What colors have you chosen for your promotional imprinted products? What were your reasons for making that particular choice? Was it because you liked those colors or did you have a certain marketing message in mind? While visual appeal is an important consideration, your color choices could be sending a specific message to the people who view them. Are you sure you know what that message is?
In a previous article I wrote about the impact colors have on people--color by color. It might be worth reading because each color has positive & negative aspects that elicit reactions from all of us & you can see what emotions your colors evoke.
Color & the impact it has on your company identity is very important to the overall success of your business. Colors set the emotional tone & play a big part in how people react to your company. Many times it's more subconscious than conscious.
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For instance have you noticed that most fast food restaurants are decorated with vivid reds & oranges? It's no accident that these colors show up so frequently. Studies have shown that reds & oranges encourage diners to eat quickly & leave......and that's exactly what fast food outlets want you to do.
Market research shows it's not just chance that you see a lot or reds & blacks on adult websites. These are thought to have sexual connotations.
Now here is where I say nothing is written in stone......my website is red & black & my logo is red, black & white. And believe me when I chose those colors, sex was not on my mind nor did I want to get your attention subliminally with those colors. First & foremost, red is my favorite color & I chose it to go along with black & white because I liked the contrast & it was an attention grabber. But before I decided on the colors, I read about them. I opted for black because it depicted sophistication & red is dramatic, energizing, creative & it steals the show. And that's the message I wanted to convey: we're an energetic, sophisticated company that's strong on creativity.
Ever notice that children's books, toys & websites usually contain large blocks of bright, primary colors? Young children prefer these colors & respond more positively than they do to pastels or muted tones.
Jaguar is a luxury car with a luxury website. There's a predominance of black (sophistication) & silver (prestige). Jaguar markets to people with high incomes who view themselves as sophisticated & look for a prestigious vehicle.
The Xerox Corp conducted a study with merchants & business owners across the country to evaluate just how important color was to their customers & to the general public when it came to marketing. Here are the results:
92% believed color presents an image of impressive quality
90% felt color assisted in attracting new customers
90% believed customers remembered presentations & printed material better when color was used.
83% believed color makes them appear more successful
81% thought color gives them a competitive edge
76% believed that the use of color makes their business appear larger to clients
Market researchers have had a field day identifying colors & the likely effect they have on us.
The effects of color differ among different cultures, so the attitudes & preferences of your target audience should be considered when you plan your advertising campaigns.
For example, white is the color of death in the Chinese culture & it's never worn to a wedding--not by the bride or by the guests. Yet, in western cultures, white means purity & is worn by the bride & guests at weddings. Purple represents death in Brazil, but in the US & many European countries it depicts royalty or wisdom. Yellow is sacred to the Chinese, but signifies sadness in Greece & jealousy in France.
Color also effects shopping habits: impulse shoppers respond best to red, black & royal blue; shoppers who stick to budgets respond best to pink, light & navy blue & teal; traditionalists respond best to pastels.
So how can you put this information to use?
Give some thought to the message you want to send & to the psychology of the recipient. Who is your market? What are their demographics? What message do you want to send them? How do you want them identify with you? Then choose your colors accordingly.
Last, but not least, don't forget about your company colors. Did you choose them because they were your favorites? That works if they're compatible with the message you're trying to relay about your company. If they give a different message, then save that color for when you repaint your bedroom & think what color best describes the mission of your business & your product or service.
Your company colors deserve as much, if not more, attention than the other details you took time to plan. They should not take a back seat. It's the first thing someone will notice about your business & most likely be a huge factor in company identity. Research shows people make a subconscious judgement about a product within 90 seconds after seeing & between 62% & 90% of that assessment is based on color alone. So don't under estimate the power of color.
One last figure to consider when selecting your company color or colors--color increases brand recognition by up to 80%.
Look at the logos & advertising around you & think of the major colors being used. How do they make you feel? Do they represent the product or service & is the correct message coming across to you? What colors would you have selected if you were asked for your opinion?
I hope this helps you in promoting your business. Good luck!
IT'S YOUR COMPANY......SHOW IT OFF!!!
Ronni Sherman
Well written. Full of information.
ReplyDeleteAwesome, and very true the color is most important for any promotional products like pen, promotional pens is One of the best and cheap ways to advertise any businesses or products
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