Color is everywhere. Colors make us consciously aware of different emotions. They can have a profound effect on our emotional well-being. Colors make a definite statement when you are talking about brand. It can be vital to the success of your overall branding to make the right statement about your business.
What does it say?
The concept in color theory is the “60-30-10 Rule”. A color scheme should have three colors and the colors should be used 60%, 30% and 10% of the time. So how do you choose just the right color to represent your business? And what shade of that color should you use? Does choosing a dark green over a light green really make that big of a difference?
Color theory and emotion
In order to help you decide what “60%” color you should choose for your color scheme, we have compiled a short list of popular colors with a brief summary of what branding experts believe to be the corresponding emotions conveyed through the use of that color.
red creates passion, appetite, urgency
Red is the color of love, power, passion, strength, and the color of fire and blood. An energizing and stimulating color, too much red can cause risk taking, irritation and even anger. Many businesses utilize the color red to create a sense of urgency among shoppers intent on finding bargains. Some of the more prominent companies that use the color red in their primary branding are McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, and Target.
yellow generates warmth, youth, fun
In many cultures around the world, the color yellow represents the sun. This creates feelings of fun and cheerfulness. However, like staring into the sun, staring at the yellow for a long time can result in eye strain and fatigue. Yellow is often used in marketing and advertising to attract attention, but it is also associated with caution and warnings. Some prominent companies that use yellow in their branding are Best Buy, Sprint, McDonald’s and Hertz.
green talks about health, wealth, growth
Green is the most relaxing color for the human eye and it is a color often used to represent health, vitality, and wealth. Green is used in both retail and office spaces to encourage relaxation. Green is also interpreted as a safe color – in both stop lights and directions, green means go! Some companies that use green in their branding include Whole Foods, Starbucks, John Deere and Tropicana.
blue designates calm, productive, secure
Blue is historically known as a “cold” color, and in many cultures it is automatically associated with both the sky and the ocean. Blue has been associated with trust, calmness, productivity, serenity, and can instill a sense of perpetuity.
Blue is an extremely popular color in business branding. Some prominent brands that primary use blue are General Electric, Ford, Facebook, Dell and American Express.
So, if you are hitting the internet, searching color theory for your business, review this list of primary colors to chart the course for your own branding campaign.
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