Up next in our color series is the power and importance of colors in branding. Elements is located in Branford, a stone’s throw away from Yale University and Yale-New Haven Hospital and Medical School. We even have several Yale clients. We are aware upfront, when we are working with our Yale clientele, that they have very precise, clear brand guidelines — including their custom font and ‘Yale blue’ color.
Yale isn’t the only higher education institution using blue in their branding. My son is a junior in high school, and we have a barrage of college solicitations waiting for us in the mailbox daily — the majority of which are branded either blue or green.
This isn’t just a coincidence, but why do colleges (and financial institutions) gravitate towards blues and greens? What color secrets do they know that you don’t? The quick explanation is their grasp of color theory in regards to branding their business. Building a brand requires an understanding of colors and their significance.
What’s the first color that comes to mind when you think of the word ‘fresh’? Is it different than when you to think of the word ‘tires’? Certain colors evoke stronger visual and emotional connections.
Emotions, for better or worse, have a huge influence in our decision-making. Part of the job of a well-designed brand is to foster an emotional connection with your audience, without the luxury of telling your company’s entire story in a logo. One way to immediately convey both tone and feeling — while starting to set-up part of the brand’s story — is by choosing the right color(s).
Faber Birren, a well-known color theorist, proved that the links between emotions and colors are real. ‘Fresh’ and ‘tires’ conjure up different images and emotions. Birren also determined that just by our seeing colors creates varying human reactions and seeing the same colors can create different reactions in different people. This extends to hues or shades of colors (such as dark red, cherry red or light red) which can all elicit unique responses. One reason for this is varying cultural references, associations or personal connections.
Here is an interesting fact: Did you know that how your clients feel about a brand has more influence than what they think about a brand? That means, your choice of brand colors has the ability to affect your sales or performance more than the actual services or products you offer.
Another fact to consider is that repetition of the same color can heighten brand awareness. Some consumers only identify brands by their color; think Heinz ketchup. Do you remember when Heinz tried to launch a purple ketchup? No? It is an example of how color — given enough time and exposure — is instrumental to brand recognition and trust. The lesson is to be consistent with your brand colors across all mediums such as your logo, website, signage, ads, printed collateral, packaging and so forth. Your brand colors should be part of your brand guidelines and adhered to by everyone in your organization.
In our next article on colors, we will discuss guidelines and steps for how you should carefully select the right colors for your brand. In the meantime, give us a shout at at 203-776-1323 or amy@elementsdesign.com
—Amy
