Understanding Color Psychology in Marketing
The internet is full of these infographics that claim to decode how different colours affect consumer behaviour - red supposedly triggers impulse buys, green assures you that itâs eco-friendly, and pink means you sell to women. Iâve been in the industry for long enough to know that it doesnât always work this way - if it did, there would be no debate and weâd see more monotony in branding. The way I see it, while there is seemingly some research that supports the theory of colour psychology - like this one study that found red backgrounds increased purchases - it can only go so far. Every single colour represents dozens of different traits and meanings, which makes it very easy for a brand to get their messaging wrong by relying solely on a colour palette.
Hereâs what Iâve learned instead: context matters. Some brands are able to subvert established associations and succeed with a bold new approach because they understand where, how, and why their consumers interact with them. A brand selling popcorn may have more luck converting visitors on their site by using a neutral palette instead of yellow - even though yellow is the one that conveys happiness (which leads people to purchase more). So while colour can influence our perceptions of a brand or product, there are many other factors at play.
I think another thing people tend to miss is the role individuality plays in consumer behaviour. Our preferences are fairly not set in stone simply because we belong to certain groups or regions - gender and culture play important roles but they arenât all-defining factors in determining how we perceive specific colours.
And the fact is, most studies on this topic are small-scale or region-specific. This makes it difficult for brands with global ambitions who want to market themselves across cultures. Even though we donât have any definite answers yet, understanding colour psychology will still help inform your decision-making process when choosing a palette for your business.
But rather than approaching it as an absolute rulebook, think of it as guiding principles around which you can build your visual identity based on your audienceâs needs and preferences.
Choosing the Right Colors for Your Brand
Weâve all heard the tired trope that blue means calm, red means energy, and green is for organic brands. Iâve seen so many business owners just scan a colour wheel online, read the first search result that says âyellow is for youth. â and slap it onto everything they own. This is just surface-level thinking, but even huge companies get caught in this trap sometimes.
The reality is, colour theory is far more nuanced than that. Colours have different associations to every single person, depending on their culture, upbringing, education level, favourite colour, last meal and more. People can learn to associate a specific colour with any brand - think Tiffany blue or Cadbury purple.
The meaning of a colour in a marketing context matters less than its use and consistency across platforms and products. The best way to choose the perfect palette for your brand is to do some research into what your competitors are doing and what you want your customers to feel about your brand. More or less.
And then trust your gut. If it feels right, and youâre not matching what everyone else in your industry is doing, youâre likely on the right track. You know your business better than anyone else, so pick the colours that reflect your values and personality and stick with them for a few years at least - or until you have enough money to rebrand without blinking. At the end of the day (I said it), thereâs no such thing as a ârightâ palette for a specific business - because if there were, every single company in the same sector would use it.
It all comes down to building unique associations that help people remember your brand when they want what youâre selling. More or less.
Creating Contrast for Better Visibility
I think most people see contrast as just black and white. Or maybe blue and yellow, if theyâre feeling adventurous. And yes, thatâs technically true. You do need two colours to create contrast, but itâs not quite so simplistic.
Itâs the degree of the difference between them that matters - not just in their colour but in their luminosity too. The reason most websites donât get conversions isnât because people donât want to click a button or buy from you. Itâs because they canât even see the dang button. That alone is why visibility matters so much.
If you find ways to make your content visible through the use of contrasting colours, people are more likely to take note of what youâre saying or selling. But thereâs more to it than just slapping a couple of colours on your website and calling it a day. Some colours simply wonât go together - no matter how well they contrast. That said, you have to figure out which ones do before getting started on designing your site.
And a quick tip for those who want things simple: When in doubt, always go with black or white as one of your contrasting shades. There will be times when you have to play around with certain aspects of your colour palette before it feels right.
Maybe there are hues that seem like they should work but donât look as good as youâd hoped on screen. Thatâs totally normal. I think itâs a fairly common part of working with creative projects like this one - and will help your website be more visible too.
The Role of Color Harmony in User Experience
You know, lots of people think if you simply slap a few visually-pleasing colours together, youâre sorted. The site will look fantastic and your products will fly off the digital shelves. This whole idea about harmony being achieved by mixing hues that are on trend or âwork well togetherâ has been drilled into us for ages.
But what even is colour harmony. And is it really as simple as itâs made out to be. It appears that when done right, using harmonious colour schemes can create visually balanced websites and improve the overall user experience. The key is to ensure that these palettes are pleasing to the eye without being bland or boring.
They should also be consistent throughout your platform or website so users arenât left confused or worse - annoyed by a chaotic array of colours. But thereâs more to it than that. While using similar colours or ones within a specific theme may seem like the easiest way to get this done, colour harmony isnât always about strict uniformity.
Sometimes a little bit of dissonance can actually help you draw attention to important elements like CTAs (call-to-actions) or maybe highlight any special deals or offers youâve got going on. Like most things in life, itâs about achieving the right balance between being safe and playing with some riskier options. And yes, Iâll admit that colour harmony is sort of not always easy to nail down.
There are several factors at play here such as age, gender and cultural nuances which all have an impact on how your users interpret colours. Which means your use of harmonious colour palettes needs to account for who will actually be viewing it at any given time - especially if youâre running an eCommerce business with an international audience.
Testing and Iterating Your Color Choices
Brings To Mind most people assume that selecting a colour palette is often a one-time task, often based on initial preferences or popular trends. They believe that once the colours are set, the design will magically boost conversions. In reality, colour choice isn't a fixed decision; it needs to evolve alongside your audience's responses and preferences.
The process involves continual testing and adjusting to see what actually resonates with users. This means observing analytics, heat maps, and user feedback to determine which colours elicit the desired actions. Sometimes, subtle tweaks in shade or intensity can make all the difference in engagement.
It's about paying attention to details and being open to change. It's quite easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer number of possibilities when it comes to tweaking colours.
The fear of making a mistake or negatively impacting conversions can be paralysing for many designers. However, embracing a culture of experimentation and iteration allows you to uncover valuable insights about your audience's behaviour. Keep in mind that iterating your colour choices is an ongoing process.
As trends shift and your audience evolves, so should your colour palette. Being flexible and responsive ensures that your website remains relevant, visually appealing, and optimised for conversions over time.
Case Studies: Successful Color Palettes in Action
People spend more time on picking the perfect colour palette than is advisable. Research seems to have established that while colours impact our emotional quotient which in turn makes us act, there is more or less no single perfect shade that guarantees conversions. Take from a colleague at Crazy Egg, who tested a green and red CTA button on their website. Guess which one worked better - the red.
While researchers say that blue establishes trust and yellow conveys happiness, they donât say that if you use these shades your sales will double. What matters most when picking your palette is what you want people to remember when they think about your brand. The way I see it, coca colaâs memorable logo is on everything from their website to the packaging on their bottles.
Hubspotâs cheerful primary coral shade speaks of warmth and enthusiasm and sets them apart from every other CRMâs blue palette. The way I see it, heineken is popular for its signature green shade used on both packaging as well as marketing materials. Having a recurring central colour keeps your brand recognisable and when coupled with the right messaging helps you communicate what your product or service is all about.
With skincare brands for example, we usually see simple black and white or white and gold palettes with small pops of colour here and there. This helps you identify the product as a solution for health and also gives it a feeling of being luxurious while still being minimal. Itâs also important to stay curious about how different industries are using colours to convey their message.
As with everything else in the world today, marketing trends too have a cyclical lifespan. Being aware of how industries that are similar to yours are using colour is helpful when trying to establish what is working for them and what isnât just by browsing social media or their website - this ensures you donât look like your competitors with similar looking branding but also allows you to stand out for all the right reasons.