Color is a powerful tool in marketing and branding. The colors used in packaging, advertising, store design, and more can have a huge impact on consumer behavior and purchasing decisions. Certain colors evoke certain feelings, associations, and reactions in people, making some colors more effective than others for motivating purchases. Understanding the psychology behind color and the impressions different hues make is crucial for anyone looking to boost sales.
The importance of color in marketing
Research shows that color increases brand recognition by up to 80%. It’s one of the first things noticed about a product, and it informs the consumer’s perception from that point forward. Color creates a first impression and helps products stand out on crowded shelves. It’s a crucial part of differentiation and branding. Effective use of color establishes brand identity and consistency across channels.
Color also impacts shoppers’ emotions and feelings about a brand in ways that significantly influence purchasing. It can convey valuable information about the product, influencing perceptions of quality, taste, weight, temperature, effectiveness, and more. Color has the power to increase consumer attention, speed up perception, and compel action. Leveraging the psychology of color in marketing and packaging can boost sales and create a competitive edge.
The meaning behind colors
While reactions to color differ by culture and demographics, many colors carry common psychological associations in the context of marketing, branding, and purchasing. Here are the general impressions given by popular colors in branding:
Red
Red promotes excitement and conveys confidence. Use it to grab attention, highlight urgency, increase desire, and trigger impulse buys. It’s popular in clearance sales and Black Friday promotions. However, red can also communicate danger or aggressiveness, so use it carefully depending on the product.
Orange
Orange is energetic and conveys discount or value pricing. It’s often used for price-slashing campaigns. However, orange can come across as cheap. Use soft oranges to seem friendly and enthusiastic. Darker oranges feel more luxurious.
Yellow
Yellow grabs attention without the intensity of red. It conveys happiness, optimism, and approachability. However, it can also come across as juvenile. Use soft yellows for a cheerful, refreshing impression.
Green
Green promotes balance, nature, health, and renewal. It’s strongly associated with environmental friendliness and wellness. Light greens signal newness and growth, while dark greens represent prestige, wealth, and tradition.
Blue
Blue builds trust and conveys security and reassurance. It’s linked to tranquility, calmness, and intelligence. Light blues feel comforting, while dark blues feel authoritative and professional. Blue is a top color in banking, healthcare, and technology.
Purple
Purple connotes luxury, creativity, and spirituality. Light purples seem feminine and romantic. Dark purples seem more elegant and opulent.limit use to avoid seeming artificial or wacky.
Pink
Pink promotes self-worth and fun. It taps into femininity, playfulness, and self-care. While pretty and calming in the right shades, pink can come across as childish or low-quality if not carefully used.
Brown
Brown signals dependability, simplicity, and sincerity. It feels wholesome and grounded. However, it can also come across as dirty. Use rich browns and earth tones to seem organic and rugged. Avoid pale browns.
Black
Black boosts authority and sophistication. It’s classic, powerful, and timeless. However, black can also feel ominous, heavy, and intimidating. Use sparingly and balance with lighter colors.
White
White conveys purity, cleanliness, and virtue. It feels fresh and modern. However, white can also seem stark and sterile. Avoid large amounts of bright white space. Soften with off-whites and pastels.
Psychology of color on purchases
Now that we’ve covered the general impressions and meanings behind colors, let’s look at how these associations psychologically impact consumers and influence purchasing behavior.
Impulse buys
Red is linked to impulse purchases. It increases heart rate and urgency, signaling excitement and discount pricing. One study found customers were drawn to red-colored products first, and they proved more likely to spontaneously purchase these red items. Red shopping carts, buttons, or text can boost impulse buys.
Appetite and taste
Color heavily impacts perceptions of taste and flavor. Red and orange create expectations of sweetness. Green and blue signal sour flavors. Black packaging increases perceptions of bitterness. Yellow and orange make food seem more natural. Red conveys ripeness and quality for produce. Deeper colors increase expectations of richer taste.
Weight and texture
Darker colors make items seem heavier. Light colors make them seem lighter. Matte finishes look heavier than glossy finishes. Angular graphics seem crunchy while rounded graphics seem smoother and softer. Color-texture combinations lead consumers to assume incorrect product attributes.
Temperature
Warm colors like red, orange, and yellow subconsciously raise expectations of actual warmth. Cool colors like blue, green, and purple make things seem colder and more refreshing. Using warmer packaging for frozen foods and cooler packaging for hot soups defies assumptions and surprises customers.
Quality and price
Premium brands lean on black, navy blue, and darker shades to convey high quality and cost. Value brands rely on brighter colors like light blue, green, yellow, or orange to signal affordable pricing. Brighter packaging grabs attention but also cheapens perception. Deeper, richer colors boost luxury impressions.
Brand personality
Color shapes brand personality more than any other attribute. Fun brands like TOMS Shoes use playful colors. Natural brands like Whole Foods rely on earthy tones. Clean brands prefer white and pastels. Luxury brands opt for black and gold. Choose colors that align with and reinforce brand values and attributes.
Research on colors and consumer response
Various studies have honed in on how specific colors motivate and influence consumers in marketing contexts:
Impulsive purchases
– 85% of shoppers said color is the primary reason they buy a product.
– 52% of shoppers base purchases mainly on color.
– 73% of consumers say they would pay more for a product if it comes in their favorite color.
– Red shopping carts increase unplanned purchases by 32%.
Brand perceptions
– 80% of brands say color boosts brand recognition more than any other factor.
– Color raises brand recognition by up to 80%.
– 92% of people say color gets their attention more than black and white.
– People make color decisions in 90 seconds.
Differentiating products
– 70% of packaging color redesigns increase sales.
– Colored packaging makes people 10% more likely to choose a product.
– Color gives shoppers 70% more motivation to purchase compared to black and white.
– Consumers can recall a colored image 65% better than black and white.
Driving purchases
– Certain colors can boost response rates and sales by 80%.
– Conversion rates increase by 24% with effective use of color.
– 9 out of 10 impulse buys are attributed to color.
– Colored packaging makes people 23% more likely to select a product.
Ideal colors by industry
While the context matters, research points to colors that generally perform best in specific sectors and industries:
Food and beverage
Red, orange, black, and brown. Red signals appetite and quality. Orange boosts cravings and perceptions of flavor. Black boosts luxury and elegance. Brown conveys wholesomeness.
Health and beauty
Green, blue, purple, pink. Green signals wellness and nature. Blue builds trust. Purple promotes pampering and self-care. Pink conveys femininity. Avoid medicinal whites.
Home and furniture
Blue, yellow, green, brown. Blue is calming and comforting. Yellow boosts cheerfulness. Green promotes renewal and freshness. Brown feels grounded and sturdy. Avoid hospital-like whites.
Financial services
Blue, black, green, grey. Blue and black signal trust and security. Green conveys money and stability. Grey feels professional. Avoid risky reds.
Technology
Blue, grey, black, orange. Blue and grey boost professionalism and intelligence. Black signals sophistication. Orange feels energetic, discounted.
Automotive
Black, grey, silver, red, blue. Black signals luxury and elegance. Grey and silver feel refined and valuable. Red and blue add excitement.
Retail and ecommerce
Red, orange, black, yellow. Red and yellow grab attention. Orange signals deals and clearance. Black boosts luxury. Avoid medicinal whites.
Using color to boost sales
Now that we’ve covered the psychology behind colors and their effectiveness per industry, let’s discuss ways to harness color to boost sales across marketing touchpoints.
Packaging
Choose colors that align with your brand identity and convey desired product attributes. Leverage the meanings behind colors to shape first impressions and influence purchasing factors. Make secondary information neutral to avoid visual clutter.
Logo
Your logo color attracts attention, sticks in memory, and informs branding. Choose a color that communicates your values and sets you apart from competitors. Consistent use reinforces recognition.
Website design
Pick a color scheme with contrasts that make key actions easy to spot. Use cooler blues and greens to convey stability and trust. Avoid generic black and grays. Add warmth with accent colors as needed.
Social media
Use your brand colors consistently across channels. Optimize images with overlays in brand colors. Choose engaging accent colors for promotions and seasonal campaigns.
In-store displays
Print signage, tags, and posters in brand colors for consistency. Use accent colors to highlight sales and direct attention. Make impulse purchase areas red. Use colors to divide and define zones.
Promotions
Use red and orange for attention-grabbing limited-time offers. Make calls to action bold brand colors. Ensure colors motivate responses you want, like excitement or urgency.
Advertising
Leverage color psychology to convey desired brand attributes. Use contrasts and color gradients for visual interest. Make your brand colors and message stand out from competitors.
Conclusion
Color is an extremely influential – and often underestimated – factor in marketing, branding, and purchasing decisions. The colors used throughout the customer journey psychologically prime consumers to perceive brands and products in certain ways that heavily impact buying behavior. Leveraging the impressions and meanings behind colors in strategic ways can make a powerful difference in motivating the right reactions and responses from customers. While cultural context plays a key role, marketers who effectively apply findings on color psychology give their brands and products huge advantages in capturing attention, conveying benefits, driving desirability, and motivating purchases.