I was doing some interesting research on ‘color’ and ‘business branding’ this week. While some of what I read was pretty ‘Wack-a-doo’…some made a lot of sense and I thought it would make a fun topic for business owners.
Do you think the colors you select for your website and marketing materials make any difference? You bet they do! Stop for a moment and think about the company UPS. Did you just picture brown? (Probably a guy in brown Bermuda shorts with a big brown cube van in the background, right?) Brown has been noted to produce a feeling of ‘Reliability’ in people. The big-wigs over at UPS likely paid some marketing genius to tell them that, back in the day when they were deciding on their branding colors. The point is: the colors you choose can have a big impact on the way people perceive your company.
So what does your color pallet say about you and your business?
- WHITE- You are: Pure, Simple, Classic, Flawless, Clean and Innocent. But be cautious – that is mostly the way the ‘Western’ world sees white. In the Middle East white is thought to symbolize death or mourning!
- BLACK- You are: Serious, Strong, Authoritative, Powerful, Elegant, Bold, Compelling and Talented. No wonder black is often used in marketing! But go easy if you’re using black – Too much can signify darkness, evil, or death.
- RED- You are: Passionate, Dangerous, Exciting, Erotic and Hot. Red grabs attention – but not always in a good way. Red can also create a feeling of anxiety or a sense of urgency in the viewer.
- ORANGE- You are: Vibrant, Playful, Cheerful, Energetic, Fun and Flirty. Orange has also been known to increase metabolism and create a feeling of hunger – which explains why it is often used by the food industry.
- GREEN - You are: Natural, Healthy, Legitimate, Young and Fresh. If a dark forest green is used it can symbolize ‘wealth and abundance’. Lighter greens tend to indicate nature.
- PURPLE- You are: Blessed, Aristocratic, Superior, Wise, Imaginative and Spiritual. Purple makes people feel like celebrating. Since purple rarely occurs in nature, it is often seen as ‘exotic and mysterious’. On the other hand, purple can also come across as ‘artificial’.
- BLUE - You are: Loyal, Peaceful, Conservative, Calm and Well liked. The majority of the world will name ‘blue’ as their favorite color. Blue is often considered the safest and most popular color for business. The company IBM is often called “Big Blue” because of their branding, and many companies have chosen Blue as the color for their uniforms.
- YELLOW- You are: Optimistic, Happy, Joyful, Bright and Confident. A small amount of yellow can stimulate creativity. However, too much bright yellow can be hard on the eyes.
- PINK - You are: Youthful and Fun (if it’s hot pink) Romantic and Sensitive (if it’s light pink) Careful – like it or not – pink usually implies that this business is ‘for girls’ only.
- BROWN- You are: Simple, Durable, Stable, Reliable and easy to get along with. Is it any wonder UPS chose Brown?
So what does my website say about me? Apparently turquoise implies that I’m complex, imaginative and original - and that I drive myself hard. Things I would mostly agree with! As for Lime Green, it implies that I have a big ego and am often deceitful. Yikes! That is NOT me at all. I will definitely keep that in mind when it’s time for my next ‘re-brand’.
Have fun playing with color in your business branding!
Lisa McDonell is a Technical Virtual Assistant who helps business owners with the ‘techie tasks’ required to grow their companies online. Using her professional admin experience and savvy design skills, she assists entrepreneurs in creating an online presence and promotes their success using slick marketing and social media skills. She is also passionate about helping new Virtual Assistants get started in the biz. Lisa is a self-proclaimed ‘Brainy Gal’. You can find her hanging out at www.thebrainygal.com or on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/thebrainygal
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