The Psychology Of Colors In Advertising And Marketing.

By: Kurt Geer

Published: January 28, 2008

The Psychology of Colors in Advertising and Marketing.

© Kurt Geer

Are you stimulating emotions while marketing with your business logo, stationary, business cards, brochures, signs and with your website?

If you know it or not, colors speak very loud to our subconscious and have a positive or negative reaction within 90 seconds. On the web you have less that 30 seconds to make a good first impression.

Are you using the silent language of color to impress, motivate, divert and persuade your prospects to buy from you?

BLACK suggests authority, power, boldness, seriousness, is distinguishing and classic. Business wise it's great for creating drama and is good for a background color (except on websites, it is very hard on the eyes). It is ideal for text on a light background. Black also implies submission and is associated with evil.

BLUE suggests security, authority, faithfulness and dignity. For business it suggests sanctuary and fiscal responsibility. It is the most popular and the second most powerful color. Blue can also be cold and depressing. People are more productive in blue rooms.

BROWN suggests richness, politeness, helpfulness and effectiveness. In business it suggests less important items. Solid, reliable brown is the color of earth and is abundant in nature. Light brown implies genuineness while dark brown is similar to wood or leather.

GRAY suggests authority, practicality, earnestness and creativity. Business wise it is traditional and conservative.

GREEN suggests health, fertility, freedom, freshness, healing, tranquility and jealousy. Businesses use it to communicate status and wealth. It is the easiest color on the eye and can improve vision. It is a calming, refreshing color.

ORANGE suggests pleasure, cool, excitement, cheer, endurance, strength and ambition. For business it is good for highlighting information on charts and graphs.

PINK suggests femininity, gentleness, well being and innocence. For business you must be aware of it's feminine links and implications.

PURPLE suggests spirituality, royalty, luxury, wealth, sophistication, authority and mournfulness. In business it is upscale and works with artistic types. It is also feminine and romantic. However, because it is rare in nature, purple can appear artificial.

RED suggests excitement, strength, sex, passion, vitality, aggressiveness and commands attention. Business wise it associated with debt, is great for boldness and accents. The most emotionally intense color, red stimulates a faster heartbeat and breathing.

WHITE suggests refined, purity, devotion, contemporary and truthfulness. For business it can be sterile and refreshing. The best color on the web for a background color. Doctors and nurses wear white to imply sterility.

YELLOW suggests warmth, sunshine, cheer, happiness, jealousy deceit and cowardice. Business wise it appeals to the intellectual types and is a good accent. Yellow enhances concentration, hence its use for legal pads. It also speeds metabolism. It is the most difficult color for the eye to take in, so it can be overpowering if overused.

Green, brown, and red are the most popular food colors. Red is often used in restaurant decorating schemes because it is an appetite stimulant.

People respond more to non verbal cues than verbal ones. Make sure you use the psychology of colors in all your marketing, especially when you can't be face to face.