Colors and their psychological influence in Marketing.



Colors speak in many languages. As we verbally communicate to people in different dialects, so also the effect of colors in non-verbal communication. The best example would be the nature. Nature the creative artist has made the best ever color combinations on earth, whether it is in flowers, in butterflies or in other millions of living creatures. We the civilized world had the basic lessons of the uses and impacts of the color from the Mother Nature.

The effect of colors in influencing the mind of the prospective customers is high. Colors represent the moods and the sentiments. It is not a blind symbolic representation but an effective way of communicating the feelings spontaneously and strongly. The changes we observe on earth with the advent of the spring, the blossoming of the colorful plants and the joyful moods of the birds and other living beings all have been so synchronized that it stands testimony to the fact that color do have an effect on the human mind and the living beings. While the nature has used the same for its continuity, reproduction and sustenance, we today make use of the same for our selfish motives more so in getting attracted the target market – the ever expanding clientele, the language of the colors has evolved as an effective marketing tool.


The Use of color in marketing:-

The children are the softest targets of the bright colors. Being unaware about the deep pits of life they tend to carry away by the colors that sparkles and shines that is why we see all wafers, chocolates and toffee wrappers in bright appealing colors. If you are the one who joins the kids in watching the cartoon network you may not have any more reservations on the impact the colors make on these tiny tots. Many intelligent marketers who advertise their baby items or health drinks use dark color combinations for the villain as well as for the heroes as they have realized that it is the child that influence the decision of the elders. Spilling with all dark and dull colors would be most destructive in such situations. Hope you may now appreciate and understand the power of the colors in influencing the young and the old .

It is not only the children who are moved by the colors but every one who has an aesthetic appeal. Nobody would like to see their favorite web site filled with all lifeless and moody colors unless of course the site is something about mourning or of a tragedy. Not only has the web site needs to contain the appropriate colors but also the right combination. A proper mix of colors that is suitable for the occasion and the subject may speak better and convey the right meaning. A site for the holidays need to focus on the colors suitable for the vacation that it offers like blue for a sea side resort, green for the hill resort and the right combination of grey and brown for a historical place. One need not have to read the whole contents to get an idea of the content should the web site is planned to convey the language of the colors.

The influence that the logo and the colors make in the minds of the millions of customers the world over has been kept in view while formulating the web sites of the leaders of all the brands. One may wonder the impact and the impression the logo of the Mercedes Benz the leader of the premium car industry makes in the minds of the prospective buyers. The famous star logo in gray color in their sites stands as the testimony of a well-conceived design and color. The color combination one finds in their web pages attributed to various sales locations the world over speaks volumes of the right selection. While the gray color ornaments the rocky terrain, it is the blue shade in the sea side location at Hong Kong that makes the site distinct. The combination of yellow and black in a neon light night location indicates the apt choice by an adept designer. One may not however conclude that it is the color in the marketing that has the final say! But it does make a beginning in the process of selection. A web site or a television advertisement that cannot induce the interest of the prospective buyer or that cannot motivate the viewer to stay tuned or stay connected can do little in making their product popular.

The R&D department of many a an automobile manufacturer or home products firms knows the value of appealing and innovative colors, that get reflected in their new makes year after year. Think about a product that has not moved along with the changing taste and interests. Quite possibly the product may not be in existence by this time. Most of the branded products whether it is a health drink for the children or a designer fabric has moved well with the changing tastes and time to stay ahead the containers of soft drinks and health drinks are best examples. From the colors of the VIBGYOR the world has moved a lot with the advent of the computer aided designs and colors that allow us to reproduce any color combinations of the nature.

While talking about colors it would be most appropriate to discuss about the basic three color models used in graphic designing. While determining the color to be used one need to understand the nature of business that uses the same, the targeted market or segment, the people, region or age group and a host of other factors. One may well appreciate the colors of the bikes the youngsters use and the colors of other automobiles. The former may be a bit sharp, dark and active to suit the mood and the mind of the rider.
Every color represents a unique characteristic; emotion and personality .It is in fact a symbol of the human mind… The psychology behind the preferred colors itself is in fact a well researched subject that throws light into the benefits of using appropriate colors to reflect the moods of the situations. Can anybody think of sending a single dull colored flower bouquet for a birthday of the loved one? The colors speak the language of the heart and needs careful planning and attention so as not to lose the intensity in the communication. Let us come back to the three basic color combinations.

Color models or combinations:-

The basic color combinations used in the graphic designs are CMYK, RGB and Pantone.

The first one that is CMYK is best suggested for printed images. The abbreviation that stands for cyan, Magenta, Yellow and black. This is best suited in printing the full color photographs and results in reduction of printing costs as it support more number of printable colors. One has to bear in mind that the same is not suitable for single color printing and they do not come in metallic, silver or gold that is called the spot inks.
The second model that is called the RGB, the Red Green and Blue is best suited for web designs. The display devices have one great advantage that they need to spend little on colors. One can be liberal in using the colors of course not make it gaudy or too much expressive. As already indicated there is no limitation for the innovation in shades in the present day scenario supported by computer aided designs and colors.

The best color model for the logos is the pantone color. They are also suited for the corporate brochure as it gives the exact appearance as it appears in the non-print media such as web site or Television. This also tends to give consistency. However they are best suited in plain paper rather than on glossy ones.

The psychological impacts of the colors are beyond words. Each color distinctively represents a mood, response and an impression though this may also vary with combinations and Medias. There are some common principles to the psychological side of the colors .let us see what language these colors speak to the world. The country culture and the custom also add to the meaning of the colors yet universally they convey some common meaning across the globe and the cross section of communities.

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  1. #1 by mlm prelaunch - May 17th, 2009 at 21:44

    Nice color information. This is the first time I've known colors to have meaning with marketing..:)

  2. #2 by hampers - July 16th, 2009 at 20:52

    The simplest way to explain things is like the way you compare the color in relation to marketing. A nice gift of info

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