional looking accessories . It would make more sense if two different sets of marketing strategies were created specifically catering to both these sets of customers rather than using a single strategy which could potentially alienate one set of customers or even both the sets! So the importance lies in understanding the psychology of colors that influence the buying decisions of their customers.
How do colors affect marketing strategies?
Colors can be effectively utilized in marketing strategies to convey a desired message about the product being marketed . The use of certain color combinations in marketing communications is even recommended by professional marketers who know how to use these scientific findings of color psychology for effective branding. For example – A company selling designer accessories can make people aware of its existence by using vibrant colors like Green, Blue , Red etc because these are colors which are generally seen as ” energetic “. On the other hand, pastel shades like pink , green or violet might not be very effective when it comes to making an impression on potential customers because research has proved that they are often associated with “unexciting” things.
Colors can be used to influence people’s moods.
Different colors trigger different kinds of emotions in the human mind, depending on the environment or surroundings . For example – Red is often associated with love, rage , danger etc which means that it might be more effective at conveying a message about an urgent sale rather than black which is considered to be more professional and conservative ! When you are designing your business card , website background or even trying to make banners for websites like Facebook or YouTube, make sure you use colors effectively so as to convey the right kind of message about your product!
How do marketers choose color schemes?
When it comes choosing appropriate color schemes for their marketing strategies, it is best to understand which colors are more likely to have a greater impact on their target customers because , let’s face the truth here, all human beings aren’t equally sensitive towards different colors. There are certain people who prefer blue and green whereas there are others who might be very much inclined towards orange and yellow .
The color wheel below clearly shows how different colors evoke specific emotions in humans. At times, marketers may choose 2 contrasting colors from this wheel to create a balance between the overall tone of their marketing materials so as to avoid making them appear too gaudy!
Notice how there isn’t any particular color that dominates over others – This means that one color won’t automatically make your product stand out while at the same time not providing the same effect as a combination of colors would ( For example – Green doesn’t have the same kind of visual impact as red does but if combined with black, they might yield a more dramatic overall affect ).
Color psychology is a very important aspect that marketers must understand before even beginning with creating or modifying their marketing strategies.
Why? – One of the biggest reasons being that , color alone can be enough to determine whether people will actually buy your product or not! Marketers who fail to implement psychological color theory into their marketing strategies often end up becoming unsuccessful at achieving the desired results from their efforts!
What is the best color to use for marketing?
What might be the best color to use for marketing is a question that many marketers struggle with! The answer to this question however, varies from product to product. What might work very well for promoting your apparel business may not necessarily work out in favor of promoting an online shopping portal!
So, what does science have to say about the matter? Here are some facts according to studies conducted by experts – Green and blue tend to make people feel more secure while at the same time leaving them feeling confident and strong . These colors also induce feelings of peace and calm which means they would be great for things like advertising spa resorts or something similar.
On the other hand, red and yellow can stimulate feelings of excitement and happiness ( Would these colors suit an entertainment website like YouTube ? ).
These colors are often associated with things that promise pleasure or happiness such as amusement parks and carnivals which means that they would probably work best for promoting such kinds of products! Of course , the kind of color you choose might depend entirely on your target audience.
Many factors can contribute towards determining color preferences – Age, gender, geographical location etc… so it is important to study your target market and implement strategies accordingly .
Color psychology doesn’t just stop at marketing – You can even use colors to help boost customer satisfaction in your business! According to research conducted by professors from the University of British Columbia , there exists a strong link between specific colors and positive/ negative emotions . Blue is known to stimulate feelings of trustworthiness whereas yellow tends to make people feel happy and comfortable .
In order to implement this strategy, you can simply assign a different color to each type of wait staff at your restaurant or cafe. For example, if you hire a red shirt wearing waiter for your Japanese themed restaurant , it is safe to assume that customers would immediately take a liking to him because , just as stated above – Red evokes feelings of happiness and excitement .
The same could be applied for other types of restaurants as well! If a customer walks into a place where all the waiters are dressed in blue shirts , they will automatically associate the restaurant with trustworthiness and peace which means that they’ll most likely have an enjoyable dining experience !
This particular technique might not work so well however, when it comes to things like online shopping portals. You see, in this type of situation , the customers are not actually able to see the people working for you so they can’t really judge them based on their appearance .
Of course, when it comes to online shopping websites, there are other factors which you can use to determine how users react towards your business – For example, if your website has a very clean and polished look , then chances are that users will simply associate it with professionalism which is why businesses hire web designers who specialize in designing sites that have a professional look – This could potentially help increase revenue because people tend to trust products that appear professional .