Colour plays an important part in creating your business identity. Like all elements of your brand, the colours you choose need to do more than reflect your own personality – they also need to resonate with your customers.
One of the many benefits of working with a professional designer is that they will be well-versed in the impressions conveyed by different colours and colour combinations or palettes.
If you’re in a well-established industry then your colours should broadly conform to the spectrum used by others in your category, because your customers need to instantly recognise that you’re a player. At the same time, you need to differentiate your brand from your competitors, so the colours you choose need to help communicate your selling proposition: affordable or high-end, cool or conservative?
Fortunately, colour has been heavily researched in all kinds of fields, from fashion to floristry, architecture and graphic design, the common perceptions of what individual colours communicate tend to be fairly similar across demographics and cultures, though the appeal of those messages varies widely, reflecting the trends of the time.
Here are some basic explanations of what colours communicate:
- Blue: Intelligent, cold, calm, loyal, aloof
- Red: Physical, hot, energetic, passionate, intense
- Yellow: Emotional, warm, bright, exciting, friendly
- Green: Natural, balanced, peaceful, equality, fresh
- Orange: Playful, warm, enthusiastic, welcoming, affordable, fun
- White: Spiritual, cold, clean, pure, efficient
- Black: Powerful, cold, secure, authoritative, sophisticated
Remember that out-there colour palettes can date very easily, so small businesses should try to choose no more than two main colours. You’ll also find that one or two colours are easier to apply consistently and should feature across all your marketing materials and your company website.
Once you’ve found your colours, remember to stick with them as they are now an essential part of your branding.
For help choosing a colour palette that makes the right impression for your business, speak to the team at Kwik Kopy.
