Color theory and psychology in marketing

After learning so much about marketing in the past few weeks, I wanted to look into an important part of marketing that isn’t simply product placement or internet marketing. I wanted to learn more about how design plays a role in subconscious marketing, specifically how color does this.

Color theory is a theory already known by many. Red is passionate, blue is calming, and green is lively. This same theory is used in logos and marketing all the time.

Red is a color that is attention grabbing and made for split second decisions and impulse buys. This is why so many fast food restaurants and food are red. McDonalds, In-n-out, KFC, coca-cola, kelloggs, Arby’s, Wendy’s, Pizza Hut, the list goes on and on. It’s a rare few that don’t have red, like Subway or IHop. Just look up fast food logos and look at the sea of red presented to you.

Blue, on the other hand, is often associated with being caliming, so websites like twitter and facebook as well as stores like Walmart use it to attract people there and keep them there for a long time, cool and nice blues surrounding people.

Color is also important in a staple of your brand. Most brands only use one or two colors in their logo. It’s harder to think of a logo with four colors than ones with just one stand out color, and it doesn’t blend into backgrounds. This is so important to certain brands that there have even been instances of brands trademarking a certain shade, like Tiffany’s and their robin’s egg blue,  known as Blue 1837.

Color also shows off brand personality. Red doesn’t just get people hungry, it may also show you excitement or youth, and blue is trustworthy. In “Dimensions of Brand Personality” by Jennifer L. Aaker, Aaker points out the five dimensions of brand personality: Sincerity, excitement, competence, sophistication, and ruggedness. Putting a brand into this category can help choose a color for it, as color can convey one or more of these facets of personality. Apple is a great example of this, taking the color white and making it represent innovation, minimalism, a blank canvas. The color is attached to them and shows their outlook and persona.

Color can even show pricing. Black often conveys feelings of expense or luxury, as well as purple. Brands all in black like Chanel or Gucci are often expensive clothing, makeup, or jewelry. Sale tags are in red to grab the attention of people looking for better deals and making them more likely to buy.

However, color theory isn’t perfect. Everyone may have their own associations with different colors. In general, more men say their favorite color is blue than women, but it’s a majority blue for both. Many women claim purple is their favorite, while many men claim it as their least favorite. Other cultures also have different ways of looking at colors. In many Asian countries, red is a color of luck. However, in many African countries, red is a color of death. We may be green with envy, but in Germany they’re yellow with envy. Purple is seen as a royal color to many, but it’s the color of mourning in Brazil. Color theory is often correct, but one must take into account what a color means not just in their life, but in the lives of everyone around them.

Color theory and psychology are super cool. When you start to think about it in the grocery store, buying clothes at Target, or while trying to find a place to grab some food, it’s astounding how many things jump out at you. Did you notice that the price tag was red? That the walls were painted blue? Why may that be? In our study of economics we talked a lot about marketing and how the sellers get people to buy more, to associate their brand positively, to get a love mark. Color has a lot to do with that.

Sources:
http://www.joehallock.com/edu/COM498/preferences.html
https://www.helpscout.com/blog/psychology-of-color/
https://www.jstor.org/stable/3151897?read-now=1&refreqid=excelsior%3A7bd9fecd7893a187697318513ab2560b&seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents
https://medium.com/@Velir/color-theory-the-role-of-color-in-creating-an-effective-brand-website-9367653fb461
https://coschedule.com/blog/color-psychology-marketing/#top
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/is-color-theory-an-effective-marketing-tool_b_5a0dae19e4b03fe7403f8399?guccounter=1
https://conceptdrop.com/blog/60-color-theory-the-psychology-of-color-marketing-and-branding/
https://www.shutterstock.com/blog/color-symbolism-and-meanings-around-the-world