The importance of colors

Published on 17 October 2022
The importance of colors

The impact of color on our daily decisions

"In 85% of cases, color is the most important and decisive factor in making unconscious decisions." - Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman, founder of behavioural economics.

Most of our daily decisions we make unconsciously based on color. Even when we buy a product or find a certain brand more attractive than another, this is often related to color. Color is in fact a very important factor in decision making and can influence your behavior. The trick is to make sure that the colors you choose reflect the associations you want your audience to have with your brand.

What can colors do?

Colors, on the one hand, evoke emotions and feelings in people. Relaxation, enthousiasm, joy, trust, restlessness... On the other hand, a color can convey information or be a warning. Think, for example, of the colors of a traffic light. Each color describes a different feeling and evokes different emotions. So colors for a logo, corporate identity or design are best not chosen randomly. It is important to think about this carefully. There are several reasons why a certain color may or may not be interesting for your brand.

Which color says what?

Yellow represents warmth, optimism and logic. This color is good for your concentration and has an inspiring effect. Often, yellow needs the support of a counterpoint to come into its own fully. This color is often found in entertainement brands, among others. E.g. Amazon and McDonald's.

Orange is a friendly and enthusiastic color. Moreover, it radiates self-confidence and independence. This color is often used in the corporate identity of amusement parks, sports or artistic professions. E.g. Zalando and Fanta.

Red represents passion, boldness, strength, youthfulness and impulsiveness. It exudes a sense of energy, sensuality and strength. Many brands use this color in their corporate identity as it is a versatile color that evokes many emotions. E.g. Ferrari and of course PrintSimple!

Pink is the feminine color of romance. However, pink not only represents femininity, but also innovation, renewal and refreshment. It often gives the feeling of getting a different perspective on something that has been around for a long time. E.g. LG and Lyft.

Purple represents creativity, imagination, softness and to some extend mystery. The color is often used in logo's that want to convey some form of innovation and class. E.g. Yahoo! and Milka.

Blue is associated with stability, security, trust and responsibility. Often, companies such as social networks, banks and insurance companies want to exude security and reliability by using the color blue. E.g. Facebook and American Express.

Green is identified as a peaceful color that evokes association of health, peace and nature. This color is often used to create a relaxing atmosphere. An ecological ans organic origin is also often emphasized with this color. E.g. Spotify and Starbucks.

Black represents power, elegance, timeless style and authority. It also exudes mystery and drama ans is often used as a contrasting color to highlight, accentuate and better showcase the main color. Because black exudes class and style, the color is often used with luxury and exclusive brands. E.g. Chanel and Adidas.

White is a color of innocence, purity and neutrality. It radiates peace and tranquility. White is easy to combine with other colors. Because of this, brands often use it as a base color and as a contrast against another color, representing the main color. E.g. Mini and Apple.

Your brand and color

  • Color increases the brand awareness of your brand, company or product.
  • 85% of consumers choose a product based on the visual aspect.
  • Colors are the first thing we remember about a product or brand.

The color of a product or logo immediately tells what you stand for and which target group you appeal to. A proper integration of colors, aligned with corporate identity, values, target group and region leads to higher brand recognition, better customer journey, higher conversion and greater sales. Colors give a certain feeling and are a part of good content. The influence of colors provides the correct associations with a company or brand and creates a form of recognition. Because colors influence your brain and emotions, it is a powerful component within content creation. It's something to think about carefully and make sure it works in your and your company's favor and creates additional brand value with it.

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