I think we can all agree that colour does actually have an impact on our perceptions. If a person walks into a meeting head-to-toe in bright orange, whether you want to or not, you may assume that they are a joker or just colour blind! The same applies to branding, get the colour wrong and you may actually damage the brand.
I have to admit that there isn’t any reliable research relating to colour and perception, but instead we rely on personal preference, exposure and culture to form our opinions. This hasn’t stopped one serious bod from The Logo Company from trying to classify colour based on current uses…
Yellow – Optimism, clarity, warmth
Orange – Friendly, cheerful, confident
Red – Excitement, youthful, bold
Purple – Creative, imaginative, wise
Blue – Trust, dependable, strength
Green, peaceful, growth, health
Grey – balance, neutral, calm
Do you agree?
But while choosing a colour for branding as a reflection of your company values is important, another thing to consider is the colour of competitor branding. You will often see lines of Estate agents windows side by side on the high street, they may very well share the same values and working practices, and so branding is a key differentiator. Colour can be a great way to stand out from the competition!
There is a tendency to have one colour for your brand as the current trend is to go for simplicity, as well as keeping print costs low when investing in merchandise! But even if your logo is a single colour, consider a branding palette, as this will make website and collateral design more dynamic.
