When planning an advertisement, a lot of work goes into the wording and message behind the ad. However, the colors used in an advertisement can make just as much of an impact. For instance, choosing an appropriate color can mean the difference between someone choosing a product or deciding to pass it by. Yet it isn’t as simple as a color being attractive or having a universally acknowledged emotion attached to it.
Instead, color is more dependent on personal experience as opposed to yellow meaning optimism, orange meaning friendly, gray meaning balance, blue meaning trust, and so on. How someone has experienced a color in their own life directly influences how they feel when seeing that color in an advertisement. Does this mean there is no way to properly use color to influence a sale? Not necessarily.
Context is key. In the same way that personal experience influences how a color is received, context can provide some of the same benefits as a positive experience with a specific color. For instance, green and red are highly recognized as colors for Christmas. For a Christmas sale, it makes good sense to use that combination of color, even though some may not specifically enjoy those colors. The message will still be clear.
Even further, the perceived appropriateness of color plays a role. Having a perceived personality can sell something as much as other marketing efforts. For instance, a more rugged company that makes motorcycles or power tools wouldn’t make as much sense if it used pastel purples and pinks in their branding unless they were being specifically marketed to women or for a particular use. Using bolder browns or grays, however, would make them stand out more as a rugged or cool type of brand.
Studies have also suggested that our brains prefer recognizable brands, in which color plays a role. This is where bold colors in logos come into play. If a competitor uses blue, using red in your own logo will help you stand out against them. Making a sign or logo with colors that make an impact while giving your brand more individuality against the competitors is helpful.
Predicting a consumer’s reaction to color is more important than the color itself. While selecting an attractive hue is certainly significant, finding a good color that will grab attention while staying appropriate for the product will have a better effect on your signage. If you are unsure of where to start with choosing colors for your signs and marketing efforts, contact us today. Our team has the experience to understand the impact of different colors on passersby.
