We recently read an article in Real Business about colour psychology and brands. The logo is the first thing people see when they view your brand. Out of 2000 UK adults 53% say familiarity makes them trust the brand logo more*. So, it is important to create a logo that is memorable and coincides with the themes and ideology of the brand.
Coca-Cola has been voted Britain’s most popular logo*. Why? Well the psychology of colour might help. The colour red is bright and eye-catching, it also can make us feel impulsive**, which is something Coca-Cola has grasped onto with its latest adverts about ‘Impulsive Moments.’ The mixture of eye-catching and impulsiveness related to a product makes us feel that it is the perfect drink to buy in any situation. So, if you’re in a hurry? Coca-Cola. You’re having family and friends over? Coca-Cola. It seems to be imprinted on everyone’s mind.
From this case study it seems obvious that colour and logo design is a key part to making a business, it is an image that will stick with your business. Many colours have emotions and attitudes related to them. Brands are associated with different colours and for good reason too. For example; yellow can be seen as comfort and warmth. McDonalds has yellow on their logo signalling to the public they can rely on them, along with its impulsive red which makes people instinctively choose it**. Blue often is related to trust, hence why many tech companies have this as their colour as security is high on the agenda. Often colours will mean different things in different contexts, for example the colour green can mean health, Nuffield Health opted for green branding, or it can mean peaceful, Starbucks is a go to place for many to relax or work.
Picking a colour scheme can be hard but as the company behind the colour psychology research, 99designs, recommends ask yourself six questions when creating a brand: how do you define your brand gender, tone, value, time, age and energy?*.
At Smart Cow, we know that one size does not fit all, so a red for one brand just may not be right for you. That’s why when it comes to digital marketing and inbound marketing, we always recommend a mix and match approach for your campaign.
Sources: *Realbusiness.co.uk and **Cosmopolitan