My brain loves color. Yours probably does, too. Our very survival depends on it.
Humans have always relied on color to tell them which foods may be eaten safely, thanks to the varying hues in nature that either attract or repel us. That same sense of attraction (or revulsion) applied to preferred colors we prefer because of the positive experiences associated with our experiences. If you receive compliments when wearing purple, you're more likely to wear purple in the future. If you were in an accident involving a grey vehicle, you might not select that color for your own car.
In our modern world, color also indicates safety and warning signs, from the green-yellow-red traffic lights to the orange used to mark machinery requiring caution or the blue that signals information.
How we see color depends on the cones in our eyes. Unlike mammals with two cones and birds with four cones, we have three color cones in our retinas: red, blue and green. Together with the rods in our eyes, the cones help us see the variations of color in our world, including black and white.
We rely on color interpretation to assess the world around us, and our bodies and emotions respond accordingly.
For example, as daylight, with its soft blues, filters through our windows, our bodies produce more cortisol while reducing melanin production, which wakes us. No wonder blue screens keep us awake at night; we're used to waking up when blue light filters what we see.
Color Theory Basics
People may perceive color differently based on eye condition and structure, but most people associate particular colors with certain attitudes and emotions. Color is more than personal preference. It produces strong connotations for many people, making it a powerful messenger for your brand and the marketing of any products or services you offer.
The primary colors of blue, red and yellow are the basic building blocks of color. Purple (red and blue), green (blue and yellow) and orange (red and yellow) make up the secondary colors. Analogous colors exist in proximity to each other.
It's essential that when selecting colors for your web page or other marketing materials, you consider the impact that color, saturation and even hue can have on your brand, as well as the overall effect of your color palette.
People find bright, warm colors attractive. Tourism or travel-related materials, for example, are better received when using warm colors. Viewers tend to find city images with yellow more appealing than those without this color.
Pictures of food are more appealing when they consist of rich red, yellow and orange tones paired with green, white or other neutrals. Food images rarely include blue. Although accepted universally as a pleasing color, blue and its varying shades suggest art, creativity and culture. That's why consuming Romulan blue ale and food in Star Trek's The Undiscovered Country was considered so intoxicatingly daring. Blue food and drink is not the norm on Earth.
The Meaning Behind 10 Common Colors
Color bears significant symbolism, and interpretation varies across cultures and religions. For example, in Christian beliefs, liturgical colors mark the seasons with green, purple, yellow (gold), blue, and red. Hindus in India consider orange a sacred color, but the Ndembo in Zambia don't recognize orange as a color. In fact, orange is a relative newcomer to the color wheel we know, adopting its name from the fruit in the 15th century. Before that, orange was called yellow-red.
The chart below reveals some of the more common interpretations of color psychology:
Think about the colors you recognize in advertising: McDonald's uses red and yellow, John Deer uses green, and PayPal and Visa use dark blue. The rationale behind any businesses' use of color use is simple: red and yellow suggest excitement and food. Green alludes to nature, fertile fields and growth. Dark blue represents sincerity, knowledge and tradition, so of course you're more likely to trust them with your money.
You, too, can use your coloring toolbox to send subliminal messages about your brand.
What You Must Know about Color Psychology Messaging
Your choice of color will define the service or product you sell.
Before getting started, consider the 90/90 rule: most consumers make decisions within 90 seconds of viewing your message, and they base as much as 90% of their decisions on color choice perception. In less than two minutes, they've made their choice about your service or product. To assure you that you selelcted appealing colors, marketers often suggest testing colors and their combinations to see what your intended audience finds most appealing.
Whether you use cool or warm tones makes a difference. Cool colors (blues and greens) have greater appeal in B2B marketing, and warm colors (reds and yellows) are more attractive to B2C audiences. Not surprisingly, images and designs with a variety of warm colors are more likely to be shared on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram.
Keep in mind that color interpretation can vary greatly from culture to culture. You must know your target audience because the color of your marketing materials sends a subliminal message.
What message are you sending with your colors?