Color psychology studies how different colors determine human behavior. The psychology of color is used in advertising and marketing to evoke emotional reactions.
How Do Colors in Marketing Influence People?
Color meaning and the psychology of colors can powerfully impact people’s behavior and decision-making. People make subconscious judgments about a person, environment, or product within a few seconds or minutes. Color plays into this initial impression.
That fact is not lost on brands and advertisers. They know certain colors, tints, hues, and shades evoke emotion and move people to action. This effect is both subtle and powerful.
Red Color Psychology
The color red creates a sense of urgency, suitable for clearance sales. It also encourages appetite. Thus it is frequently used by fast-food chains. The color physically stimulates the body, raising blood pressure and heart rate. It is associated with movement, excitement, and passion. It gets people to act and is important for call-to-action buttons, for example, on a website.
Green Color Psychology
This color is associated with health, tranquility, power and nature. It is used in stores to relax customers and promote environmental issues. It stimulates harmony in your brain and encourages a balance leading to decisiveness.
Purple Color Psychology
This color is commonly associated with royalty, wisdom, and respect in color psychology. It stimulates problem-solving as well as creativity. It is also seen frequently promoting beauty and anti-aging products.
Blue Color Psychology
The color blue is the preferred color of men. Its color meaning is associated with peace, water, tranquility, and reliability. And it offers a sense of security, curbs appetite, and stimulates productivity. It’s also the most common color used by conservative brands looking to promote trust in their products.
Orange and Yellow Color Psychology
These two colors are cheerful and promote optimism. Yet, you have to be careful when using them in advertising. Yellow can make babies cry, while orange can trigger a sense of caution. At the same time, that discomfort can be used to create a sense of anxiety that can draw in impulsive buyers and window shoppers.
Black Color Psychology
While technically not a color (it’s the absence of color because it absorbs light), we think of black as a hue. It is associated with authority, power, stability, confidence, and strength. Often a symbol of intelligence, it can become overwhelming if used too frequently. Black is tricky to use in marketing, but some have done it successfully.
Gray Color Psychology
Gray symbolizes feelings of practicality, old age, and solidarity. Too much gray can lead to feelings of nothingness and depression, however. Gray can be uninspiring if it is used too often.
White Color Psychology
White is associated with feelings of cleanliness, purity, and safety. And it can be used to project an absence of color or neutrality. White space helps spark creativity since it can be perceived as an unaltered, clean slate. It may not be the best color for every business. But using white in marketing can be effective for a minimalist brand or approach.
Decide on colors that best represent your brand image and pick 2 colors to use across your channels.