Have you ever felt blue? Or maybe green with envy? Or have been so optimistic your friends describe you as “sunshine”? These phrases may be equated to the study of color psychology. Color Psychology is the study of how different colors affect human behaviors. Why does this matter to us as entrepreneurs?

If we know what certain colors communicate , then we’ll be able to use them wisely in our branding and marketing. 

Before we dive too deep into color, let us preface. The truth is, you won’t finish this article and change your brands colors to the best colors for marketing––those don’t exist. The hope is that you complete this blog and understand the impact and importance of color usage and be inspired to do more research on your own. Also, like many of our other blogs, we want to encourage you to be thoughtful about what your brand communicates and who is your audience. Once you know your target audience and desired message, choosing a few colors to communicate that message well should be a piece of cake.

Why are we talking about colors? Partially because 85-90 percent of buyers claim that color plays an important role in their purchases. Why? Because color speaks largely to a brand’s personality and identity. For example, while remodeling your home, you may want to make a single stop for quality home improvement items, where do you go? Maybe Lowe’s topped the list. It’s bold blue logo communicates trust, dependability and strength. Let’s dive into some other colors and see what they’re trying to communicate.

Red

The color red creates a sense of power and urgency. Like a stop sign or a clearance sale sign––this color serves as a powerful and attention-grabbing tool. Red communicates energy and can physically stimulate the body by heightening your heart rate and blood pressure. It also encourages appetite––which is why it is often by many fast food companies.. Red is associated with movement, excitement and gets people to act. Need an eye-catching call-to-action button on your website? Maybe red is the way to go.

Blue

While red conveys aggression, blue delivers quite the opposite approach. Blue conveys peace, reliability and tranquility. Blue stimulates productivity, and brands commonly use this color to promote trust. It is often viewed as a positive color that may invoke security and responsibility. Have you ever thought about why billions of people trust Facebook with valuable information? Or why many credit card companies are blue [Chase, American Express, Visa, etc.]? If you’re looking for your product or service to promote trust and peace, blue is the color for you.

Green

Green is often associated with money, health, and nature. Lighter shades of green can even be viewed as calming and can stimulate harmony. It is often used by brands to promote relaxation and oftentimes promote environmental issues.

Purple

This color has been traditionally associated with wisdom, royalty and prosperity. Studies show that purple can stimulate problem-solving and creativity in the brain. It is commonly used in brands that promote beauty and anti-aging products.

Yellow

Yellow is the spokes-color of happiness! It’s viewed as a very optimistic color that often grabs attention and invokes excitement. Many studies have shown that yellow actually releases a chemical in your brain called serotonin––the chemical that positively stimulates your brain. 

Gray/Black

These colors are similar in that when used too frequently, it can become depressing or mundane. But black and gray do have a place in your branding! Black can communicate confidence, boldness and authority while gray conveys practicality and solidarity. When used appropriately black and gray both deliver strong messages.

White

While white can look plain and boring, it communicates cleanliness and minimalist values. White can also be associated with purity, security and even neutrality. White space can also help encourage creativity.

Pro-Tip: Do a little A/B testing and try different color options to see what colors suit your brand’s needs the best.

We love putting out this content and really do hope it’s helpful. Our heart is to help you and your business become more successful, even if that’s talking about something as small [yet as impactful] as color. If this blog will help you create an incredible color scheme for your business that conveys exactly what your brand is about, then we’ve done our job. Also, if this subject is scary and overwhelming, we’re here to help with that as well. We’ve created many logos and other branding materials for clients and it’s an important part of what we do. If you need the help, we’re here for you.

“A brand is no longer what we tell the consumer it is. It is what consumers tell each other it is.” – Scott Cook, director of eBay

There is no fail-proof technique guaranteed to maximize your brand awareness. Several factors including luck and timing contribute to increasing brand recognition.

Brand improvement is a forward-moving process. Standing still at what you think is a comfortable position makes you more vulnerable to falling behind as the competition makes greater strides in the race for the consumer’s attention and loyalty.  

The scope of your brand awareness will take you as far as your creativity and energy allows. Fresh and innovative ideas are constantly being tried with many successful results. Here are some practices to help improve your brand.

Determine what is working and what is not. 

Build on projects that show positive outcomes. Does your Twitter or Instagram account yield a high following? Continue to publish engaging content then shift into a higher gear. Start a campaign that asks something of consumers. Post content that allows them to purchase your products. Suggest that they share or retweet content that they like.

When projects don’t work, make adjustments or terminate the project altogether. Honest evaluation and effective action steps will save energy and resources that can be used in other areas. 

Don’t be afraid to try something new. If innovation is the lifeblood of positive brand awareness, then stale and out-dated initiatives are death.

Utilize social media

To reach consumers you have to go where the people are. In the digital age, no matter where  someone is physically they are able to be present on social media. 45% of the total world population are using social networks.

It helps to know which platforms specific target groups use most. Facebook is considered archaic to Generation Zers, so you shouldn’t rely on updates to your Facebook page as the primary method of reaching younger audiences.  

Also be aware of which social media applications work best for the content you share. Image-heavy content and videos are best suited for Instagram and Snapchat. Information-rich content is better communicated on Facebook and LinkedIn. Fast-changing news and updates trend well on Twitter.

Give paid ads a try. Social media ads won’t break the bank, and the right ad on the right platform can be just the thing you need to introduce yourself to a target group you wouldn’t be able to connect with otherwise.

Not a social media guru? Seek out a digital marketing agency to help you appeal to social media markets.

Make calculated partnerships.

Good partnerships reinforce your brand. They help establish credibility and provide an opportunity to tap into new markets and reach different niches. Be thoughtful about your partnerships. 

Obviously, you shouldn’t partner with a business that is in any level of competition against you. Every business your partner with should have a connection. Don’t venture out too far that you brand identity gets confused. A mutually beneficial partnership will increase your brand awareness and grow your consumer base.

Partner with the community. Establishing your business as a trusted community partner paves the way to longevity. When you develop good relationships with community members  you have the opportunity to create return customers. Not only do return customers help promote your brand through word-of-mouth referrals, but they also source a majority of your revenue. Studies show, current customers spend 67% more on average than those who are new to your business.

Identify your brand’s mission in everything.

Impressive brands have a mission statement that is consistent and can be identified in every technique they use to connect with audiences. If you don’t already have one, take serious thought toward developing a cohesive mission statement and use it to unify each aspect of your company.

After you have a brand mission, constantly ask the question how is the mission communicated? On your social media platforms, on the company website and blog, through your local partnerships and community events- how is the mission communicated? Whenever a value is being emphasized that contradicts or doesn’t quite line up with your mission statement, make changes that realign with your vision. 

The best brands undoubtedly have a shared characteristic. There is no mixed messaging. They are able to translate the same message across various platforms.

Pro-Tip: Don’t make it all about the bottom line. Branding is about amplifying your voice and connecting with target audiences. 

At BreveCo Marketing, we know what it takes to manage your brand. Brand awareness success stories produce incredible results that make your efforts more than worth it in the end. 

Let us at BreveCo Marketing help implement new techniques and discover what works best for your business. Don’t give up on striving to make your brand a recognizable name in your market. 

Contact us today for a consultation. We will use our expertise to implement new techniques that will help improve your brand and expand your reach.

Style guides set rules for visual and language-based content for your brand. These guides remain essential to articulating your brand well.

Overall a style guide will establish uniformity and help ensure that when you decide to outsource, companies are able to communicate a consistent brand message.

Pro-Tip: Specificity is king when it comes to making a style guide. You have to be specific and clear in your style guide so that all your content is uniform and looks like it all came from the same place, even if many different hands were involved. 

The experts at BreveCo understand the importance of adhering to a style guide. We are ready to work with you and create brand collateral that will communicate a uniform style for your specific needs.