Color Psychology
to
Empower and Inspire You
Welcome to an inspirational journey of self-discovery through an understanding of color
psychology.
Knowledge of how color affects your conscious and subconscious mind can change your life.
It can inspire you to discover more about yourself and to embrace who you really are.
For over 25 years I have observed the impact that an understanding of color has had on the
lives of family, friends and clients. It has given them insight into a powerful tool that you
too can use in all aspects of your life; from your choice of clothing colors, to your decorating
colors, your business colors, and even the choice of your car color; in fact, all the colors
with which you surround yourself.
Once you delve into the magical world of color psychology you will become as excited as I
am about how it can affect your whole life. In fact you will never look at color the same way
again!
What is color? It is simply the vibration of light energy.
What is color psychology? It is the explanation of how colors affect our emotions, our
moods, our health, our well-being, our energy, our mind and our spiritual awareness at both
a conscious and subconscious level.
Perhaps you are color blind and think this information doesn’t apply to you? Or you think it's
a lot of hogwash! The simple answer is that as color is the vibration of light energy, it
affects us all whether we can see it or not and whether we can feel it or not. Visually
impaired people understand this and many can ‘feel’ colors very accurately. Of course we all
see color differently, with different degrees of intensity, yet it still affects each of us on a
subconscious level.
Understanding the Meaning
Of Colors in Color Psychology
The meaning of colors can vary depending on culture and circumstances. Each color has
many aspects to it but you can easily learn the language of color by understanding a few
simple concepts which I will teach you here.
Color is a form of non-verbal communication. It is not a static energy and its meaning can
change from one day to the next with any individual. For example, a person may choose to
wear red one day and this may indicate they are ready to take action, or they may be
passionate about what they are going to be doing that day, or again it may mean that they
are feeling angry that day, on either a conscious or subconscious level.
The color orange is the color of social communication and optimism. From a negative color
meaning it is also a sign of pessimism and superficiality.
In the meanings of color in color psychology, the color yellow is the color of the mind and
the intellect. It is optimistic and cheerful. However it can also suggest impatience, criticism
and cowardice.
Green is the color of balance and growth. It can mean both self-reliance as a positive and
possessiveness as a negative, among many other meanings. For more on the positives and
negatives of the color green
Blue is the color of trust and peace. It can suggest loyalty and integrity as well as
conservatism and frigidity.
Indigo is the color of intuition. In the meanings of colors it can mean idealism and structure
as well as ritualistic and addictive.
Purple is the color of the imagination. It can be creative and individual or immature and
impractical.
The color meaning of turquoise is communication and clarity of mind. It can also be
impractical and idealistic.
The color psychology of pink is unconditional love and nurturing. Pink can also be immature,
silly and girlish.
In the meaning of colors, magenta is a color of universal harmony and emotional balance. It
is spiritual yet practical, encouraging common sense and a balanced outlook on life.
The color brown is a serious, down-to-earth color that relates to security, protection and
material wealth.
From a color psychology perspective, gray is the color of compromise - being neither black
nor white, it is the transition between two non-colors.
The color silver has a feminine energy; it is related to the moon and the ebb and flow of the
tides - it is fluid, emotional, sensitive and mysterious.
Gold is the color of success, achievement and triumph. Associated with abundance and
prosperity, luxury and quality, prestige and sophistication, value and elegance, the color
psychology of gold implies affluence, material wealth and extravagance.
White is color at its most complete and pure, the color of perfection. The color meaning of
white is purity, innocence, wholeness and completion.
Black is the color of the hidden, the secretive and the unknown, creating an air of mystery.
It keeps things bottled up inside, hidden from the world.
Your Personality Color
To discover your personality color, ask yourself: what is my favorite color?
Answer this question now before reading any further.
Don't think about it, be spontaneous with your answer; accept the first color that comes
into your mind and don't analyze your choice.
It is this instinctual choice of a color that tells you a lot about yourself, how you function
and how others see you. It is the means to understanding your behavior and your character
traits as well as your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual states. It reflects the way you
operate in the world, your strengths and weaknesses, your vulnerabilities, your deepest
needs and your challenges at that time in your life. If you have two equally favorite colors,
read the information on both to fully understand yourself and what motivates you.
Your personality color does not have to be one you wear all the time; it is usually your
favorite, the color that excites you the most and makes you feel alive when you see it. That
being said, you are often drawn to your personality color for clothing and home decorating.
It is often a predominant color in your aura.
Dislike of a Color
The colors you dislike can tell you a lot about yourself as well, often reflecting your
weaknesses and vulnerabilities. Your most disliked color will relate to areas in your life that
need to be given attention or past hurts that need to be healed. It is a good idea to try to
incorporate a small amount of your disliked colors into your life by using them in clothing or
underwear or in your home, to help balance your energies. Rejecting whole colors can
create imbalances in your life.
Does everyone have a favorite color?
Most of us do and many of us have had the same one since childhood. Some will change
this color once or more times during their lifetime while others will have one color for their
whole lifetime. Some will prefer another color for a while, depending on their needs at that
time, but will come back to their original favorite when those specific needs are met.
For those of you who don't think you have a personality color, look at the clothes you wear
and the way you choose to decorate your home or office. Are there one or more colors you
consistently choose? Then these will be the colors that reflect your personality and your
deepest needs. Whether you like or dislike a color can be dependent on your own life
experiences and your positive and negative associations to the color as well as your need
for the qualities of that color.
Surround yourself with the colors you love, either by wearing them or using them
decoratively in your environment. They will empower you to be true to yourself, to show
your true colors. Always use a small amount of other colors with your favorites to keep your
energies and behavior balanced.
Have you changed your favorite color?
If you have changed your personality color, or favorite color, try to identify the
circumstances surrounding your life at that time as your new favorite will reflect qualities
you need to attract into your life to help you deal with those circumstances.
What does your favorite or personality color say about you?
While you may not exhibit all the character traits of your personality color, you will find
yourself somewhere in the description. You may also find you exhibit some of the negative
traits, particularly when you are stressed.
If your favorite color is red, you are action oriented with a deep need for physical fulfillment
and to experience life through the five senses.
If orange is your favorite color, you have a great need to be with people, to socialize with
them, and be accepted and respected as part of a group. You also have a need for
challenges in your life, whether it is physical or social challenges.
Choosing yellow as your favorite means you have a deep need for logical order in your
everyday life and to be able to express your individuality by using your logical mind to
inspire and create new ideas.
If green is your favorite, you have a deep need to belong, to love and be loved, and to feel
safe and secure. You need acceptance and acknowledgment for the everyday things you do
for others - just a 'thank you' is sufficient.
Lovers of blue have a deep need to find inner peace and truth, to live their life according to
their ideals and beliefs without having to change their inflexible viewpoint of life to satisfy
others.
Indigo lovers have a need to feel in harmony and at one with the Universe and to be
accepted by others as the aware and intuitive spiritual beings that they are.
If purple or violet is your favorite color, you have a deep need for emotional security and to
create order and perfection in all areas of your life, including your spiritual life. You also
have a deep need to initiate and participate in humanitarian projects, helping others in
need.
If your personality color is pink you have a deep need to be accepted and loved
unconditionally.
If turquoise is your favorite color your deepest need is to create emotional balance in your
life, to be able to express your hopes and dreams no matter how idealistic they may be and
to make your own way in the world under your own terms.
If your favorite color is magenta, you are a non-conformist who sees life from a different
point of view.
Lovers of brown have a deep need for a safe, secure, simple and comfortable existence with
supportive family and friends.
Lovers of black have a need for power and control in order to protect their own emotional
insecurities.
If white is your personality color, your deepest need is for simplicity in your own life and to
be independent and self-reliant so you do not need to depend on anyone else.
With gray as your favorite color, you are the middle of the road type, cool, conserved,
composed and reliable. You tend to conform just to keep the peace.
If silver is your favorite, you are intuitive and insightful and have a strong connection with a
higher spiritual guidance.
With personality color gold, you radiate charisma, personality and individuality, making
others feels relaxed and valued in your company.
Color and Marketing
Color Psychology and Your Marketing,
Advertising and Promotions
Color and marketing go hand in hand with each other. The use of color in the marketing of
your business, whether it is in your advertising, your promotions, your business stationery
or your product, can send either a positive or negative subconscious message, creating a
good or bad perception of your business or your product.
First Impressions
While color is not the only important ingredient in your marketing, it is the first thing that
hits people and it can leave a lasting impression - don't underestimate the power of that
first impression.
What do you want that first impression to say? That you are:
• honest and trustworthy - use blue
• passionate about your product - use some red
• a risk-taker - use some orange
• playful - use yellow
• affordable - use orange
• eco-friendly - green
• Conservative - blue
• caring - use pink, blue, green or turquoise
• Elegant - black, silver
• high quality - black, silver, gold or purple
• Luxurious - gold, black, silver, purple
• sophisticated - black, silver
• powerful - use some black
Mood
What mood do you want your marketing to create? What emotion do you wish to convey?
People buy based on emotion, then justify their purchase with logic. What are your choices
for your color and marketing mix that will set the right mood for your business? Do you
want to reflect that your business is:
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•
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•
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•
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light-hearted - use pastels, yellow or pale blue
serious -use blue or indigo
corporate - use dark blue, dark red or black
exciting - use red
compassionate and caring - use pink, green, turquoise or magenta
happy - use yellow or orange
sociable - use orange
peaceful, calm, relaxed - use blue, green, or turquoise
creative, imaginative - use purple, yellow or magenta
Target Market
Who is your target market? Is it children, adults, male, female, a particular ethnic group,
the corporate world, families, Mum's at home, teenagers, the elderly? Who is buying your
product and who are they buying for? Is it wives buying for their husbands, grandparents
buying for their grandchildren, teenagers buying for their parents, or bosses buying for their
business? Sometimes the user of your product or service will not be the one buying it.
Therefore you need to use the appropriate colors on your products or services to attract the
user, and use the appropriate colors in your advertising and promotions to attract the
purchasers.
What color and marketing mix are you going to choose to attract your ideal market?
Cultural Color and Symbolism
In addition, you need to be conscious of the cultural background of your target market.
While different cultures hold different associations and symbolism for many colors, the
Western meanings are becoming more universal as markets become global with access to
worldwide information through the Internet. Check out these cultural color meanings and
symbolism if your market specifically involves other cultures.
The colors you use in your marketing campaign may be the component that will initially
grab the attention of your buyer. There is no such thing as a wrong or right color, just
colors that are more appropriate for the message you wish to impart. Be sure to choose the
ones for your color and marketing program that will get you the response you are looking
for!
Packaging Colors
Color is one of the elements that will set your business apart from others and your
packaging colors will set your product apart from your competitors' products. The colors you
choose should send the right subliminal messages to inspire any potential customer to buy
your product.
Color is the best way to reflect and enhance a unified image and branding of your product
as it is such a visual medium. Your packaging colors should relate to your logo and reflect
the image you are sending to the market place to attract buyers. Don't make the mistake of
choosing your favorite color without checking the subconscious messages of the color first.
It might be a great packaging color but just inappropriate for your business image.
In making the right choice for your packaging colors you need to:
• keep the consumer of your product in mind, your target market - put yourself in
their shoes to see what motivates them to buy - what is their age, their gender, their
economic status, their education level.
• determine the purpose of your product and what message you want the packaging
to send to your buyer - is the message professional, serious and conservative, is it
about health and well-being, is it to make the customer feel good, is it to help with a
problem, is it about luxury, is it about elegance and sophistication - make sure the
colors send the right message!
• understand any cultural preferences of your target market as well as any cultural
meanings attached to your color choices before making your selection.
• select the colors based on the message you want to send to your target market
together with the above information.
• find a way to stand out from the crowd (or your competition) to grab the attention
of your buyer.
• test your color packaging in the market place to determine its success and make
changes if necessary.
White Packaging
In color psychology, white is the blank canvas waiting to be written upon. It relates to
innocence, equality and new beginnings. As a packaging color it is safe, basic,
unadventurous and conservative, but a good choice where you want to create the
impression of cleanliness, purity, efficiency or simplicity.
By adding printing or decoration in another color you can create any number of different
messages; adding red suggests excitement and draws attention to the product, yellow
decoration implies a more light-hearted, happy and fun product while black decoration or
printing adds a feeling of sophistication and prestige.
Use creative and/or colored decoration to set you apart from your competitors. The more
colors you use for your packaging colors, the less serious the product - a simple
combination of two colors can look more elegant and classy, depending on the type of
decoration of course.
Black Packaging
Black is the color of power, authority and control. It tends to stand out when used as a
packaging color as it makes products appear heavier and more expensive and transmits a
higher perceived value. Black adds a degree of mystery and intimidation on one hand and
elegance and class on the other.
You can choose printing or decoration for the black packaging in any other color that
psychologically sends the message you want to send to your potential customers. Adding
gold to the packaging creates elegance and sophistication to attract a wealthier market.
Silver has a similar effect. Black with red has an adult or sexual connotation; however
people of Spanish background like the combination of black and red as it is a part of their
heritage. Adding pink softens the message and attracts the female market, while magenta
makes it more striking and attractive to the non-conformists and more creative customers.
The brighter the colors you add to the packaging the less serious it becomes.
Blue Packaging
Blue relates to trust, honesty and reliability, strength and unity. When used in your
packaging colors it communicates trust and reliability in the product.
The darker the blue, the more professional, serious and conservative the product will be
perceived to be. The lighter the blue the softer and more creative the product will be
perceived to be.
Blue can indicate a product that will contribute to the buyer's relaxation and calmness.
Younger people often see blue to be a color for more mature people so avoid its use if trying
to capture the youth market, unless you choose the brighter, more neon or electric blues.
Of course you need to take into account that universally blue is the most liked color by both
males and females and therefore the safest color to use, although it is often considered
boring and predictable. Just choose the right blue that relates to your specific market.
Red Packaging
In color psychology, red means energy, action, passion, excitement and strength.
Using red for your packaging colors draws attention to your product, stimulates the senses
and excites the potential purchaser.
Dark reds are perceived as professional and luxurious, while bright reds are more exciting
and energetic and generally of lower perceived value than dark reds. Adding gold or silver
for the printing or decoration increases the perceived value.
Blue-reds are more attractive to the upper class market, while orange reds are attractive to
the working class - orange reds have a lower perceived price and value.
Adding black decoration to your red packaging can add sexual or adult connotations.
Green Packaging
Green is a color of balance and harmony of the mind, the body and the emotions. In color
psychology it relates to security, wealth and growth.
For packaging colors, green suggests natural, organic and healthy, a good color to use for
environmentally friendly products.
Dark green implies wealth, luxury and professional quality. Adding some silver adds
elegance and sophistication.
Muted greens suggest environmentally safe and wholesome.
Mid green packaging is appropriate for organic and ecological products, wholefoods, garden
and golfing products.
Add decoration or printing in other colors that will attract your target market.
Orange Packaging
In color psychology, orange means adventure, optimism, self-confidence and sociability. It
is enthusiastic, extroverted and uninhibited.
Orange packaging suggests affordability, fun and adventure. There is almost a degree of
risk in buying a product in orange packaging - will it be something different, an adventure,
quality at an affordable price, or just something cheap and poor quality.
While some variations of orange can give the impression of cheapness, adding another color
to the packaging can change the message and increase the perceived value. Add dark blue
to suggest reliability and trustworthiness. Black decoration increases the perceived value of
the product.
Yellow Packaging
Yellow is cheerful, optimistic and uplifting to the spirits. It inspires original ideas and
creativity. Stimulating to mental abilities, it aids in decision making.
In packaging colors yellow suggests either something original and innovative or a cheap, fun
product. With its positive and happy energy it attracts children and young adolescents.
Products that aim to lift people's spirits would be appropriate in yellow packaging.
Turquoise Packaging
Turquoise, in color psychology, means clarity of thought and communication. It calms the
emotions and recharges the spirit, invigorating depleted energy levels and inspiring positive
thought.
Turquoise is a good color for health clinics and practitioners as it balances the emotions and
calms the spirit.
Using turquoise as the packaging color for cleaning products is ideal as it reflects cleanliness
and purity without being too sterile.
Turquoise is generally suitable for both males and females, although males are more
attracted to a deeper variation of turquoise such as teal.
Your printing or decoration color can also change the appeal of turquoise. Adding black
strengthens the look, adding dark blue makes it more conservative. Adding pink makes it
more appealing to the female market, while adding red makes it a more exciting attentiongetting package.
Purple Packaging
Purple relates to high ideals, imagination and spirituality. Using purple in your packaging
colors implies luxury, extravagance, premium quality or uniqueness, particularly if used with
gold or silver printing or decoration.
'New age' products are often packaged in purple to suggest individuality, originality and
uniqueness. With purple being the union of body and soul, it is appropriate for packaging of
holistic products and anything to do with spirituality.
Purple tends to be more attractive to the female and youth market, although it is slowly
becoming more acceptable to males.Lighter purples imply fantasy or nostalgic products.
Adding different colors for printing or decoration will add to the messages of the purple;
silver or gold adds luxury, prestige and quality, adding red adds energy and excitement,
magenta adds liveliness, green or blue will add a feel-good impression.
Magenta Packaging
Magenta is a strong and inspiring color which can appear outrageous and shocking on one
hand or innovative and imaginative on the other.
If you want your packaging colors to have an impact that says outrageous and lively in a
positive way, magenta will do it for you!
Adding dark blue to the packaging will tone down its energy, as will dark green, dark gray
or black. Silver or gold will add a degree of elegance and sophistication to the product.
Pink Packaging
Pink is inspiring, warm, compassionate and comforting, suggesting hope for the future. It is
calming and non-threatening.
Pink packaging is generally most appropriate for products relating to the female market
such as cosmetics, fashion, beauty and romance.
Pink is feminine and youthful in its softer shades, with more passion and energy in its
deeper shades. Combining pink with darker colors gives it more sophistication and strength.
Using brighter pinks for your packaging colors tends to suggest a less expensive and trendy
product which is attractive to the teenage and pre-teen market.
Dusty or muted pink packaging attracts a more sentimental and older market. Adding silver
decoration adds elegance to dusty or muted pinks.
Gold Packaging
Gold packaging suggests expensive, luxurious and high quality. However your product
should reflect this high standard or you will lose credibility - a poor quality product inside
gold packaging will appear cheap and have the same effect as fake gold!
You can change the message you are sending with your gold packaging by adding a
different color for the printing or decoration. Red will add an element of excitement, black
will suggest elegance and sophistication, while dark blue will add a more serious and
professional look.
Silver Packaging
Silver packaging implies elegance and sophistication. It is more gentle than gold and it
combines well with almost all other colors illuminating anything printing or decorating on
the packaging.
Silver combines well with most other colors; dark blue decoration will suggest a
conservative and trustworthy product, purple decoration will suggest luxurious and unique,
black decoration will suggest serious and sophisticated.
Combined with black, dark blue, dark red or dark green, silver packaging is elegant, classy
and professional.
To give silver packaging a modern hi-tech look, combined it with blue, turquoise, black or
dark gray.
Gray Packaging
Gray is a conservative color signifying neutrality, indifference and reserve. It lacks energy
but serves well as a background color, allowing other colors with it to take prominence.
Gray is a safe color to use as a packaging color. It is neutral and serious and can be
combined with almost any other color to impart different messages and to reach
different target markets.
Adding red gives gray more energy and excitement, adding dark blue makes it look more
professional, adding black gives it a more sophisticated appearance, adding gold makes it
more luxurious.
Light gray packaging combines well with all other colors and can create a modern and hitech look when combined with turquoise, light blue, dark blue or yellow.
Brown Packaging
Psychologically, brown is associated with strength and solidarity, comfort and earthiness,
maturity and reliability.
As a packaging color, brown is appropriate for products that suggest wholesome and
organic, safety, or comfortable and homely.
We are all used to brown cardboard boxes and these give the impression of basic, practical
and boring, so in using brown for your packaging you need to be careful of the brown that
you use and add colors which will improve the look of the package and inspire your
customer to buy.
Color Meanings in Business
Understanding color meanings in business is essential when you are establishing a business
profile. Color psychology affects our lives in so many ways, yet we often don't realize the
impact of our color choices on our website colors, on our stationery and packaging, in our
retail store or office, in our marketing or our business clothing. Color has a powerful
subconscious effect on every part of our lives, without even saying a word; an
understanding of color meanings in business gives us an invaluable tool to get the best
response to our marketing and promotional efforts and ultimately to create a successful
business.
In applying the information about color meanings in business to enhance your own business
profile and marketing, don't use any color entirely on its own; it is always best to use a
complementary color with your main choice as over-use of any one color can negate its
effect and in fact have the opposite effect.
There is almost always more than one option of color combinations to assist your business,
so you don't have to choose any color that you do not like or resonate to. Or you may use
the disliked color in a very small amount to get the response you want from your customer.
For example, you may use just a very small amount of red to indicate your passion or
energy for your business or as a call to action button on your website. Read all the
information on each color in this 'color meanings in business' section to determine the best
choices for your business.
Red: color meanings in business
Red is a warm and positive color, a very physical color which draws attention to itself and
calls for action to be taken.
In color psychology red means energy, passion, action, strength and excitement.
Red stimulates the physical senses such as the appetite, lust and sexual passion. Although it
is often used to express love, it really relates more to sexual passion and lust - pink relates
more to romantic love than red.
Red represents masculine energy, whereas its softer version, pink, is associated with
feminine energy.
Red, a universal sign of danger and warning, can also show and create aggressiveness and
anger, particularly if used to excess in the wrong applications.
Physiologically, red stimulates and energizes the physical body, including the nerves and the
circulation of blood, raising blood pressure and heart rate. It is stimulating to the appetite
and therefore a great color to use for any product associated with food and its service,
including restaurants and take-away businesses.
Red excites and motivates but in excess it can cause anxiety and tiredness. It also has
negative connotations associated with blood, war and violence.
The color which most complements and balances red is turquoise, although green or blue
will also create balance.
Key Words:
Positive Color Meanings in Business:
• action, power, energy, speed
• passion, desire, lust
• strength, courage
• attention-getting, motivating, stimulating, energizing
• driven and determined
• exciting, warm, spontaneous, assertive and confident
Negative Color Meanings in Business:
• aggression and anger
• domineering, over-bearing and tiring
• quick-tempered, ruthless, fearful and intolerant
• rebellious and obstinate
• resentful, violent and brutal
Using Red in Business:
Often used as a warning sign, red is best used as an accent color as too much red can
overwhelm.
Red will always elicit a passionate response but the response may be either positive or
negative and you may have no control over this response as it will be in the hands of your
potential customer.
Red encourages buyers to take action and make a purchase. For example, it could be used
to tempt an impulse buy at the purchase counter in your store, as footprints or arrows
directing people around your store or to your cash register, or for a 'buy now' button on a
website.
A touch of red can be used as one of the colors on your website to indicate your energy and
passion for your business. In larger amounts it is effective in the promotion of products or
services related to food and appetite, energy, passion or speed.
Orange: color meanings in business
Orange is a warm, vibrant and flamboyant color. It is energy combined with fun, the color of
the risk-taker, the extrovert and the uninhibited. In color psychology it means adventure,
optimism, self-confidence and sociability.
Physiologically, orange vitalizes, inspires and creates enthusiasm. It is stimulating to the
appetite and social conversation and therefore works well in restaurants and other food
outlets. This can be achieved by using some form of orange in the décor, such as in the
furnishings or the lighting. It does not need to be bright orange - salmon, coral, terracotta
and other versions of orange will work as well. An up market restaurant will look more
elegant with subdued versions of orange. Combine with aubergine, purple, or blue for a
unique, contemporary and classy look.
Psychologically, orange gives the impression of affordability, depending on the shade chosen
and its combination with other colors. Too much orange can suggest cheapness. Use your
own judgment on how it affects you - if it looks cheap to you, it will do the same for others.
More gentle than red, orange represents a more feminine energy and the energy of
creation.
Key Words:
Positive Color Meanings in Business:
• adventurous, risk-taking, vibrant, flamboyant
• stimulating to the senses
• affordable
• warm, sociable, optimistic, enthusiastic, cheerful
• self-confident, independent, extroverted and uninhibited
• creative flair
• warm-hearted, agreeable and informal
Negative Color Meanings in Business:
• superficial and insincere
• dependent, over-bearing, self-indulgent
• the exhibitionist, pessimistic
• cheap, unsociable, and overly proud
Using Orange in Business
Apply orange sparingly as it tends to be the most disliked color in the western world.
Use it to suggest adventure, fun, optimism, affordable yet reasonable quality, sociable and
easy-going.
Orange is an invaluable color in encouraging sales in restaurants, café's, bistros and diners
as it stimulates appetite and conversation, contributing to patrons eating and talking longer
and spending more money.
Orange's stimulation to social communication and the senses makes it a beneficial color for
hotels and resorts.
Travel websites should consider orange as one of their color choices for its association with
journeys, adventure and exciting fun activities.
Sports teams can use orange in their colors to suggest energy, flamboyance and adventure.
Orange is an appealing color for the youth market as children and teens tend to like its
sense of fun and adventure and its suggestion of affordability. It is also a great color to use
on toys for young children, along with other bright primary and secondary colors.
A softer version of orange, such as peach is favorable in beauty salons, spas and treatment
centers' and upper class restaurants.
Yellow: color meanings in business
Yellow is a warm and happy color which creates a sense of cheerfulness and playfulness.
Psychologically, it is optimistic, uplifting and illuminating, brightening people's spirits.
Yellow stimulates the logical side of the brain and mental clarity. It promotes wisdom and
academic proficiency. It inspires original thinking and creative ideas.
Physiologically, yellow stimulates the mind and mental activity. It increases the analytical
processes and our logical reasoning, helping with decision-making.
Too much yellow can cause anxiety, nervousness, apprehension, agitation and confrontation
particularly in people who are already stressed. It can motivate people to become overly
critical and judgmental, as well as deceitful.
Keywords:
Positive Color Meanings in Business:
• cheerful, happy, playful, fun
• optimistic, uplifting, illuminating
• logical, mental clarity, aids decision-making
• confidence, originality, creativity
• challenging, academic and analytical
• wisdom and logic
• communication of new ideas
Negative Color Meanings in Business:
• critical and judgmental, overly analytical
• impatient and impulsive
• egotistical, pessimistic, an inferiority complex
• spiteful, cowardly, deceitful
• non-emotional and lacking compassion
Using Yellow in Business
Yellow is a great color for children's products, particularly combined with other bright
primary or secondary colors. It is stimulating to their mind and their creativity.
For many leisure products, particularly those that promote playful and fun activities, yellow
is a beneficial color. It will enhance the promotion of any fun and entertainment businesses.
Apart from the above types of businesses, in general it is best to use yellow as a highlight
color - too much can cause agitation and anxiety, particularly with older people. Avoid its
use where you are trying to impart a message of stability.
Use yellow where you want to keep people moving. Most people cannot stay for long where
there is a lot of yellow. Fast food outlets use it combined with red to encourage people to
eat lots quickly then move on.
It is a good to incorporate yellow in the promotion of point of sale purchases - the eyes see
yellow first and with so many other distractions in retail stores, you need to capture your
customer's attention quickly.
Don't use yellow to sell expensive items to men who see it as cheap and unsophisticated.
Don't use dirty versions of yellow such as mustard - they have negative connotations.
Yellow with black provides a warning and is often used in safety signs for this reason.
Green: color meanings in business
Green is a color of growth and vitality, associated with new life and renewal.
Psychologically green relates to balance and harmony of the mind, the body and the
emotions. It assists in decision making by helping us to see all sides clearly.
Physiologically, green balances people's emotions, creating a sense of calm.
Green is associated with nature, health and healing, and the environment, creating a sense
of compassion and nurturing for all. It encourages generosity, kindness and sympathy.
Darker greens relate to money, wealth and prestige, while lighter greens relate to growth
and freshness. Green is regarded as the color of money in the Western world.
Too much green can lead to feelings of envy, greed and selfishness. Dirty olive green can
have negative connotations unless it is associated with the environment.
Keywords:
Positive Color Meanings in Business:
• growth and vitality, renewal and restoration
• self-reliance, reliability and dependability
• being tactful, emotionally balanced and calm
• nature lover and family oriented
• practical and down to earth
• sympathetic, compassionate and nurturing
• generous, kind and loyal with a high moral sense
• adaptable and flexible
• encourages 'social joining' of clubs and other groups, a need to belong
Negative Color Meanings in Business:
• possessive and materialistic
• indifferent and over-cautious
• envious, selfish, greedy and miserly
• devious with money
• inconsiderate, a hypochondriac and a do-gooder
Using Green in Business
Green is beneficial for anything to do with health and healing.
Green is an ideal color to promote natural, safe, organic products. It is also beneficial in the
promotion of environmentally friendly products.
Green suggests something 'new' and fresh. Lime green creates an anticipation of the
potential of what is on offer.
Green motivates people to join social groups and satisfies their need to belong.
Dark green is a good color for money and financial websites.Use green where you need
people to see both sides of a situation as it aids in clear thinking and decision making.
Turquoise: color meanings in business
Psychologically, turquoise represents clarity of thought and communication. It inspires selfexpression, encouraging people to tune into their own needs.
Physiologically, turquoise calms the emotions and recharges the spirit, invigorating depleted
energy levels and inspiring positive thought.
Turquoise is a beneficial color for any business related to communication, including
teachers, trainers, public speakers, media communication and computer technology.
Turquoise is a good color for health clinics and practitioners as it balances the emotions and
calms the spirit.
Using turquoise for cleaning products is ideal as it reflects cleanliness and purity without
being too sterile.
Too much turquoise creates indecision as people swing between the blue energy and the
yellow energy that comprises turquoise. Balance it with either some red, pink, magenta or
purple.
Keywords:
Positive Color Meanings in Business:
• communication, clarity of thought
• balance and harmony, calmness
• idealism, creativity and inspiration
• self-expression
• compassion, healing and self-sufficiency
Negative Color Meanings in Business:
• boastfulness
• secrecy
• unreliability and reticence
• fence-sitting
• aloofness, deception and off-handedness
Using Turquoise in Business
Turquoise is suitable for use in any business involved in media communication, teaching,
public speaking or computers. It aids self-expression, clarity of thought and logical thinking.
Turquoise works well with businesses promoting water, whether it be pure water filtration
companies, pool cleaning businesses, or water sports.
It has an innovative quality and appeal for sports related businesses and combines well with
red, orange or yellow for these types of businesses.
Turquoise is suitable for both the male and female market and for all ages.
Combined with pale pink, lavender or pale lemon, turquoise has a feminine energy, ideal for
the fashion or beauty market, gift or home wares stores.
Blue: color meanings in business
Blue is the most universally favored color of all and therefore the safest to use. It relates to
trust, honesty and dependability, therefore helping to build customer loyalty.
Blue indicates confidence, reliability and responsibility. It relates to one-to-one
communication rather than mass communication. It inspires wisdom and higher ideals but is
also conservative and predictable.
Physiologically, blue is calming, reducing tension and fear. It slows the pulse rate and
reduces appetite. Being a cool color it creates a sensation of space.
Blue adds strength and unity, and is therapeutic to the mind and body. It brings harmony to
the spoken word.
Blue works well for the corporate world and is often used for more conservative types of
businesses such as accountants, insurance companies, banks and other financial companies
where trust and reliability are important.
Younger people see blue in general as a color relating to maturity and the adult market,
unless it is a bright electric blue of course.
Too much blue can encourage boredom, manipulation or a rigid outlook.
Keywords:
Positive Color Meanings in Business:
• loyalty, trust and integrity
• tactful, caring and concerned
• reliability and responsibility
• conservatism and perseverance
• idealistic and orderly
• authority, devotion and contemplation
• peace and calm
Negative Color Meanings in Business:
• rigid, deceitful and spiteful
• self-righteous, superstitious and emotionally unstable
• too conservative, predictable and weak
• unforgiving and frigid
• manipulation, unfaithfulness and distrust
Using Blue in Business
Blue is best used for conservative corporate businesses where trust, dependability and
honesty are important.
Communication websites which market to individual customers on a one-to-one basis would
benefit with some blue in their marketing.
Hi-tech and computer technology businesses can benefit from most shades of blue
combined with gray.
As with turquoise, blue is recommended for any business involved in the area of cleanliness,
whether it be cleaning products, water purification or mineral water. It is also beneficial to
businesses, such as airlines, boating or air conditioning companies, that relate to the
common associations of blue with the sky, air and water.
Websites promoting technology, medical equipment, cleanliness, male products, or both
male and female products should use some blue in their colors.
Blue should not be used for food related businesses as it is a color that does not occur
naturally in food, except for blueberries, and it is associated with mould and 'off' food. The
only exception is sugar, where blue or blue-pinks are used on packaging because blue and
pink are associated with sweetness.
Light blue relates well to the health and wellness industry, to travel and relaxation.
Dark blue is a serious color which inspires integrity and honesty and is often used by
political organizations, religious organizations and legal firms for this reason.
Indigo: color meanings in business
Indigo or deep midnight blue is a powerful color related to the right side of the brain. It
resonates to the 'New Age' way of thinking.
Psychologically, indigo conveys integrity and deep sincerity and stimulates creativity and
intuition. While it is connected to structure, tradition, ritual and ceremony, it can also
transform people's thinking and beliefs into developing new insights and a pioneering spirit.
It imparts a message of great responsibility and high ideals.
Physiologically, indigo helps broaden the mind and free it of fears and inhibitions.
Indigo is also the color of the fanatic and the conformist as well as the addictive personality.
It can be depressing and boring to some people.
Keywords:
Positive Color Meanings in Business:
• integrity and sincerity
• structure and regulations
• highly responsible
• idealism
• obedience
• highly intuitive, practical visionary
• faithful
• commitment to the truth and selflessness
Negative Color Meanings in Business:
• fanatical, judgmental, impractical
• intolerant and inconsiderate
• depressed, fearful, self-righteous
• a conformist addictive
• bigoted and avoiding conflict
Using Indigo in Business
Indigo is a good choice when integrity and sincerity is your message. Funeral service
businesses are an example of those that would benefit from the use of indigo as one of their
colors.
Indigo is an advantage in businesses where structure and tradition are important, such as
educational institutions, law firms and banks.
In businesses that look to the future indigo can help transform people's thinking.
Indigo combines well with other bright jewel colors such as magenta, emerald green,
turquoise, and pink.
Purple: color meanings in business
Purple suggests wealth and extravagance, fantasy and the world of dreams. It enhances
spiritual pursuits and enlightenment.
Physiologically, purple heightens people's sense of beauty and their reaction to more
creative ideas.
Purple is often used to denote a high quality or superior product, such as Cadbury's
chocolate or some women's cosmetics.
If you are in a service business, use some purple in your marketing to denote your premium
service.
Purple is often connected with the 18 to 25 year old market as they see it as sexy and
rebellious, while innovative designers connect it with sophistication and power.
Purple is most often used by businesses in creative fields -designers, psychics and cosmetic
manufacturers are common users of it.
Purple is a color that works well with gold, taupe, turquoise, jade green, deep red, magenta
and yellow. Combined with orange it creates a unique contemporary look.
Keywords:
Positive Color Meanings in Business:
• unusual and individual, creative and inventive
• psychic and intuitive
• humanitarian, selfless and unlimited
• mystery, fantasy and the future
Negative Color Meanings in Business:
• immaturity
• impractical
• cynical and aloof, pompous and arrogant
• fraudulent and corrupt
• delusions of grandeur and the social climber
Using Purple in Business
Purple is more suitable for products and websites related to women or children, although
younger men are slowly becoming more attuned to it.
Academic institutions often use medium shades of purple or violet as they inspire
intellectual thought and achievement.
Purple portrays wealth and extravagance when combined with the richness of gold. This is
difficult on a website as gold tends to look like a dull yellow which is not particularly positive
in its message. It works very well on packaging and print material.
Pre-adolescent children are attracted to purple along with the other bright primary and
secondary colors and these colors should always feature on products and marketing
designed for this age group.
Lighter versions of purple are suitable for products and services targeted specifically at the
female market. Lavender suggests nostalgia and works well for businesses selling old lace,
sentimental hand
Magenta: color meanings in business
Magenta is a color of universal harmony and emotional balance. It is spiritual yet practical,
encouraging common sense and a balanced outlook on life.
Magenta represents universal love at its highest level. It promotes compassion, support and
kindness and encourages a sense of self-respect and contentment in those who use it. It
can assist ambitions and desires to become reality.
Physiologically magenta helps us to flow with life and let go of old ideas.
Magenta is a strong and inspiring color which can appear outrageous and shocking on one
hand or innovative and imaginative on the other. It is particularly attractive to the nonconformists in the community.
Keywords:
Positive Color Meanings in Business:
• universal harmony and love
• emotional balance
• helps our spirit soar
• spiritual yet practical
• encourages common sense
• loving, compassionate, supportive and kind
• imaginative, innovative, creative and artistic
• non-conformist
Negative Color Meanings in Business:
• avoids challenges
• too relaxing
• can be over bearing and demanding
Using Magenta in Business
In business applications, magenta is most suitable to those in artistic or creative fields, such
as artists, costume or set designers, writers, photographers, inventors, artist supply shops
or art dealers.
Magenta is a beneficial color for mentors and life coaches to use to assist their clients to let
go of old ideas and to move forward in their lives. Its imaginative and innovative messages
are encouraging to all who are looking to the future.
If you want to have an impact that says outrageous and lively in a positive way, magenta
will do it for you! If you have a unique feature to your business, magenta will draw attention
to it.
Pink: color meanings in business
Psychologically pink is associated with compassion, nurturing, love, and romance. It is
feminine and youthful in its softer shades, with more passion and energy in its deeper
shades.
Pink is inspiring, warm and comforting, suggesting hope for the future. It is calming and
non-threatening.
Physiologically, pink calms and reassures our emotional energies, alleviating feelings of
anger, aggression, resentment, abandonment and neglect.
Pink is usually used in businesses relating to the female market such as cosmetics, fashion,
beauty and romance. Combining pink with darker colors gives it more sophistication and
strength.
Keywords:
Positive Color Meanings in Business:
• unconditional and romantic love
• compassion and understanding, nurturing
• warmth, hope, calming
• sweetness, naiveté
• innocence and inexperience
• feminine and intuitive energy
Negative Color Meanings in Business:
• over-emotional and over-cautious
• having emotional neediness or unrealistic expectations
• being immature and girlish
• lack of will power and lack of self worth
Using Pink in Business
Pink relates to compassion, warmth, hope and understanding, so many charities choose to
use it as a major component of their marketing program.
Pink reflects a softness, sweetness and intuitive energy that works well for many products
and websites promoting women's products and services, such as beauty salons, fashion
businesses and cosmeticians. It is a beneficial color for candy stores and other businesses
selling sweet products.
Brighter pinks are useful to promote less expensive and trendy products to the teenage and
pre-teen market.
Dusty pink relates to those businesses marketing sentimental services and products,
particularly to the older market.
Gold: color meanings in business
Psychologically gold is seen as the color of inner wisdom, quality and wealth. It is associated
with prestige, luxury and material wealth, suggesting that a product or service is expensive
and exclusive.
Physiologically, it can induce great feelings of happiness and bliss or alternatively, deep
anxiety and fear.
Gold implies generosity of time, money and spirit. It is the color of victory, hence the use of
gold medals for winners.
Gold used with purple can indicate wealth and beauty, and is associated with expensive
luxury items. Used with dark blue it suggests honesty, trustworthiness and success. Used
with black it suggests extreme opulence, elegance and wealth.
Keywords:
Positive Color Meanings in Business:
• wealth and prosperity, abundance
• value, quality, luxury, expensive, opulence
• victory, achievement, grandeur, importance
• happiness, beauty
• excellence, prestige, nobility, extravagance
• attraction, wisdom
Negative Color Meanings in Business:
• pretentiousness - a sense of self-importance
• intense and overwhelming
Using Gold in Business
Businesses marketing items of high perceived value will benefit from the use of gold in their
packaging and marketing. However gold doesn't translate well onto websites - it becomes a
dirty yellow which generally does not give a positive message.
Gold and navy or gold and black are good choices when selling quality products to men,
whether it is used in packaging, promotional materials or on a website. Just be aware of
how gold transcribes onto your website.
Gold combined with dark red, dark blue or dark green imparts a message of quality, wealth
and prestige.
Silver: color meanings in business
Silver is a color associated with prestige and wealth. It is seen as a sophisticated color
related to female energy, prosperity and modernity. With its reflective qualities it relates to
intuition, clairvoyance and mental telepathy.
Physiologically, silver is calming and soothing, with a lightness that is more uplifting than
gray.
Silver is a fluid color, ever changing, calming, purifying. It is the color of the moon with its
ever changing moods relating to emotional and sensitive energies - it is compassionate. It
has a degree of mystery about it - like the moon itself.
Silver is patience, reflection, perseverance, dignified, soothing & calming, self control,
organization and responsibility. It is illuminating and balancing (neither black nor white).
On packaging silver looks sleek, smooth, and lustrous. It has a coolness about it that relates
to the future and science and technology.
Keywords:
Positive Color Meanings in Business:
• modern, sleek, high-tech, scientific
• glamorous, distinguished, elegant
• conservative, prestige
• calming and balancing
• illusion, intuition, imagination
• feminine power, sophisticated
• wealth and riches
• aids mental, emotional and physical releasing and cleansing
• illumination
Negative Color Meanings in Business:
• cold and impersonal
• emotional and ever-changing
• introspective
• fence-sitting
• hiding from others
Using Silver in Business
The color silver reflects quality craftsmanship and artistry and would benefit businesses
offering a first class quality service or product or those selling exquisite items to the
prestige market.
With its modern sleek appearance, silver is appropriate for the hi-tech, innovative computer
market and scientific and technological companies.
Silver also works well for any businesses promoting and featuring quality modern appliances
and equipment.
Silver doesn't work well as a color on websites because it just appears gray which can be
cold and impersonal. However, combined with other colors that are appropriate for your
target market, gray will take on the messages associated with the other colors and it will
then work well for your website.
Black: color meanings in business
Psychologically black means authority, power and control. In many situations it can be
intimidating, unfriendly and unapproachable. Alternatively, it can be seen as sophisticated,
dignified and serious.
Physiologically, black is intimidating and controlling, although its power can instill confidence
in some.
Black creates an air of mystery and secrecy. Sometimes people hide behind its
unapproachable facade. In very small amounts it can add strength and confidence without
becoming overpowering.
Black is favored by the youth market aged approximately 16 to 25, who are still trying to
find their own sense of identity and place in this world. Those who are achievement oriented
and ambitious also favor black.
Black board with printing in any of the jewel colors of red, emerald green, magenta, or
bright blue, or gold, silver or white will create a dramatic impression. Black packaging can
make an item appear expensive and heavier.
Keywords:
Positive Color Meanings in Business:
• authority, power, control
• protection and comfort
• strong, contained, formal
• sophisticated
• seductive, mysterious
• endings & beginnings
Negative Color Meanings in Business:
• aloof
• depressing and pessimistic
• secretive and withholding
• conservative and serious
• power & control
• sadness and negativity
Using Black in Business
Black is beneficial for businesses selling luxury, elegance and sophistication. These types of
businesses include those selling high quality professional products and luxury goods, and up
market car companies.
Black packaging makes an item seem heavier and more expensive and of higher perceived
value. It creates a classy and elegant impression.
Using black for selling and marketing products and services to the high end youth market,
including music related businesses, is seen as cutting edge and trendy. The youth market
tends to be attracted to black with its sophistication and rebelliousness.
Black can be used to create a dramatic effect when combined with bright, rich, jewel colors
such as red, emerald, cobalt, yellow, magenta and orange. However, in general, using too
much black can be intimidating and unfriendly - think of the salesman with the black suit
and tie or the black shirt and pants.
White: color meanings in business
In color psychology white is the color of new beginnings, wiping the slate clean, so to speak.
It is the blank canvas waiting to be written upon. While white isn't stimulating to the
senses, it opens the way for the creation of anything the mind can conceive.
Physiologically, white is calming as it creates simplicity, organization and efficiency out of
chaos. It clears the way forward.
White's basic feature is equality, implying fairness and impartiality, neutrality and
independence. It is a reassuring color which helps to create order and proficiency.
White amplifies everything in its way and too much of it can give an impression of sterility,
coldness, disinterest and detachment.
White is useful in businesses where cleanliness is imperative, such as dental surgeries and
medical centres, but these businesses need some green or pink to assist in healing and to
create a calm and caring atmosphere for patients.
Keywords:
Positive Color Meanings in Business:
• innocence
• purity, cleanliness
• equality, complete and whole
• simplicity
• immaculate and neat
• self-sufficient, pristine and open
• new beginnings
Negative Color Meanings in Business:
• sterile, stark
• fastidious
• empty, isolated
• cautious, critical and boring
Using White in Business
White is probably the best color to use as the background color for websites. It allows all
other colors to reflect from it and makes all colors except yellow and pastels to be very
readable.
Using white for negative space on your website makes it look clean, open and uncluttered.
With its suggestion of simplicity, cleanliness and safety, white works well for businesses
promoting hi-tech products, kitchen appliances, bathroom items, infant and health related
products and those promoting order and efficiency.
Depending on the business, it is advantageous to add other appropriate colors which will
reflect the individuality of the business as, on its own, white is sterile and cold.
Gray: color meanings in business
Gray is a conservative color signifying neutrality, indifference and reserve.
Physiologically, gray can drain you of energy, be depressing or uplifting, depending on how
much lightness and white is in the gray. Dark gray is more depressing than light gray.
Gray serves as a good background for other colors as it doesn't attract attention, allowing
the other colors to take prominence.
Gray suggests security, reliability, modesty, maturity and dullness. It can imply that you
can't make decisions, 'the fence-sitter', that you don't have an opinion on anything.
Gray lacks energy; it is neither reassuring nor soothing, neither stimulating nor exciting,
neither pleasing nor inviting. It needs to be combined with other colors to give it passion,
energy and life.
Keywords:
Positive Color Meanings in Business:
• intellect, knowledge, wisdom, security
• perceived as long-lasting, and classic
• sleek, professional, mature
• refined, dignified, conservative
• controlled and inconspicuous
• color of compromise - between black and white
• neutral, contemporary
Negative Color Meanings in Business:
• boring, rigid
• melancholy, lonely
• lifeless (without color)
• bareness, subtle, staid
• indifferent, reserved, subtle, cold, poverty
Using Gray in Business
Gray is a safe color to use in many business applications. It is neutral and serious and can
be combined with almost any other color to impart different messages and to reach different
target markets.
Gray is suitable for legal and financial websites to suggest power and control, particularly
when combined with some white and black. Combining it with blue suggests credibility, trust
and reliability.
Surprisingly, gold can work well with gray to suggest professional and high quality, but on a
website the gold will tend to look like a dirty yellow which is not positive.
Light gray can create a hi-tech look when combined with other colors such as turquoise,
light blue, dark blue or yellow.
Brown: color meanings in business
Psychologically, brown is associated with strength and solidarity, comfort and earthiness,
maturity and reliability.
Physiologically, brown gives people either reassurance and comfort or a feeling of dirtiness
and suffocation.
Brown relates to the acquisition of material possessions which implies security and safety,
comfort and homeliness.
Brown suggests endurance, duty and stability. It relates to the outdoors, the practical and
down-to-earth and the family unit.
Many men love brown due to its strength, security and practicality.
Sometimes brown is regarded as a neutral color, although the lighter versions of it such as
beige and taupe tend to work better as background neutrals than the deeper shades of
brown.
Be aware that many, particularly women, find brown to be boring and too earthy, even
dirty.
Keywords:
Positive Color Meanings in Business:
• practical, earthy and down-to-earth
• comfort, reassurance, strength, security, simplicity
• reliable, dependable, credible and durable
• friendly and approachable
• stability, humility
• homely, comfortable, warm
• wholesome, natural and organic
Negative Color Meanings in Business:
• lack of humor, too serious
• lack of sophistication
• heavy and dull, despairing
• staid, passive
• dirty
Using Brown in Business
Brown is appealing to most men due to its strength, reliability, durability and practicality (it
hides the dirt). It is not as well accepted by women unless they are involved in outdoor
activities and farming.
With its connection to the outdoors and down-to-earth activities, brown is suitable for
businesses promoting outdoor products and services. Earth moving, landscaping and
farming businesses are inspired by the use of brown, along with anyone marketing
wholesome and organic products.
Durability and credibility as well as homely and comfortable are positive messages given by
the use of brown.
Too much brown can be heavy, dull and boring. It can appear too staid, serious, passive
and unsophisticated.
Light brown suggests neatness, openness, approachability and friendliness.
Medium brown relates well to nature, wholesome food and agricultural products when you
relate it to color meanings in business.
Dark brown relates well to sophisticated and professional men's products when combined
with gold or cream.
Business Color
Using Color Psychology
to Empower Your Business
Business color is one of the most important considerations when establishing your business
and its profile. Just as you can use color psychology to empower yourself, you can use it to
empower your business.
Take the time to understand the messages you are sending when you choose colors for your
website, your marketing, advertising and promotions, your retail business, your office, or
other business, your business stationery, your packaging,and your business clothing. These
business color messages are instinctive, subliminal and powerful and they can convey both
positive and negative impressions about you and your business. Whether you understand
people's responses to color or whether your choice of color is based on your own like or
dislike of a color, you need to understand the effect it has on your business.
Color and its psychological meaning impacts our lives in so many ways - although it
surrounds us physically and psychologically every minute of the day and night we tend to be
unaware of the enormous impact it has on us. We take color for granted, yet it has a
powerful subliminal and subconscious effect on the physical and emotional well-being of
each and every one of us.
Imagine walking through a shopping mall that is devoid of color with everything in black,
gray and white. How different would you feel in this depressing, colorless shopping
environment? Would you be inspired to purchase beautiful clothing, makeup, items for your
home, or even a delicious cake from the café? Probably not!! You would not be emotionally,
sensually or physically stimulated enough to motivate you to make a purchase. Color
stimulates all our senses and as a result it has an effect on all our purchasing decisions.
Most purchasing decisions are made emotionally and then justified by logic! So it is essential
that you are aware of both the positive and negative impact and response of each color on
the emotions. There is no such thing as a bad color, just colors that are more suitable for
your particular business purpose in order to get the response you want.
The first step in making the best choices for your business colors is to establish who your
target market is and then you can match the colors to that market to get the best response.
Is your market male, female or both, young children, teenagers, older people, a particular
ethnic group, an industry group, or a hobby group? Be aware that colors can have different
meanings depending on the culture, the industry and your target market. Also be aware
that the buyer of your product may not be the user of your product - in this case you need
to target the colors and marketing of the product at the user and target the advertising at
the purchaser. By using a number of different colors in your marketing program and taking
care with the balance of these colors you can counterbalance and compensate for any
negative cultural associations.
Of course it is important you maintain your integrity and that of your business and its
products or services when choosing colors for your marketing. Don't use colors that
compromise your integrity by suggesting, through association, that your product is
something it is not. For example, don't use blue just because it is the most favored color of
all - it may not be the best choice for your business. Green is a color that is now associated
with organic and natural products - don't use it to deceive buyers into believing a product is
organic and natural if it isn't. However, green is also associated with the outdoors and
freshness and this may be the message you wish to impart, even though your product may
not be organic and natural.
Choose your colors appropriately and wisely. Color is subliminal and it can help to establish
your brand and your image without even saying a word. Don't just copy other successful
businesses; use the information on the psychological meaning of each color to give your
business an individual and unique identity.
Target Markets
Using Color Psychology to Attract Your Market
Your target market is the people or businesses you are aiming to sell your products or
services to; it is therefore important that you understand the colors that will attract your
specific market.
With many businesses now being global, color has also become global. Know your the
market you are trying to attract and speak the color language that they will best respond to.
Then test your color choices on a small sample of your market before implementing a large
and expensive promotion. Compare several color options, get feedback and then choose the
colors which give you the best response.
Color psychology is not an exact science and there are no right or wrong colors, only colors
which may get a better response than others from your target market. Understand that
there is a physiological and a psychological component to each color as well as the
subjective meanings attached by each individual.
Our color preferences are 'colored' by our gender, our age, our education, the culture we
grew up in, preconceived color beliefs of the societies we live in, our childhood associations
with certain colors, and our life experiences, whether those associations are negative or
positive.
The following are typical generalizations to help you understand your target market, but
remember, there are always exceptions to the rules!
Gender:
Blue is a color which is generally favored by most people, independent of which culture,
country, age, socio-economic bracket, or gender they are from, so it is the safest color to
use in all your target markets, although not always the best color to use. Universally, pink
tends to be favored by females.
Males:
• Prefer the color blue to red, and orange to yellow.
• Baby boys traditionally tend to be dressed in blue, except in Belgium where pink is
used for baby boys.
• In the western world many men are color blind so you need to be aware of the
red/green visual problems if this is your target market and choose other colors that
are not as affected.
Females:
• Prefer the color red to blue, and yellow to orange.
• Baby girls traditionally tend to be dressed in pink except in Belgium where blue is
used for baby girls.
• Tend to have a broader range of color preferences to men and are more open to
trying new colors.
Both Genders:
• Blue, turquoise, green, red, yellow, black, white, gray and silver are colors that are
the most suitable for use in a business marketing to both males and females.
• Pinks and purples are now becoming more acceptable to males, with pale pink
business shirts and purple casual shirts commonly seen on men.
Age:
Babies:
• cry more in a yellow room.
• respond best to high contrast visuals.
Pre-adolescent Children:
• Prefer brighter primary and secondary colors - red, yellow, blue, orange, green
and purple.
• Also prefer solid blocks of colors rather than patterns.
Adolescents/Teenagers:
• more open to experimenting with more sophisticated and complex colors due to
their exposure to computer graphics programs such as Photoshop.
• more influenced by cultural influences due to multiculturalism and greater access
to world markets through the Internet.
• many younger teenager girls love varying shades of purple and pink.
• as they reach their late teens they often show a preference for black - this relates
to a psychological need for black during the transition stage from the innocence of
childhood to the sophistication of adulthood - it signifies the ending of one part of
their life and the beginning of another, allowing them to hide from the world while
they discover their own unique identity.
Young Adults:
• Similar to teenagers.
• Tastes begin to change around age 25 as they become more sure of themselves
and find their direction in life.
Adults:
• Prefer more subdued colors.
• Are less open to experimenting with color, tending to stick with their favorites.
Mature 65+ Years Old:
• Yellow is the least favored color of this target market, unless it is a pale butter
yellow.
• Preference for clear colors such as fresh blues, pinks, greens.
• Preference for cleaner colors such as blue-greens rather than olive greens.
• Are generally more comfortable with the calming colors of blue, green, pink and
purple, than the bright, stimulating colors of red, orange and yellow, although some
will choose muted blue based reds and pale yellow.
• Many females often choose colors in the purple range, varying from deep purple
and violet, to mauve and lavender, and plum colors, as they grow older.
Corporate:
• The more serious the business, the darker the colors - dark blue, dark green, dark
red, indigo, black, gray.
• The more casual and light-hearted the business, the brighter and lighter the colors
- red, orange, yellow, bright green, bright blue, pink and purple.
Class Differences:
• Working class and blue collar workers tend to prefer the bright and warm primary
and secondary colors of the rainbow.
• Wealthier people tend to prefer the more complex and sophisticated colors tertiary colors, and shades and tints of primary and secondary colors.
Education Based Color preferences:
• Research has shown that the more educated people are, the more sophisticated
their color choices seem to be.
• Well educated people respond well to tertiary colors and those given unusual
names.
• Less educated people tend to prefer the simpler basic primary and secondary
colors.
• Broader education through the use of the Internet has resulted in greater access
to worldwide influences and effects on color choices.
Climate Based Color Preferences:
• People tend to prefer colors that duplicate the colors relating to their climate.
• People from warm tropical climates respond best to bright, warm colors, while
people from colder climates tend to prefer cooler and more subdued colors.
• In the Scandinavian countries, fresh and bright blues, yellows and whites are
popular.
• In Switzerland, more sophisticated colors such as dark reds and burgundies, gray
and dark blue are common.
• In South America the warm reds, oranges, yellows and bright pinks are popular.
• Australian Aborigines respond well to the earthy reds, oranges, blues and greens
that are seen in the outback regions of Australia.