Colour is essential to any form of visual marketing. In fact, research shows that colour influences 85% of shoppers’ purchase decisions!

Of course, colour does more than just help a product stand out. Certain colours can make us feel certain emotions, which can influence us to pay for certain products and services. Understanding when and when not to use certain colours in marketing is important. Below are just a few interesting facts about colour psychology that could help you pick the right tones.

Blue is calming, red is energising

Blue reminds us of a clear sky or a calm sea. It’s naturally soothing and pacifying. In fact, there’s even evidence of blue streetlights helping to reduce crime in certain areas after being installed. 

Because blue is calming, it is good for building trust and putting us at ease. Many tech companies, pharmaceutical companies and finance companies use blue to create a sense of dependability (prime examples being Facebook, HP, Pfizer, Roche, IBM and Paypal). A spa may meanwhile use blue in its marketing to relax customers. A downside of blue is that it rarely grabs people’s attention, and is better at simply comforting consumers who are already interested. 

Red on the other hand energises us. It is the colour of fire and blood - and therefore puts us on alert. Red is a very common colour in marketing because it can make us pay attention and impulsively buy things/click on things. This is why it’s used by streaming services like Netflix and fast food restaurants like KFC. Because red can also signify danger, it is less appropriate in advertising where you want to calm customers (you wouldn’t want to use red in an advert for a spa clinic or a financial consultancy service).

Purple creates mixed emotions

Because purple is a mix of blue and red, it can both calm and excite depending on its context. It may even create a sense of mystery.

Purple has in fact got a very interesting history. It was once a colour associated with royalty and wealth, used only on the clothes of the rich due to how expensive purple dye was to acquire. As purple became easier to replicate, more people and companies adopted it to create a false sense of wealth. 

As a result, purple is sometimes used to give products a ‘luxurious but affordable’ feel. Examples include chocolate brands like Cadbury and Milka, as well as many shampoos and deodorants. Purple is generally not used for products that are truly high-end - black is the better choice in this case (which is discussed later). 

Green is the easiest colour for our eyes to process

Green is thought to be the easiest colour for our eyes to pick up - which makes sense because green occurs everywhere naturally. Green therefore can give brands a sense of peace and harmony. 

It has a similar calming effect to blue, but is more joyful (blue has many connotations with sadness). Whereas blue is more commonly used in serious products, green can still suggest fun - as is evident by its use by brands like Spotify, Sprite and Xbox. It is quite a dynamic colour in this respect.

Red and yellow make people hungry

Using red and yellow together in marketing is sometimes known as the ‘ketchup and mustard’ effect. Because these colours are used in many fast foods, they make us hungry. Therefore, it makes sense that these colours are used by many fast food restaurants and food products.

McDonalds, Burger King, Red Bull and Walkers are all brands that use this colour combo to get us salivating. Other famous food/restaurant brands solely use red or yellow - Coca Cola is one of the most iconic brands associated with the colour red, while cereal brands like Nesquik have always used yellow. These two colours on their own can have similar effects. 

Green represents freshness, brown represents tradition

Green is associated with the growth of plants. It’s often associated with environmentalism and nutrition because of this, and is used by many eco-friendly and organic brands such as Animal Planet and Whole Foods. However, green also symbolises freshness and modernity. This is a reason why a lot of tech companies use green in their branding (such as Intuit Quickbooks, Nerdwallet, Android, WhatsApp and Nvidia). 

Contrastingly, brown is associated with the earth, wood and old leaves. Whereas green is used to suggest new ideas, brown is used to symbolise old but dependable ideas. When used to market the wrong product, this colour can suggest predictability or old-fashionedness. However, when used to promote products or services that are deliberately retro or a preservation of the past, brown can be comforting and rustic. Examples of brands that use brown to this effect include Dreyer’s, Cracker Barrel, UPS and Hartmann. 

‘Black label’ = luxury

Black has long been a colour associated with luxury. The term ‘black label’ is often used to refer to premium versions of products - the most famous example being Johnnie Walker Black Label, which is a more aged and refined version of the brand’s signature whisky. 

Black is heavily used in the packaging of luxury products. It can suggest that a product is higher quality and worth its higher price tag. Black can also suggest sophistication and is sometimes used by tech companies to build trust. Of course, it can also have connotations of death and gloominess - and therefore may be less appropriate when you want to evoke a sense of playfulness or fun.

Yellow makes babies cry

Yellow may be the colour of sunshine, but studies suggest that too much of it can be anxiety inducing. In fact, research shows that babies cry more in a yellow room. This could be because yellow strains the eyes and is associated with staring into the sun.

As a result, yellow is often used for warning signs. It is something we associate with hazards. However, it is also a colour associated with health and safety, because of its use in warning signs. Tool companies like Stanley and construction companies like Cat use yellow heavily in their branding. This can have the dual effect of telling consumers that such tools can be dangerous, but that measures have been taken to make them safe.

Pink is going through a transformation

Pink’s evolution as a colour has been interesting. In the 1800s, pink was a gender-neutral colour. This changed at the beginning of the 20th Century, when pink became associated as a boy’s colour. In fact, a 1918 Ladies Home Journal claimed: ‘the generally accepted rule in pink for the boys, and blue for the girls’.

So, when did pink become a girl’s colour? At some point in the 1940s and 1950s, the pink and blue rule was reversed - pink was used for baby girls, and blue for baby boys. From here on in, pink began to be used for all things feminine. Barbie adopted it as their brand colour early, as did many make-up and women’s fashion brands. 

Nowadays, pink is still associated with femininity and many brands that aren’t solely aimed at women have been afraid to use it in their marketing. However, there are hints that this is changing. More men have been wearing pink. Meanwhile, a growing number of unisex companies are using pink without putting off men including Lyft and LG.

Sometimes it’s better to buck the trend

While certain colours may have their connotations, many companies deliberately buck the trend in order to stand out. As already mentioned, Lyft and LG are good examples of this. However, there are many other cases of companies successfully going against the grain.

Many tech brands heavily use blue or green in their branding, but two of the most famous tech brands - Apple and Amazon - use very different colours. Apple’s brand colours is white, which suggest purity and immaculateness. Amazon’s brand colour meanwhile is orange, which communicates positivity and warmth. This suggests that you don’t have to use the colours associated with your industry to succeed. 

Another case where brands deliberately buck the trend is pharmaceutical packaging. While blue and green is the standard, there are examples like Nurofen that use red and Dayquil that use orange. This can help medicine stand out on the shelf, however it can also have practical benefits - preventing people from accidentally taking the wrong medicine. 

Using a spectrum of colours can symbolise diversity

The rainbow has become the universal LGBT symbol - signifying diversity and inclusivity. However, this is not the only example of a spectrum of colours being used to signify diversity.

Brands like Google, Microsoft and eBay all have multi-coloured logos. This suggests that their product is for everyone, because it combines the connotation of multiple colours. 

When using multiple colours, it’s important to consider how these colours are placed next to each other. Certain colours can clash when placed together and could make your brand feel ugly. Consider working with branding experts when experimenting with multi-coloured logos in order to make sure the colours don’t feel discordant.