What if the colors you chose for your product, web page, or call-to-action could actually influence the effectiveness? Well, it can. Color psychology is a commonly utilized marketing strategy and here’s why:
Beyond creating visual appeal, colors can also bring to mind specific emotions in the viewer. This emotional connect can lead them to behave and respond in desired ways. Over the years, marketers have been tapping into research on colors and using the many possible applications to boost business.
Research conducted by WebPageFX found out that:
- Over 84% of customers factor in the color(s) of products while making their purchase decisions.
- 93% of the time, people judge by the visual appearance. In contrast, only 6% judge by texture and a minuscule 1% by smell or sound.
- Color can improve comprehension by 73%; learning by up to 68% and reading by 40%.
Even in the area of workplace psychology, color plays a vital role. Your choice of color will invariably reflect your employees’ mood and attitude towards work; and of course, will also show up in overall work productivity.
Digging deeper into colors and their behavioral impact, we have listed some principal effects of primary and secondary colors:
PRIMARY COLORS
RED
EMOTIONS:
- Stirs up strong emotions
- Boosts appetite
- Increases passion and intensity
MARKETING:
- Increases excitement
- Creates a sense of urgency
- Commonly used by restaurants to increase appetite
POLITICS:
- Red represents communism and socialism across the globe.
- In the U.S., red is also the color of the Republicans.
ORIENTAL TRADITION:
- The color of the root chakra located at the base of the spine; it is associated with survival, safety, and the physical self.
YELLOW
EMOTIONS:
- Enhances cheerfulness and warmth
- Strains the eyes
- Stimulates the mental process and the nervous system
- Encourages communication
MARKETING
- Related to optimism and youthfulness
- Said to imply clarity
- Commonly used to grab the attention of window shoppers
POLITICS
- Yellow represents liberalism.
ORIENTAL TRADITION:
- The color of the solar plexus chakra, located in the upper abdomen, between the navel; often associated with personal power, will and self-esteem.
BLUE
EMOTIONS:
- Associated with water and tranquility
- Considered a cool color
- Curbs appetite
- Most preferred by men
- Being the color of the sky and the ocean, blue is considered as one of the most common colors in human existence.
- Increases productivity hence, its widespread use in offices.
MARKETING:
- Blue is often the chosen corporate color for its productive and non-invasive appeal.
- Implies a sense of importance in a brand, a sense of security in the user, and an overall feeling of trust.
POLITICS:
- Blue usually represents the more conservative parties across the globe.
- In the U.S., the Democrats use this color.
ORIENTAL TRADITION
- The color of the throat chakra; stands for truth, communication, and total self-expression.
SECONDARY COLORS
ORANGE
EMOTIONS:
- Suggests enthusiasm, warmth, caution and excitement.
MARKETING:
- Orange stimulates aggressive action and is often used to invoke the Call-To-Action (CTA) for buying, selling or subscribing.
- Orange is great for persuading impulsive shoppers because it conveys a friendly, cheerful and confident brand.
POLITICS:
- In Netherlands, orange is the national as well as the royal color.
ORIENTAL TRADITION:
- The color of the sacral chakra located around the lower back and reproductive organs; represents creativity, sexuality, and pleasure.
GREEN
PERSONALITY:
- Good health
- Tranquility
- Nature
- Reduces depression and also suggests positivity (as in the commonly used saying “greener pastures”).
- Night vision goggles use green as this is the color human eye is most sensitive to it and can detect more easily.
MARKETING:
- Green is used in stores to create relaxation in buyers.
- Also associated with success as well as being wealthy.
*Some interesting trivia – Green M&Ms communicate a sexual message. It is often considered as the color of fertility. During the 15th century, it was a preferred color for wedding gowns!
POLITICS:
- Green is firmly associated with the environmentalists.
ORIENTAL TRADITION:
- The color of the heart chakra; represents unconditional love and healing.
PURPLE
EMOTIONS:
- Purple is generally considered the color of wisdom
- Success
- Wealth
- And last but not the least, royalty (the reason kings and queens are often portrayed wearing purple robes).
MARKETING:
- Being a soothing and calming color, purple is often used in beauty and anti-aging products.
- Purple represents creativity, imagination, and wise branding.
POLITICS:
- As mentioned earlier, purple was used for, and by, the royalty in the olden times.
- It is rarely used in modern day politics.
ORIENTAL TRADITION:
- The color of the crown chakra, located at the top of the head; indicates spirituality, thus deemed to possess a great connection with divinity, transcendence, consciousness, and purity.