'Colour Psychology'

 

As you would have seen in our latest Instagram post, many major fast food retailers make use of red or orange branding. Why? Because these warm colours, along with yellow, are said to entice appetite! And a person with an appetite is most likely to turn into a customer!

Colour psychology is however, a result of subjective experiences. There is no specific evidence that indicates that the colour red directly results in an increased appetite - these evocations are rather a result of past relations and impressions. Red entices appetite, possibly because all these fast food chains have been using it for several years, therefore programming us to relate red to hunger. But why did these brands use red in the first place? It’s an egg and chicken situation. It is also important to note that there are many factors that influence our colour connotations - gender, culture, experiences and more. When choosing a brand colour, make sure to do thorough research as to what the colours represent. If your brand focuses on wellness or health, choose a subtle earthy colour such as green or a soft brown. If you want to portray your brand as traditional and strong, black is a great colour to do so. 

When developing a brand, I always ask my clients what they want their brands to portray - what they want people to feel when experiencing their brand. Not only is a great name and a striking logo important, but your colour palette is too! Do some research into the generally associated color emotions, but always take into account your target audience’s preferences, as they are ultimately the people you want to impress. 

For a more in depth understanding of colour psychology, this article is a great perspective on that. For a fun and interesting read on generally associated colours, read this article.

I hope this article was a fun one to read! Remember that colour psychology is mostly based on emotion, rather than science and that the impact of a colour will vary from person to person, - just focus on creating a holistic brand that speaks to your clients or customers’ needs.

Feel free to contact me via TDD’s Instagram if you’re busy with your company branding and would like an outsider’s opinion.

Love and leave you,

Josie xx