What is Colour Psychology and How Can It Help Your Marketing Efforts?

Colour Psychology Explained

The use of colour is important in so many aspects of our lives. The colours we wear say something about our personalities; the colours we use in our homes are designed to create a specific atmosphere. The same goes for the colours you choose to use for your business’ marketing.

Colour psychology can have a big impact on your customers’ purchasing decisions, influencing up to 90% of an initial impression and increasing brand awareness by as much as 80%, according to one source. Different colours trigger different emotions, evoking trust, authority, and even a desire to buy. Let’s look at how the psychology of colours can impact your marketing.

What Is Colour Psychology In Marketing?

Colour psychology is the study of how colours influence human behaviour and perceptions. In business, it specifically refers to the way colour is used to shape the way consumers perceive a brand. It can also be used to create a desire to purchase. As such, it’s important to consider colour when creating marketing assets.

Why Is Colour Psychology Important In Marketing?

Every colour has a general set of associations that we tend to subconsciously apply. Red, for example, is a high energy colour that excites us to action, while yellow is associated with cheerfulness and optimism. (The yellow M on a red background that forms the McDonald’s logo wasn’t chosen by chance).

Green, meanwhile, is associated with health, peace and nature (again, it’s not just a happy accident that brands such as Aveda and Lush use green), while black symbolises power, authority and strength (Nike, Sony, Prada).

The colours you use in your marketing can elicit strong emotions or convey a specific message about your brand, even if your customers aren’t consciously aware of it. With that in mind, it’s important to choose them carefully when creating assets.

What Colours Make People Pay Attention?

The way you use colour in your marketing depends on the effect you’re trying to achieve. Vibrancy plays a key role in colour psychology, with brighter colours rousing energetic feelings that are likely to evoke a response from the user. If you require a customer to process information, however, you’re best off using neutral or darker colours. Greys and blacks are ideal if you want to convey authority and a more serious tone.

Primary colours often make a bold statement, while if you’re looking to market to a specific gender, you may want to look at the preferred colours of each. Joe Hallock’s colour assignment work shows that in Western cultures, women have a strong preference for blue and purple, while men overwhelmingly prefer blue, with green and black also popular.

Need Help with your Marketing Assets?

If you’re looking to utilise colour psychology in your marketing materials, but are unsure where to start, get in touch with Bold Marketing today. We offer SEO and Social Media Marketing Services and can help you choose the right colours for your assets.