Color is at the forefront of branding, and it’s an important component when it comes to forming a company’s identity. Tiffany is perhaps the most well-known example of a brand defined by color. Tiffany blue, a distinct aquamarine hue, is now associated with wealth and class. This is a textbook example of how meaningful color can be for a brand. When you choose which colors to integrate with your brand, you’re creating the palette that will represent the company for years to come.

Can you recall the color that represents your favorite brand? If it’s Coca-Cola, a deep red will spring to mind. But this isn’t just any deep red. It’s Coke red. It’s valuable for the company to have a distinct color, because consumers now associate this shade of red with Coca-Cola. 

What feelings do colors evoke?

Our brains see thousands of stimuli every day, and they recognize and respond to each one. These stimuli come in different colors, and the various shades can play a role in our moods. Color psychology is the study of colors as they relate to emotions.

Carl Jung, a pioneer in the field, stated “colours express the main psychic functions of man.” This discipline explores how human behaviors can be influenced by color. For instance, colors may lead a person to feel positively or negatively about a brand.

Beyond the marketing world, color psychology can have even stranger effects. The color of a room can even influence how warm or cold a person feels the temperature is.

Powerful red

A 2024 article from the Journal of Textiles, Coloration, and Polymer Science explains that many people’s brains associate the color red with feelings of love. Red also has connotations with passion, energy, and power.

In other contexts, red acts as a warning or an alert. This can be seen in stop signs, stop lights, and even in metaphorical terms like “red flag.” Dr. Sally Augustin, who focuses on color psychology in much of her work, explains that warm colors can increase people’s appetites. This information might be interesting to a website designer choosing the color palette for a restaurant’s website.

Radiant yellow

Often associated with the sun, yellow is a widely recognizable symbol of joy. Happiness, hope, and enthusiasm are a few of the emotions that may be elicited when people see the color yellow. If your business wants to evoke feelings of happiness, yellow could be a good fit for branding materials.

This works to the advantage of brands like McDonald's, whose golden arch beckons in customers and attempts to bring them joy.

Tranquil blue

Unlike orange or yellow, the color blue doesn’t convey a sense of excitement. Instead, it conjures feelings of trust and dependability. That explains why banks like Chase and dental hygiene brands like Oral-B choose to identify themselves with shades of blue.

Without saying a word, these businesses communicate the message that they are grounded, competent, and trustworthy.

Multi-colored

Some companies create multi-colored logos for themselves. The Windex logo, for example, features both red and blue, illustrating joy and stability simultaneously. The Reese’s candy logo combines yellow and orange, seemingly doubling down on feelings of cheer, friendliness, and optimism. If a company feels they can’t be boxed in by just one color, they may choose to combine multiple in order to represent more than one facet of themselves.

How should I choose a color for my brand?

1. Think about the qualities you want your company to embody

When trying to decide which color(s) will represent your brand, the first step is to think about the qualities you want your company to embody. If your product aims to promote creativity, it may be best to go with purple, the color most closely associated with imagination.

If, on the other hand, you’re in the business of selling insurance or offering medical help, a more subdued color like blue or gray could do the trick.

2. Decide which colors to steer clear of

Equally important is ruling out the colors that definitely don’t fit your brand. When opening a funeral home, for instance, it’s probably best to avoid happy colors like yellow or orange. The same applies to businesses like law firms, where studious imagery is more important than lighthearted joy.

Studying brands similar to your own may also be helpful. While you certainly don’t want to copy another brand exactly, drawing inspiration from others in the industry can often jumpstart great ideas.

3. Integrate your chosen color scheme

Making branding decisions can feel like half the battle, but what happens once you’ve nailed down a color that suits your company? Well, the next step is to incorporate that color consistently wherever your brand is visible. 

Let’s say you’re opening a local restaurant, and you’ve chosen the color green as shorthand for sustainability. This shade of green should now be seen in your logo, inside your brick-and-mortar location, on your menu, and in any other spot associated with the restaurant. The next step might be to hire a designer who can help with this process, as he or she will be able to beautifully incorporate your brand’s colors within your company website.

Consistency is key when it comes to color

When branding lacks consistency, customers won’t form a solid image of your brand in their minds. This can lead to decreased customer loyalty and brand recognition. Packaging color is also significant to consumers, so consider whether a product in your brand’s shade would stand out on a grocery store shelf.

Some brands, like Tiffany, have a color so distinct that people associate it with their company even without additional context. For organizations like the National Breast Cancer Association, color becomes a calling card. Most Americans recognize the connection between breast cancer awareness and the color pink, even decades on from the tradition’s origin.

Once you’ve landed on a color that best reflects what your brand stands for, make sure it’s as noticeable as possible. When consumers see your brand’s signature color, you want them to think of your company, whether or not it's directly related. When a brand’s color is truly effective, it can transcend marketing tactics and begin to speak for itself.

Things you'll never unsee now: Brand colors everywhere

Reds, yellows, blues, and greens all mean something different, so deciding on a palette for your business is a weighty decision. Next time you’re browsing products online or wandering down grocery store aisles, pay attention to the colors on your favorite items. Chances are, you’ll start seeing the principles of color psychology everywhere you go.