Colour Connotations – Choosing Colours For Your Branding
What is the most recognisable brand you can think of? Wherever you are in the world, we are confident that ‘Coca-Cola’ would have been in your top 10. The Coca-Cola red is synonymous for the brand. In fact they are so powerful, they are accredited to changing the colour of Santa’s suit (but that is actually a myth). The colour you choose for you branding can have such an impact on your business as it can become how your customers recognise you.
In order to design an effective logo and build a successful brand image, you will need to have some insight to the psychology of colour. Different colours make us think of different things. For example, the natural colour of canvas bags has become recognisable as a colour of sustainability and eco-conscious branding. This is because we subconsciously recognise that there is little dye in the material and acknowledge that as an environmentally friendly choice made by the brand. Natural coloured branding is also so commonly used it has become fashionable. This is the sort of connotations and associations you should be aware of when you are crafting your printed bags, packaging or branding designs. Ensure you are creating an accurate and effective brand image by reading more:
Think About Your Audience
Studies indicate that men and women subconsciously react to colours differently. Consider who you want to market towards and pick your colour accordingly. 57% of men polled in a colour psychology study stated that yellow or blue were their favourites whilst 35% of women cited the same colours as their favourites. This suggests that both yellow and blue are a good option if your brand is geared towards both men and women.
Think About Your Pricing
Did you know that different colours have different connotations of affordability? A survey indicates that orange branding is associated with affordability. For example, EasyJet and Amazon are huge conglomerates that feature bold, bright orange in their logos. EasyJet utilise orange because it generates a feeling of warmth and associations with the sun – very apt. for a holiday company – but also subconsciously encourages positive emotions towards the brand. Yellow, in contrast, is often considered innovative and used for tech companies or design brands, like IKEA.
Black is known to represent luxury and power. A classic black brand colour can ooze sophistication and power. This is appropriate for deluxe brands aiming for high-end clients and is often used in fashion brands – Chanel or YSL being prime examples. Similarly, black or bold, dark colours are also associated with confidence and divisiveness. Therefore, they are often used for ‘serious’ businesses.
If you are aiming for more up-market customers, monochrome is a good option; technology giants like Apple, car manufacturers and clothing brands that want to justify their prices or promote the quality of their products, tend to stick to monochrome. Monochrome is also a fantastically dramatic and effective colour scheme to carry over to packaging and printed bags. Consider a black cotton bag with bold, white text in a house font or a bright white logo… It might be tried and true but it’s also eye catching and timeless!
Colours and Emotions
This chart shows a mix of luxury and budget brands and demonstrates the emotion that consumers have assigned to them. What do you want your brand to invoke in your customers? Are your products dependable and built to last? Are you creative and exciting and perhaps a bit funky? Consider your own connotations of colour before deciding for your brand! Also, read up on Pantone’s colours of 2019 for a sure fire way to incorporate the most popular colours of 2019 with your branding update!
Research shows that 80% of consumers buy because of colour. That means your branding can have a huge influence on consumer’s buying decisions if you get it right. Contact The Printed Bag Shop for help designing and ordering new printed paper bags and packaging.