The Right Colors for Your Business [Infographic]

Coastal Printworks http://www.coastalprintworks.com 3m 794 #colors

The views of this article are the perspective of the author and may not be reflective of Confessions of the Professions.

Many businesses today struggle as they try to compete for consumer attention amidst a virtual barrage of media advertising from their competitors. Choosing the right colors for your advertising, logo, and brand packaging can go a long way toward generating interest in your business from consumers. Colors send subtle and at times subconscious, socially ingrained messages to your audience that can affect the way they think about your company.

Blue is the color of dependability and loyalty and is frequently employed by banks and financial corporations. High-end retailers typically utilize black or rich colors like burgundy and violet to signify the luxuriousness of their products. Green is universally the color of eco-friendliness and is ideal for any business targeting an environment-minded audience. To many consumers, orange symbolizes the values of fairness and loyalty.

Keep the psychology of color in mind, because when you are marketing your business, every advantage counts.

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Color Psychology

Blue

Peaceful, tranquil, color of the sky and the ocean
Can also be cold and depressing
Causes the body to produce calming chemicals

Purple

Color of royalty, luxury, wealth, and sophistication
Feminine and romantic
Rare in nature, so it can appear artificial

Read Another Confession: Iridescent Interiors [Infographic]

Green

Calming, refreshing, symbolizes nature
Easiest color on the eye and can improve vision
People waiting to appear on TV sit in “green rooms” to relax

Black

Authority and Power
Implies submission. Priests wear black to signify submission to God
Black outfits can make the wearer seem aloof or evil

White

Innocence and purity
Light, neutral, and goes with everything
Doctors and nurses wear white to imply sterility

Yellow

Cheerful, sunny, attention getter
Optimistic, but people lose their tempers more often in yellow rooms
Enhances concentration and speeds metabolism

Brown

Solid, reliable, color of earth, abundant in nature
Light brown implied genuineness
Can be sad and wistful

Pink

Romantic, tranquilizing
Sports team sometimes paint the locker rooms used by opposing teams bright pink so their opponents will lose energy

Red

The most emotionally intense color
Stimulates a faster heartbeat and breathing
Color of love
Red cars are popular targets for thieves

Food For Thoughts
Blue is one of the most popular colors but one of the least appetizing

Blue is rare in nature. When humans searched for food, they learned to avoid toxic or spoiled objects, which were often blue, black, or purple.

When food dyed blue is served to study subjects, they lose appetite.

Red is often used in restaurant decorating schemes because it is an appetite stimulant.

Green – Brown – Red are the most popular food colors.

Phrases that relate to color:

Red Are you blue with misery today? Gray Orange
Black With Depair? Pink Yellow White with shock?
Blue Green with envy? Purple Green Yellow with fear? Red
Indigo Red with embarrassment? Black Green
Or just plain purple with rage? Red Blue Orange

Read Another Confession: How To Get Fit When Stuck In The Office [Infographic]

Color Influence on Attractiveness

A study found women hitch hikers that wore red solicited a higher response in the number of male drivers that stopped to offer a ride.

25 men were shown a photo of a woman made to look like she was wearing RED or WHITE.

She was thought to have more interest in sex while wearing red compared to white.

Women are attracted to men wearing blue.

Stable
Faithful
Constant

Men are attracted to women ink pink-peach

Flattering to most skin tones
Gives you a healthy glow
Projects a little vulnerability which brings out something protective in men

Color-Purchasing Relationship:

Did you know that colors may are strategically placed to influence your spending?

Black

The signature of color of sophistication
Dominates high-end makeup packaging and can make inexpensive blushes and lipstick seem more upscale
M.A.C.

Blue

Trust and dependability
Patrons are 15% more likely to return to stores with blue color schemes than to those with orange color schemes
Citibank

Burgundy

Rich and refined (think red wine)
Cartier

Green

Used to attract eco-minded clients
Whole Foods Market

Orange

Fairness and affordability
The Home Depot

Pink

A sweet, calming color
Feeling relaxed can make spending easier
Victoria’s Secret

Red

Like a stop sign, a red placard can make consumers hit the brakes
It serves as an alarm, triggering more careful consideration
Target

Violet

Big in the beauty industry, especially anti-aging products
Purple reminds us of royalty, so a purple box can help persuade consumers that the product has special properties, worth they high price

White