Color Science in Branding

For all the nerds out there like me - this post is for you. 

Let’s talk about the science of color psychology and how it can help you determine your brand colors. 

Color science refers to the study of color perception, color representation, and color communication. It takes concepts from psychology, chemistry, and art to understand how humans perceive color, what meaning we assign to certain colors, and how we use these colors to communicate.

Most of us have a subconscious understanding of the basics of color science because we are on the receiving end of many popular brands that use these concepts on us every single day in their marketing. At the end of this post, I list a few examples. 

But let's learn how to turn the tables.

An important aspect of color science is color symbolism, which explores the cultural and psychological associations of different colors. 

For example, red is often associated with energy, passion, and love, while blue is associated with stability, trust, and calmness. 

In brand building, it's important to understand these symbolic associations and choose colors that accurately reflect your brand's personality and message.

The other important aspect to consider about color science is the effect color can have on human emotions and behavior. For example, research has shown that certain colors can affect mood, increase or decrease appetite, and even alter heart rate. 

When building your brand's identity, it's important to consider the emotional impact of your color palette and choose colors that evoke the desired emotional response from your target audience.

To help you with your selection, here is an example list of colors with their general associated meaning/interpretations as it relates to brand building: 

1. Red: This is a bold and attention-grabbing color that is often associated with energy, excitement, and passion. In brand building, it can be used to convey a sense of urgency, passion for the product, or a bold and innovative brand.

2. Blue: This is a calm and stable color that is associated with trust, professionalism, and stability. It can be used to convey reliability and stability, making it a popular choice for financial institutions, technology companies, and government organizations.

3. Green: This is a refreshing and calming color that is associated with nature, growth, and tranquility. In brand building, it can be used to convey a connection with the environment and sustainability, making it a popular choice for eco-friendly and natural product brands.

4. Yellow: This is a cheerful and optimistic color that is associated with happiness and positivity. It can be used to convey optimism, happiness, and a friendly, approachable brand personality.

5. Orange: This is a bold and energetic color that is associated with confidence. It can be a good choice for brands that want to evoke feelings of courage, self-assurance, and sometimes even playfulness.

6. Purple: This is a royal and luxurious color that is associated with creativity and elegance. In brand building, it can be used to convey luxury and sophistication, making it a popular choice for beauty and fashion brands.

7. White: This is often associated with purity, innocence, and simplicity. In brand building, white can be used to convey a clean, modern, and minimalist image. 

Here are some examples of popular brands that follow these principles: 

1. Tiffany & Co.: They use a distinctive shade of robin's egg blue in its branding to evoke feelings of luxury, elegance, and sophistication. This color choice accurately reflects the brand's commitment to providing high-quality jewelry and other luxury items.

2. Starbuck's: They use a combination of green and brown in its branding to create a warm, natural, and earthy image. The use of these colors accurately represents the brand's focus on providing high-quality coffee and its commitment to sustainability.

3. Coca-Cola: They use a distinctive red color in its branding to evoke feelings of excitement, energy, and happiness. This color choice reflects the brand's upbeat personality and its commitment to providing consumers with an enjoyable, refreshing beverage experience.

As you can see, the science of color psychology can be fascinating to learn about and plays an important role in the way we perceive brands’ subconscious messaging in our society. 

Fun fact - did you know the distinctive orange Reese's color is trademarked? Meaning, no other companies are allowed to use it in their brand colors. 

See? Color is incredibly important if you want to create a memorable and easily identifiable brand. 

If you’re having trouble with the nuances of brand development, use my previous blog post for your step 1: How to Develop a Memorable Brand in 6 Easy Steps 

Or reach out to me directly! Let’s get a good brainstorming session going :) 

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