Choosing the right colour for your brand

June 3rd, 2010 \\ Branding, Inspiration \ Tagged: color

What was the reason for choosing a particular colour for your logo or brand? Did you just re-use the colours of your old identity, did you pick it randomly or did you have a certain strategy in mind?
In most cases, as a designer, you probably just pick ‘the colour of the moment’, or you base it on a scheme commonly used in the sector that your client is part of. Keep in mind that colours do convey a certain message on their own and can have a great impact.
It’s wise to keep the psychology of colours in mind when designing marketing materials. The chosen colour won’t only influence the appearance of your designs, but also the behaviour of the consumer.

Just a few examples of why certain brands pick certain colours:

Fast fast food chains often use bright reds and oranges. Studies show that these colours induce hunger influencing diners to eat quickly and leave … the main objective of ‘fast food restaurants’ !

Below you’ll find a short list of the most common colours, their meaning, effect and the sectors in which they are often used.

	White = purity, truthfulness, being contemporary and refined.
	Grey = authority, practicality, soberness and a corporate mentality. A very conservative colour used in a context where a serious, strict or stark image is required.
	Black = seriousness, distinctiveness, boldness and a classic look. It creates drama.
	Brown = earthiness, utility, and subtle richness. Brown, the colour of earth, is abundant in nature and is often related to construction and development. It is also widely used in legal logos due to its simplicity and character.
	Blue = security, faith, authority, dignity A colour often used in business, and especially finance, as it implies fiscal security and responsibility. Probably one of the most popular colours for corporate identities.
	Purple = spirituality, royalty, sophistication, costliness and mystery. In branding it’s often used for upscale projects and artistic purposes.
	Red stands for passion, vitality, aggression and strength. In branding it is often used as an accent colour and stimulates the appetite.
	Pink Pink evokes femininity, innocence, softness, health. In business, be sure you’re aware of its feminine implications and associations.
	Orange = exuberance, fun, cheeriness, positiveness and sunshine Great for highlighting information and conveying a message of youth and activity. It’s a colour that appeals to intellectuals.
	Yellow = cheerful & easy going Yellow is an optimistic colour that mostly creates a positive response. It gets you motivated, stimulating creative and intellectual energy.
	Green = freshness, health and tranquillity. Green has a soothing effect (the main reason why it is widely used in healthcare) and is often used to bring across a message of status, wealth and ( a very hot topic at the moment) concern for the environment.