Company logos can make or break a brand recognition. There is a relation between the color of the logos and its success in establishing a connection with its viewers. Research tells us that a person is bound to make a subconscious decision within two minutes of viewing an environment or surrounding or a product or a logo.
The major factor contributing to this decision is the color information in it. Although colors are not associated with a particular brand or product, certain features and characteristics which the color indicates can be used to describe a particular brand or industry. There are many websites, online quiz links and tools available to help in choosing the right branding logo. Monochrome logos showcasing a single color, are considered to be a success.
How color affects the viewer’s perspective?
The colors are known to make a deep connection with its viewer, at various levels. The chakra healing is based on the colors of the seven chakras in our body. Likewise, in modern medicine, the green color is best for healing and makes a connect with nature’s way of healing and growth and hence is used in hospitals. In the business logo industry, this color associates itself with good growth, positive financing options and ethics. The food industry is also connected to it as an indicative sign for an organic and fresh product. To be able to choose the right color which makes a positive impact on the viewer while making the brand indicative of its niche, it is important to understand the colors and their significance in the logo branding industry.
What do different colors indicate?
The color psychology marks certain characteristics to each color. Listed below are few colors and what they represent in the business fraternity.
White: The color white makes its appearance in the multicolored or two color brand logo to be visible to the viewer. The white color is associated with the purity, simplicity, cleanliness etc. It is often hidden in the strong background color of the logo, to mask it from the cultural implications in certain regions. A good example is the alternate logo of Coca-Cola written in white on a red background. While the red color is the brand color associated with Coca-Cola, the white text is used to make the connection with the simplicity-oriented viewers.
Black: The color black indicates authority and is used by established brands to assert their brand-identity. This is the second most popular color for logo branding. It symbolises sophistication, luxury, style, rare and elegant characteristics in a brand. Very established brands use this color in their logos. Unless a company has earned a sturdy customer base, a company would not want to use the black color in the logo. A company needs to update its logo as and when its customer base expands or its business scales global heights. Eventually, black color in the logo is used in conjunction with another color in the background.
Green: Green is a symbol of prosperity, harmony, wealth and life. It is a friendly color to choose if the product/company is eco-friendly and delivers harmony.
Red: Red indicates passion, strength, arrogance, attention and love. It is a symbol which attracts the young at heart. It is a popular logo color used to make the heart connect with its consumers. Around 30% of the companies use this color in their brand logo.
Blue: This color is the first choice for logos, more than 35% of companies use it in their brand logos. It indicates trust, peace, security and trustworthiness. It is a popular logo for financial institutions, many kinds of businesses.
Yellow: Yellow emanates characteristics like confidence, optimism and progress. This color is usually used in conjunction with a strong color in the background. Like the white color, it needs a primary color in the background. More than 25% of the companies make use of this color in the logo
Purple: Purple represents a certain class. It is often associated with royalty or sophistication.
Choosing the right color for the branding and marketing:
Finally, when choosing the right color for a branding, one must consider the following aspects:
- If the company is entering the market as a pioneer or as a competitor – A pioneer gets to choose the color from the lot, while a competitor may have to decide if the idea is to stand out or follow the lead. Every company with an aim to stand out must pick the opposite color to that of the competitor.
- If the market for which a certain color is chosen is sensitive to it – Pink is associated with feminity and not chosen as a brand unless the company is involved in female customer oriented products.
- If the logo requires color mixing – One has to choose the right mix of colors. The mix of colors indicates the availability of diverse products under one roof. Hence a company offering solutions and products spanning different varieties may want to experiment with multiple colors. The popular color mixing utilises two colors only.