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The truth about colours
It’s true, colours can have a pretty big impact on bodies and minds. Scientists have known colours can influence our body’s physiology and mental states. In a famous study by Dr.Wohlfarth a scientist who studied colour treatment on sick patients in the 60’s – The doc experimented on the colour environment of 14 handicapped children and using a particular combination of colours resulted in a measurable change in blood pressure and a decrease in aggressive behavior. The science of colours has been used by market researchers and designers to determine how best to apply this knowledge to influence customer’s perceptions of businesses.
The power of colours stimulates our nervous system and evokes emotional states. The colours of our environment travels through our eyes to our brain causing various hormonal releases.
Understanding these means that you can sell to customers without ever saying anything.
The meaning of colours and your business
The meaning of colours varies depending on one’s culture, race, gender, and even age. So, it isn’t just the selection of colours in general but also which colours to use with your target customers. For instance, white is often associated with weddings in western cultures and is often related to innocence. In many eastern cultures though, white signifies death – it is the colour worn at funerals.
Colours can be combined to signify meaning to a culture. In the western world, green and red are associated with Christmas, while green and gold stand for almost any Australian national sporting team.
Several large brand name companies are associated with their corporate colours. IBM’s blue signifies stability and conservatism. Cadbury purple represents luxury and passion (and chocolate). A colour can be connected to a product like Coke; in the bold red packaging, you will be surprised how quickly you think ‘coke’ when you see red in a shopping centre aisle.
Choosing colours to associate with your brand can have a subtle but measurable difference on your business.
| White: Pure. Clean. Youthful. It’s a neutral colour that can imply purity in fashion and sterilization in the medical profession. | |
| Black: Power. Elegant. Secretive. The colour black can target your high-end market or be used in youth marketing to add mystery to your image. | |
| Red: Passion. Excitement. Danger. Red is the colour of attention, causing the blood pressure and heart rate to rise. Use red to inject excitement into your brand. | |
| Orange: Vibrant. Energy. Play. Add fun to your business or create a playful environment for your customers. | |
| Yellow: Happy. Warm. Alert. Yellow can be an attractor for your business with a relaxed feeling. | |
| Green: Natural. Healthy. Plentiful. To create a calming effect or growth image choose green. | |
| Purple: Royalty. Wise. Celebration. You can add some purple tones to your look to appear more as a premium service business. | |
| Blue: Loyal. Peaceful. Trustworthy. Blue is the most popular and neutral colour on a global scale. A safe choice for a business building customer loyalty. |
Consider how these colours are used in your company marketing materials from logos and brochures to business cards and uniforms. Are your colours projecting the personality and image you want? If not, you might want to re-think your colour choices…
In the end, remember colours are associated to meaning. A white flag means surrender, however, if you have never seen a war the colour in that scenario is insignificant. It all depends on the experiences of the observer. Consider your colours and customers to best choose the winning colour for your needs.