Color & Branding

Color Design and Psychology for Branding

Brands and color are inextricably linked because color offers an instantaneous method
for conveying meaning and message without words.

Branding is a word commonly referred to by advertisers and marketing people, but

what does it actually mean? Marketing experts define "brand" as the "name, term, sign,
symbol or design, or a combination of them intended to identify a company's products
or services." In other words, a brand communicates the "idea" of company or product.
This is what forms the connection with consumers.
For example, in the illustration of the 3 brand images above:
The JAL (Japan AirLines) image has several components: The bird symbolizes flight
and the color red communicates power. Red also symbolizes good luck in Asia. The
circle and the color red reference the flag of Japan. Therefore, the brand image
communicates powerful air transportation from a Japanese company and good
luck with the journey.
The AT&T image is an award-winning design. The globe symbolizes a world circled
by electronic communications. More specifically, the symbol is made up of very
carefully delineated 'highlight' and 'shadow' elements. As a result, the symbol may
be reproduced to give the impression of a three-dimensional sphere that is lighted
from a distance source.

(Source)

Test yourself on what blue symbolizes.

The UPS (United Parcel Service) image is an excellent example of how a single color
communicates meaning. Brown symbolizes dependability and solidity. (It is not a
snobby color; it is not high technology; brown is grounded in the earth.)

The Power of Images

A single image delivers a lot of information in a very short time because we perceive an
image all at once, whereas reading or hearing often takes significantly longer to process
the same information.
A recent study found that images of brands trigger religious reactions.

(Source)

Dr.

Gemma Calvert discovered that when people viewed images associated with the strong
brands the iPod, the Harley-Davidson, the Ferrari, and others their brains registered
the exact same patterns of activity as they did when they viewed the religious images.

The Power of Shapes and Colors

Brands communicate meanings with the language of color and shape. As the overused
clich says, "A picture is worth a thousand words."
There are natural or universal associations evoked by shapes and colors that are
common to all of us: For example, a horizontal line is stable and a diagonal line is
dynamic. Red is hot and full of fire, blue is cool and watery or intangible like the sky.
About Shapes
Colors and shapes work in harmony with each other to communicate. Therefore, an
understanding of shapes is essential to understanding the power of color in branding.
Even the most basic geometrical shapes can be soft or hard, stable or threatening. The
image below illustrates basic geometric shapes and contemporary symbols that evolved
from basic shapes.

The Power of Color

Our minds are programmed to respond to color. For example, we stop our cars for red
lights and go on green.
Consider the effects of color in the image of contemporary symbols below.

The Power of Color for Brands

Brands and color are inextricably linked because color offers an instantaneous method
for conveying meaning and message without words.
Color is the visual component people remember most about a brand followed closely by
shapes/symbols then numbers and finally words. For example, the real McDonald's is
easy to detect in the image below.

People see color before they absorb anything else.

Many of the most recognizable brands in the world rely on color as a key factor in their
instant recognition. (See for yourself and take the "Recognizable Brands Test" at the
end of this article.)

Why Color Matters Facts

Research has reinforced that 60% of the time people will decide if they are attracted or
not to a message - based on color alone!
Color increases brand recognition by up to 80 percent.

(Source: University of Loyola, Maryland

study)

Read more color facts about "Why Color Matters"

Examples of Color Branding
1. Natural and Universal Color Symbolism for Brands

FedEx's two different color schemes are the best examples of the "universal" symbolism
of colors. Green communicates ground services; orange communicates the high energy
and speed of air transportation.