Guest post by Logan R. Grayson
Whether or not your business will become successful is determined by numerous factors, many of which are outside your control. But business owners and managers can still do a lot to give their businesses a better chance to prosper. One of those decisions is choosing the range of colors you’re going to use to brand your business.
Colors and perceptual illusions The extent to which colors can play tricks on our mind is astonishing. They impact the way we see the reality in numerous ways. First of all, we have to know that colors influence the way we perceive space. Brighter colors tend to create an illusion of larger space, while darker shades visually shrink space around us. Secondly, warm and cold colors aren’t called that way for no reason. People might perceive orange, red and yellow as warm colors, while the blue spectrum is often attributed as the cold one. In this study, the scientists from Washington University of St. Louis have found some interesting facts about this claim.
Emotions – our true rulers Social and business occasions are both driven by emotions. Although we can learn how to suppress and control them by developing emotional intelligence (as Daniel Goleman described it in his study), very often the first reaction we have is an instinctive one. So, when we’re thinking about colors in the business to business marketing context, some scientific findings should be taken into consideration about the types of emotions that different colors produce in people.
• Creativity When we are asked to think in a creative way, we have to open our mind. According to some authors, green is a real creativity booster. In addition to that, John Cleese has held a great lecture on creativity, which can be helpful in business terms, as well. So, if you have a business dealing with nature, give your business premises and documents a hint of green.
• Tranquility Oddly enough, pink is believed have a soothing and calming effect. Also, if you want your store or office space to stay emotionally neutral, then blue is the most appropriate color. In addition, a combination of white (utter serenity) and red (passion) could be pretty stimulating for a balanced business color.
Paint your business paths The great thing about colors and their interesting use in business promotion is that they can actually symbolize your enterprise. Like Vodafone (red and white) or French Orange Telecom, whose colors and brand associations that come with it are inserted deep in our mind, you can also try to give your visual appeal a unique look. For instance, if you sell toys, then blue and pink are obvious choices for boys’ and girls’ departments, respectively. So, if you decide to produce some business promo items, like custom water bottles, you should let that color of yours dominate those products and serve as a symbol of your business uniqueness. The choice of color for representing your business could be more crucial in marketing terms than hundreds of thousands of dollars. Even if your first choice turns out to be unsuccessful, keep experimenting, doing focus groups and redesigning your brand until your venture really starts working with flying colors.
About the author: Logan R. Grayson spent part of his life keeping up with the latest developments in marketing, online writing and technology trends in general. In his spare time he enjoys reading comics and walking his dog, Speck. Connect with Logan on Twitter, Google+ or Facebook