Psychology of Color

Marketing

Warm-up

1. What are the three elements that make up the marketing concept?a) Pricing, Planning, & Promoting

b) Selling, Marketing, & Distributing

c) Improved standard of living, more resources, & increased international trade

d) Customer Orientation, company commitment, & company goals

Elements of the Marketing Concept

Customer orientation: Do it their way. Finding out what customers want and producing those products the way they

want them

Door-to-Door sales versus a company surveying clients to see what they want

Company commitment: Do it better. Make/price the product better than the competition’s model. Putting money into research & development so your products stays #1

Company goals: Do it with success in mind. Maintain your firm’s purpose while you apply the marketing concept. Increase profits, be more socially responsible, increase market share, etc…

The interrelationships among marketing functions

Can’t forget to advertise even if you have a great product

Can’t forget to have a sufficient supply of those great products in stock

Can’t forget to set prices that are competitive and attract customers

Forgetting any of these functions means your marketing effort won’t be as effective.

Your competitors will have an advantage

Agenda

• Psychology of Color Lesson

• Choose your favorite color

• Look at color chart to see if your favorite color relates to description given.– 3-5 sentences. Include level of agreement.– Are there any other colors that describe you?

Step One: Choose Favorite Color

Compare your color & description

• List at least 2 ideas / emotions

When you see orange, what do you think of?

• List at least 1 Brand

Color Psychology

• 90% of an assessment for trying out a product is based on color alone

• Color is the first thing a customer notices about a company’s logo

• Most popular logo colors:– Blue (33%)

– Red (29%)

– Black/Gray (28%)

– Yellow (13%)

Red in a Business

• Best when used as an accent color– Too much will overwhelm

• Encourages customers to take action & make a purchase

• Elicits a response– May be a positive or negative response– Response is dependent on the customer

• Best used in businesses specializing in food & appetite, energy, passion, or speed

Orange

• Stimulates appetite & social conversation

• Lighter shades of Orange & Red are seen as more feminine

• Gives impression of affordability – Too much orange will come across as too cheap

• Good for restaurants & food outlets– Important to the décor of a business

• Combined with blue, purple, or aubergine for a contemporary / classy look– Phoenix Suns

Orange in Business• Apply sparingly as it is disliked in the Western World

• Suggests fun, affordability, reasonable quality, & adventure

• Invaluable color in restaurants, cafes, bistros, and diners– Stimulates appetite & conversation

• Social color that is frequently used in hotels & resorts and on travel websites

• Sports teams pick orange a lot due to energy associated with it

• Orange appeals to the youth market– Teens like its fun & affordability– Kids see it in toys a lot

• Softer colors of orange such as peach are often used to represent upper class businesses

– Example: Spas, Beauty Salons, Treatment Centers, Expensive Restaurants

Gold in Business…

• High perceived value

• Promotes wisdom and wealth

• Products that use gold are seen as expensive / exclusive

• Best when combined with dark red, dark blue, or dark green

Yellow in Business

• Effective if combined with other bright primary colors – Combined with black will act as a warning

• Great color for children’s products – Stimulates mind & creativity

• Helps keep people moving because most people don’t like yellow for long periods of time– Popular in fast food

• Good for leisure products– Enhance the promotion of any fun and entertainment

business

Yellow in Business

• It is a good color to highlight but too much can cause anxiety, especially with older people– Subway & McDonalds remodeled

• Use in Point-of-Sale purchases– Eyes follow yellow first

• Avoid using yellow on expensive items– Men view it as cheap and unsophisticated

• Dirty versions of yellow have negative connotations – Example: Mustard

Green in Business• Green is a good color for health & healing

• Promotes natural, safe, & organic products– Environmentally friendly

• Suggests something new and fresh– Motivates people to join social groups – Helps people thing more clearly

• Dark green is good for money & financial institutes

• Lime Green suggests anticipation

• Olive Green is negative unless used to emphasize nature / environment

Blue in Business• Blue is the most universally well-liked color in the world

– Safest to use– Helps build customer loyalty

• Blue is best suited for the conservative, corporate world– Trust, honesty, dependability are important

• Popular for companies dealing with air & water– Airlines, Boating Companies, Air Conditioning, etc…

• Best if used for companies seeking one-on-one customer relationships versus mass communication– Insurance, accountants, banks, & other financial institutes

• Reduces appetite and slows heart rate

• Too much blue can encourage boredom, manipulation, or a rigid look

Blue / Green

Turquoise in Business• Good for businesses focusing on communication

– Teachers, trainers, public speakers, media communication, & computer technology

– Aids in self-expression & clarity of thought– Has an innovative side that goes well with sports teams

• Popular in health clinics & practitioners– Balances emotions & calms spirits

• Good for products promoting water– Pool companies, water filtration, water sports, etc..

• Often used in cleaning products as it reflects cleanliness without being too sterile

• Too much Turquoise creates indecision

• Best if used with red, pink, magenta, or purple

Purple in Business

• More suitable for products & websites relating to women or children– Younger men are starting to see appeal– Kids like purple & bright colors– Lighter shades appeal to women

• Craft items, antique stores, selling things like lace, etc..

• Academic institutes will frequently use a medium shade of purple– Inspire thought & achievement

• Portrays wealth, extravagance when combined with gold– Gold is not a good color on websites– Gold is effective on packaging & print material

Pink in Business

• Pink is popular with charities & their marketing programs– Relates to hope, compassion, warmth, and understanding

• Pink works well in businesses promoting women's products– Beauty salons, fashion businesses, & cosmeticians – Effective in candy stores & places selling sweet products

• Brighter pinks are popular amongst the younger market– Promotes less expensive and trendy items

• Dusty pink is popular in businesses focusing on older generations or sentimental services

White in Business

• White is probably the best color to use as the background color for websites– Exceptions are yellow & pastels– Helps clean up negative space

• Suggests simplicity, cleanliness, & safety

• Promotes hi-tech products, kitchen appliances, bathroom items, infant, and health related products

• On its own white is viewed as cold and sterile

Black in Business….• Black is beneficial for companies selling luxury, elegance, &

sophistication– High quality professional products– Upper class car companies

• Black packaging is viewed as heavier & more expensive– Creates classy, elegant look

• Good color to promote to wealthy teens– Music companies– Seen as cutting edge, trendy, sophisticated, & rebellious

• Can be seen as dramatic when combined with bright, rich, jewel colors such as red, emerald, yellow, or orange

• Too much black is viewed as unfriendly and intimidating– People think of salesmen wearing a black suit, black shirt, or black

pants

Silver in Business

• Reflects quality craftsmanship and artistry

• Beneficial for businesses promoting quality modern appliances and equipment

• Appropriate for high-tech, innovative computer market & scientific companies

• Doesn’t work well on websites– Appears gray which is cold and impersonal

• A good complimentary color not primary color

Assignment

• Pick your favorite color and compare it to definition

• Complete the psychology of color worksheet

• Choose 1 of 3 options to accentuate the use of color for a company

Option #1

• Create a female jersey for a Division II Humboldt State College – School lacks attendance for women's athletics. – Currently use Green, White, & Yellow.  – You would create something that attracts female fans or

attracts interest period. – If I were doing this I would choose pink or something

neon.  However, you can do whatever.  – You also need to turn the Lumberjack logo into a "less

manly" mascot.  Simply putting Lady Lumberjacks on a jersey would work too.

Option #2

• Rebrand the Washington Redskins Jersey. 

• New colors & new mascot needed. 

• You would get away from their current image and try to let people know that they are culturally sensitive & receptive to fans. 

• You can only use one (or none) of their existing colors

• If you look at what colors really stand for it should

help you pick one for them.  

Option #3

• Best Buy, Wendy's, Coca-Cola, Facebook, McDonalds, IKEA, FedEx, Ford, & KFC are all companies that typically attract an older audience. 

• They are hiring you to create a new color scheme & employee uniform that appeals to a younger demographic. 

• You do not need to alter their logo, just the colors it uses.  Best Buy could be Black & White versus Blue & Yellow.  Change geek squad outfit from white button up to black v-necks.