Colours in Culture: Does Colour influence your brand loyalty or shopping decisions?
For instance have you ever noticed how big brands in certain sectors use similar colours? No? Well think about food outlets. McDonalds, Pret A Manger, Burger King = Red, Orange and Yellow. Research has shown that these colours make us feel hungry and eat more. Think of medical brands and what colours pop into your head? From Pfizer to the NHS and Bupa, the common colours used is blue – co-incidence? Nope, as blue* is renowned for being the colour of calm and logic. Handy values to promote in healthcare organisations.
Colour and Culture
However, have you ever wondered if the colours we use in the UK have the same connotations around the west of the world? When considering your branding and logo it pays to consider the impact it may have according to the different audiences you are trying to target.We also all have personal associations with colour eg. ever made to wear a pair of 70’s cords in a horrible colour as a child? So test your plan for your colour scheme or logo on some of your friends and family and some of your target audience. Do listen to the positive and constructive comments and edit your plans accordingly. Also consider other big brands. It can be all to easy to choose a colour scheme as it seems familiar. Yet if that’s because you’ve inadvertently let your addiction for Starbuck’s coffee infiltrate your design choices then you may want to think again. Do you want people to think about them or your brand?
Did you know that white is the color of death in Chinese culture, but purple represents death in Brazil? So we thought we’d share this handy Infographic above. Follow the link to discover what the colour of Happiness (number 38 on the poster) is in the West versus China. You’ll get a whole new perspective on colour which is food for thought when it comes to your design and branding. Enjoy. If you’re curious to learn more. Why not get hold of a copy of Itten’s The Elements of Colour, 1970, published by Faber Birren*
Handy website: Colour Lovers
I stumbled across this very handy research whilst working on building this website myself. I’ve been using it whilst working on another web build project for a freelance client. Have a peek. This COPASO site is dedicated to all things colour! I can’t believe as an Art Graduate I didn’t discover this Colour Lovers site earlier. Look at new colour trends, news, and try your hand it testing out some web colours yourself. It really saves you time when considering your brand and online colour scheme. Remember, colour is an important part of your communications and branding, so be creative.
