Color Matters – more than you may think. Before your potential customer reads the first word on your newspaper ad, brochure, website or even your business card, they will see color – or the lack of.

Color works - Color can differentiate between products that may seem to have no other difference between them: Coca-Cola has designated itself as the “red” brand as opposed to Pepsi’s “blue” in the cola wars. Tiffany has its signature blue box; it has become synonymous with upscale quality, sophistication and luxury, a practice the company has used since 1837 - and have trademarked both their boxes and their unique and distinct robin egg’s blue - which is now known as “Tiffany Blue.” And then there’s UPS, whose signature colors are brown and gold. Brown is the dominant color – safe, dependable, reliable brown. They’ve even used it in their marketing campaign: “What can brown do for you?” and used the color to emphasize and strongly brand their company name. In 1998, UPS also registered trademarks on the color brown to prevent other delivery service companies from cashing in on their successful branding strategy. Working with your designer, you can do the same…put color to work for you.

Color speaks - it’s easy enough that a child can fill in the blanks: Green means ___ Red means ___ A friend told me once that his preschoolers, after riding with their mother told him that...and then added that yellow means “go faster, go faster!” But that, as they say, is another story....

Colors have come to be associated with meanings, and colors work because these meanings can influence your target market in subconscious, conscious and even physical ways. So with such a strong effect on them in mind and body, it’s important to recognize the true value in choosing colors for your graphic projects because when promoting your goods and services, every advantage helps.

You may wonder how color affects your customers. For an example, think of colors that are usually termed as “cool” colors, such as pale blues and greens. They are usually thought to be calm and relaxing and are associated with nature as well. Now stop and think about what products are often associated with those colors: soaps, shampoos, body washes – all products that are usually advertised to offer natural cleanliness and promise a relaxing, calming experience. Now compare that with so-called “hot colors” bright reds, oranges and vibrant yellows and the products most often associated with them – Fast-food restaurants, spicy foods and energy drinks, and a lot of children’s toys are marketing using these vibrant, high-energy colors.

It’s also important to recognize that colors can be used in a cultural as well as a commercial context. The use of certain colors encourages your customers to make purchases – or likewise convince them otherwise. For example, white in the Western world signifies weddings and purity, but in Eastern cultures, it is the color of mourning. Studies have shown that people from warm countries respond more favorably to warm colors; people from colder climates prefer the cooler colors.

Click on the colors blocks to learn more about each individual color. [back to top]

Color Meanings
red | yellow | blue | green | brown | purple |white | black | color wheel