Color Me Sold! The Effect of Color on Marketing (Part 1 of 2)

Have you ever wondered why walking into a brightly colored room will give you a headache after a short period of time? How about when you’re trying to relax?  Is it no surprise that many people paint their bedrooms in colors that help them to relax such as shades of brown or green?  When it comes to altering our psyche, colors definitely play a significant role.  Therefore, it should be no surprise to find out that many business people are beginning to pay attention to how different colors affect us, and are thus implementing color psychology into their marketing designs.

According to Kendra Van Wagner from About.com:

While perceptions of color are somewhat subjective, there are some color effects that have universal meaning. Colors in the red area of the color spectrum are known as warm colors and include red, orange, and yellow. These warm colors evoke emotions ranging from feelings of warmth and comfort to feelings of anger and hostility.

Color versus Marketing

It may seem absurd to think that the colors we like or dislike might affect whether or not we would want to do business with someone or purchase a product; but as crazy as it may seem, it’s true!  What is your favorite color?  How do certain colors make you feel?  If you are walking through a mall, are you going to go into the store with the festive colors on the walls and the bright lights, or are you going to opt for the store that has the subdued lighting and neutral tones?

Marketing experts have been hard at work trying to figure out which colors have which effect on people.  For example, the Color Marketing Group (CMG) is known for its research and information on the effects of color and marketing, which they then dispense to professionals.  According to CMG, “Color Sells, and the ‘Right’ Colors Sell Better”. CMG goes on to share the following facts:

• Color increases brand recognition by up to 80 percent.
• Color improves readership as much as 40 percent.
• Color accelerates learning from 55 to 78 percent
• Color increases comprehension by 73 percent.
• Color ads are read up to 42 percent more than similar ads in black and white.
• Color can be up to 85 percent of the reason people decide to buy.

Check back in on Wednesday for Part 2 of this post! In the meantime, here are some other sites you may find interesting:

• Color Marketing Group
• Color Symbolism and Psychology
• Color Psychology
• Colors and Moods

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