Colour Psychology + Branding
We all have absolute instinctive reactions to colour - those reactions can be powerful.
Why? When light strikes the eye, it is converted into electrical impulses, and those electrical impulses pass through the same part of our brain that processes our emotions. What scientific research has shown us is that every tint, tone and shade of colour, has specific psychological effects.
What does this mean for us with our branding and content?
If you’ve done the strategic work and know exactly who you're targeting, you can choose a palette that will speak directly to your customer at an emotional level, resonating and connecting with their needs before they’ve even read a word.
What are the benefits of connecting with our customers like this?
If on an emotional level they feel you’ve already solved or are capable of solving their problem.
It builds confidence, standing you ahead of the competitors.
It instantly portrays what we think and feel as a business.
It can ease tension or build excitement for you and your brand instantly.
It can target the right customers and limit the amount of queries from people that won’t align with you.
It can influence how your clients behave. (more on this below)
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Colours are a way of connecting and communicating - a non-verbal conduit.
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Ok, so here’s a quick lesson outlining the part of our brain affected by colour:
The conscious mind - everything that we’re aware of at any given moment.
The subconscious mind - thoughts, feelings and memories that were not immediately aware of but can easily access.
The unconscious mind - Where all of our beliefs, emotions, impulses, wishes, memories and instinctive thoughts live but isn’t accessible with deliberate control.
It’s the unconscious mind that drives our behaviour. Using colour psychology correctly we can tap into this and direct and influence.
After reading this, I’m sure you’re realising there’s power in harnessing this information in marketing, and although many of our reactions to this power leans in the ‘ick’ and unethical categories, helping customers find the right solution for them quickly is a good thing!
For service providers it is usually one key pain-point our clients face. So if we are all utilising this information correctly it can reduce the noise and direct people to their best suited solution straight away.
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Choosing your colour palette:
Once you know who your customer is, start researching colours that align with their context and behaviour. I suggest researching further, google can be enough, really try to dive into your industry and customer. Short list your ideal colours based on this.
Even if you only have one colour you’ve narrowed down to you will need between 3-5 colours for your business. This can include varied shades of the same colour, as well as a white or plain background you may use for your website.
Context
Who is your customer? Women, men or fluid? What stage of life?
Are there colours that have a preconception within the group? Eg. What country do they live in, red in China is very different for what it means in Australia.
Are there colours already suited to your industry, eg. yoga services may want to harness natural earthy colours, and a personal trainer targeting women may want to use bold energetic colours that resonate with women only.
Behaviour
What is your product/service trying to achieve?
What do you want your customers to feel calm, energised?
Colour Harmony
Do your colours sit in harmony together?
This can be either using varied tones of the same colour, complementary colours with the use of the colour wheel, or seasonal colours (Autumn, Winter, Spring, Summer etc.)
Chromatic intensity
Are the colours stimulating or soothing?
Strong and intense colours are likely to stimulate, colours with low saturation are likely to sooth.
Proportions
Different proportions can change the way your palette affects people.
Test which colour should be the hero/main colour, which are highlights or background colours.
Test
Test reactions with existing clients, biz besties, or friends.
Ask how it makes them feel, what their instant reactions are. Do they know what you do/sell?
There are websites that can help with choosing a palette like this one, but this background information should be carried out either by yourself or a brand specialist like myself.
Wanting help? You can book a consultation session with me here or a brand audit here. If you’re unsure what would suit you best right now, the discovery calls are free and are there to help you select the right options for you.
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More about me and how I will help you. I focus on helping you create a brand that evokes a feeling and builds trust with your customers, at first sight.
Now, why is this important? People buy a FEELING, the faster and more impactfully they feel that you can help them, solve a problem, put their fears at ease they are more likely to invest in you and your business.
From there, it is always TRUST. It’s a tough market right now, people genuinely are having trouble paying for any of the necessities they took for granted a year or two ago, you need to level up ahead of your competition. People won’t risk their hard earned cash on anyone they don’t feel is 100% legit and worth it. It’s not about being present more often, or being the loudest, it’s about being trustworthy. If you put the effort and love into your brand/business and it’s obvious to anyone who views your channels you’ve already moved ahead of others.
All of these things pass through all of our minds when we look at any new brand or service. And at the end, if you pay attention you do just ‘know’ that a brand is trustworthy, that they’re legit. No matter what is being sold, these are not only key to standing out ahead of the competition, no matter how amazing you, your product or service is. People won’t buy right now without them. This may change… but our basic psychology in this will not stray far. This should be the base in all businesses.
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Quotable reference notes:
The little book of colour by Karen Haller
How colors affect you by William Lidwell
