What are the right brand colors for success in business?

As you think about and create the visual elements of your brand, you’ll have a big decision to make — which colors will work best for it.

And it’s not a choice to be taken lightly.

It can be tempting to choose your colors based on personal taste. You might even want to pick something at random.

But there is a great deal of color psychology that applies to business branding. It’s what will help you determine the right colors that inspire trust and confidence in your business.

Understand What Colors Represent

Different hues and shades can enhance — or detract — from the look of the brand.

But appreciating which ones to use and understanding how they affect people emotionally is a fine art.

Knowing what specific colors mean in business will help you choose the ones that will resonate with customers.

Bright colors – Bring in the light with colors that represent playfulness, energy, and vibrancy. McDonalds, Slack, and Google use bright colors throughout their marketing to entertain and engage.

Dark colors – Deeper shades invoke professionalism and confidence. Black, gray, dark red and blue inject sophistication into financial firms, legal offices, and other service-based businesses.

Bold colors – Going bold with color displays power and confirms that those using it are not afraid of taking risks. Gitlab and Aaptiv use bold colors to create visual interest.

Lighter colors – Brands using soft pastels and whimsical hues to exhibit class and calmness. Skincare, home, and lifestyle products often use radiant colors to conjure feelings of peace and tranquility.

There are immediate associations that we, as consumers, already have for specific industries.

For instance, you’ll find blue and white used to show confidence and safety, while green displays health, growth, and wellness.

As you go about deciding which colors to incorporate into your brand, keep in mind the industry standard. It will give you a starting point in picking the best marketing colors that will sell your business.

Using Color to Create an Emotional Response

Different industries use familiar, specific color mixtures to create psychological responses. For example, restaurants generally use brighter colors like red, orange, and yellow.

These colors are thought to subconsciously spark hunger and make you want a juicy burger and side of fries.

If you want to see this in action, pay attention to packaged foods on the shelf the next time you visit the grocery store.

Most of them will incorporate some variation of these colors to grab people’s attention.

The emotional responses tied to color creates a bond with consumers, and builds positive associations with your brand.

Questions to Ask When Choosing Colors

Before creating the visual elements and marketing materials for your brand, you need to know who the business serves.

Gendered and Non-gendered Colors
Is your brand more masculine? Maybe choosing colors that are gray, brown, or black would give your brand a rugged look.

Do you think of your business as being more feminine? Perhaps you might consider using pastels and white to present your brand as graceful and playful.

Sometimes a brand is neither masculine or feminine. In this case, you have the freedom to play around with color and experiment with different combinations to surprise and stimulate the eye.

Colors with Personality
Are you in the business of providing fun and friendly service? Brighter colors might be more your speed.

Do you consider the brand to be serious and professional? Darker, cool colors like blue and green will help you present yourself as competent and trustworthy.

Maybe your company wants to make a statement? Then go big and get loud by combining bold oranges, reds, and violets.

Showing Your Age
Is the brand in a conservative industry? Financial, medical, and academic institutions have a general color scheme they stick to. Blue, red, violet, and green are often combined with gold to display knowledge and experience.

Perhaps your business is targeting a younger crowd? If you want to get this group’s attention, you’ll need to use bright, cheerful colors. Red, pink, yellow, orange will help you get there.

An easy way to help you determine your brand “color” is to describe it. Use single words and phrases as descriptors.

This method is a way to quickly connect your business with an emotional trigger and corresponding color.

Common Colors are Used for Different Industries

There are certain commonalities in color you’ll find across different industries It’s in these trends that successful brands are built.

Restaurants, Packaged Food, & Candy
We’ve mentioned that restaurants and packaged foods use red in their branding. But other companies selling pastries, ice cream, and candy will also combine blue, pink, and yellow in their products.

Airlines
Airlines want to portray reliability and trust, which is why you’ll find blue and red used in their branding. There are some outliers, though. German airliner Lufthansa and Spirit Airlines use yellow in their branding to exhibit excitement and happiness.

Auto, Truck and Shipping Manufacturers
You’ll find that most transportation brands stick with colors representing strength, quality, and more importantly — power. Gray, black, blue, and red are some of the most common colors you’ll see for these businesses.

Pharmaceuticals
Most brands in the pharmaceutical category use blue since it’s one of the most common colors associated with the medical industry. However, brands like GlaxoSmithKline and Merck use orange and purple to break away from the industry standard.

Finding Success Through Context

When it comes to using your brand colors wisely, it’s all about context. You know what your company represents, but what do you want people to take away from the brand?

Disney and Coca-Cola have fans who love the brand so much that they incorporate it into their everyday lives.

And how did these famous brands do it? It was more than mouse ears and the color red.

In addition to using color, they also used iconic characters, designs, and storytelling to captivate and fascinate their audience.

You’ll also need this to build a successful brand and gain recognition in the industry.

Conclusion

Finding the right colors to ensure the success of your brand boils down to recognizing how they portray your business.

Identify how you want customers to feel about your company. What type of emotional response do you want them to have when they interact with your brand?

The answer to this will help guide you as you pick the perfect colors for your business.