Color has quickly become one of the most important factors that modern shoppers consider when purchasing a product or service. In fact, color accounts for between 62 and 90 percent of the decision to purchase. The psychology of color in marketing is overwhelming, and it can be used to evoke a number of emotional and physical responses in humans. In some cases, the use of color can change one’s appetite, enhance mood, increase memory, or boost attention span. In addition, colors can calm down customers, reduce the perception of wait times, and even encourage sales and conversions.
Color’s Impact on Your Brain
Color has a direct effect on the human brain and the responses that it stimulates in the body. For example, red increases pulse rates by 0.356 points and increases systolic blood pressure. Orange stimulates circulation, increasing oxygen to the brain and boosting productivity. Yellow increases metabolism and can actually trigger a hunger response in humans. Walking in a green environment can reduce one’s heart rate by 11 points in comparison to red or white environments. Blue is encouraged for bedrooms, as studies show that 60 percent of people who sleep in blue-painted rooms wake up happy. Purple is a children’s color, with 75 percent preferring it to any other color. White has the power to make rooms look larger than they are by reflecting sunlight, and the color pink reduces juvenile aggression by 45 percent.
It is because of these responses in humans that color is an important factor in many different settings and industries. Real estate, for example, is one that can be heavily influenced by color as it relates to home design. High-performing colors in a home are light blue, gray, and black. These colors are popular and comfortable, seen as neutral and clean, and can even denote a feeling of luxury or high value. On the other hand, low-performing colors such as brown, red, and cream yellow sell for less, are associated with unfavorable emotions and are not popular colors amongst the general population.
Irish poet and playwright Oscar Wilde once said “Mere color, unspoiled by meaning and unallied with definite form, can speak to the soul in a thousand different ways.” It is from this idea that color theory and color in marketing was born. Experts were able to grasp which colors maximize marketing value and put those facts into motion.
Brands and Their Use of Color
Brands like Target, Ikea, Sesame Street, Roku, Prada, and The Home Depot use the most popular marketing colors to elevate their business. More specifically, Target’s red leads to more conversions and sales than any other color. Ikea’s yellow and blue combination is the most readable to audiences and quells feelings of buyer’s remorse. Sesame Street’s iconic green makes wearers and recipients more creative and encourages action. Roku’s purple denotes power and luxury and is one of the colors that caters mostly to women. Prada’s black is a favorite amongst men and denotes strength and sophistication. Finally, The Home Depot’s orange is an extremely rare brand color that stands out against other competition and speaks for itself.
Bringing it All Together
Using color in marketing is the new age of business. Those who learn to harness this power will be exponentially more successful in their endeavors, winning over both the hearts and brains of their loyal customers.
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Brian Wallace is a Columnist at Grit Daily. He is an entrepreneur, writer, and podcast host. He is the Founder and President of NowSourcing and has been featured in Forbes, TIME, and The New York Times. Brian previously wrote for Mashable and currently writes for Hacker Noon, CMSWire, Business 2 Community, and more. His Next Action podcast features entrepreneurs trying to get to the next level. Brian also hosts #LinkedInLocal events all over the country, promoting the use of LinkedIn among professionals wanting to grow their careers.
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