How to choose the color palette for your brand
Studies indicate that 60% of people decide whether or not to be attracted to a brand and its message based on the color.
Color is the first thing people see and plays a fundamental role in how the brand is perceived.
I know that choosing the right color palette can take your time and become a real challenge.
"Which color to choose?"
"How many colors does it include in the palette?"
"Do these colors reflect my brand?"
There are so many questions, and I know that for a busy entrepreneur like you, this, which should be the most enjoyable part, can actually get stressful.
And so here I am to clarify those concepts that will help you create the visual identity for your brand without wasting time searching for all the information here and there.
Before choosing the color palette, I recommend that you read the article on Steps to create the brand to get an overview of the basic steps you need to take before defining the right color palette for your brand.
STEP 1 - Understanding the Psychology of Color
As you may know, each color is associated with an emotion and a feeling. Understanding these basic principles can help you define the best color palette for your brand.
Yellow is a color that represents happiness, positivity and curiosity. It is used to encourage the user to pay attention. This is why, it is usually used in design as a call-to-action (CTA) button
• Yellow is used in those industries that offer quickly accessible products while you will hardly see it used on those cheap products.
• Blue is a color perceived as serene, self-confident and trustworthy. This is why it is mainly used in the financial sector, the cleaning sector and the air, water and maritime sectors.
• Purple is seen as a color of royalty, luxury and sophistication.
It is mainly used in products for women and children, in the academic sector ,and in the health and financial sector.
• Red, on the other hand, is often associated with energy, passion but also with danger. Like the yellow color, it is used to grab the user's attention. It is commonly used by brands in the food, entertainment and media industries.
• Orange typically signifies joy, creativity, energy and youth. It is mainly used in sports, travel and activities aimed at young people.
• Brown, on the other hand, is usually associated with nature and utility and is often used in the construction industry and legal affairs.
• Black indicates professionalism, elegance and authority. It is used in the fashion industry.
• Green is usually associated with nature and balance. It is usually used in the health and fitness industry, as well as, in nature-related industries.
STEP 2 - Brand personality
Now that you know the basics, it's time to talk about your brand personality and color.
What does the personality of the brand have to do with color?
Everything: The personality of your brand is expressed through colors
Colors influence how consumers perceive the personality of the brand
For example, Eithiad and Easyjet are two brands belonging to the same sector but completely different. The former uses a simple yet elegant font with gold color and positions itself as a luxury brand that expresses formality and elegance, while the latter chooses an orange to represent a more accessible and informal service.
It is essential to define the personality of the brand that best describes your business.
Is your business fun, friendly and down-to-earth or is your brand sophisticated and elegant? Identify the adjectives that make your brand different from others.
Each adjective can be translated into a color, using the psychology of color we talked about earlier.
An important thing to emphasize is to consider that the meaning of color depends on context, culture, and personal experience. So, keep in mind that color associations can vary from culture to culture.
STEP 3 - Define your color palette
Now is the time to use Pinterest.
Having defined the personality traits of the brand and knowing some basic principles of color, you can create a secret pin board that encompasses all these aspects and expresses the look and feel you want your brand to communicate. From the images you then chose on your pin board, you can define your color palette with up to five colors.
Keep in mind that you can create three different color combinations depending on the type of color palette you want:
• Monochromatic color palette
• Analogous palette of colors
• Complementary color palette
Whichever type of combination you decide to go for, don't forget to include both light and dark tones.
Finally, it is necessary to define the dominant colors, usually two, the accent colors and the neutrals.
And here you are! You have finally created a color palette for your brand that will help you connect with your audience.
Now is the time to use this color palette frequently and consistently across all marketing material from social media graphics, to the website, presentations, reports, and infographics.
If you can't find the perfect color palette for your brand, book a free call with us