Color Psychology in Marketing: How Color Consistency Can Change Your Marketing

As marketing professionals and business owners, it’s essential to recognize that every detail of your brand makes a statement, especially the color palette! Strategic moves in crafting and marketing a brand are crucial because they significantly influence consumer behavior.

If you're an avid listener of our Hashtag Managed podcast, we talked about the importance of color in marketing a few weeks back. Leveraging color psychology and common branding techniques is ESSENTIAL to marketing. We want the consumer to love the mission of our brand, of course, but we also want them to be visually pulled into it before they even get a chance to read all the pros of the brand itself.

You might be thinking...really, the colors matter? But think about what products stand out to you on the shelf! Here's some homework for you, next time you're walking through the grocery store be conscious of what products you gravitate towards and what products you haven't noticed before, it's probably happening more than you think! While shelf placement plays a role, brand colors and eye-catching graphics are also crucial.

The colors a brand chooses, create a strong impact on their target audience. Understanding the psychology behind colors can be a powerful tool in capturing attention, creating brand identity, and ultimately, driving sales. By incorporating color psychology into marketing strategies, businesses can better connect with their customers on a subconscious level and leave a lasting impression.

Let's dive into how brands use color psychology in marketing.

Tiffany & Co

A brand that has been the winner for YEARS of color marketing is Tiffany & Co. Who can't remember the iconic Tiffany Blue® they have been known for. In fact, Tiffany Blue® is one of the colors that's trademarked, despite the tough qualifications. This color "evokes feelings of tranquility, trust, and sophistication," and they have leveraged it to stand out in the luxury market.

How do they do this? Everything they do, is colored in their signature blue! They consistently use this color in everything they do—from in-store design to product boxes to their social media feed—making their brand memorable with a single color. They made their brand memorable with one single color and how they carry it out in every piece of their branding.

Blank Street Coffee

If New Yorkers are reading this, you probably already know what we are talking about when we mention Blank Street Coffee, a coffee chain that expanded quickly in New York, New England, and even England.

This chain has created a powerful brand image at their in-person shops with a signature minty-green color. However, what we want to note is how they have taken this signature color and carried it out onto their social media presence, too! They make their branding such a huge aspect of their brand personality and they have grown big by becoming a known green staple. There's no doubt that when we see this pop up in our feed, we know that it's Blank Street Coffee!

How Do You Use Color Psychology as A Small Brand?

Our examples in this blog may be larger brands that you are working with currently, however, that doesn't mean that color psychology is forgotten about.

While there are tons of big brands with trademarked colors like Post-It Yellow, or Barbie Pink, we aren't saying you have to do the same with your small business!

Instead, (1) be wise when choosing your color palette, and (2) lean on your branding and create consistency.

Crafting Your Branding Colors

When you are crafting your branding image, you must consider all aspects when it comes to the colors you are choosing for your brand. What do you want your audience to feel when they see your brand? How are you going to promote this within your brand's marketing?

Colors evoke feelings in consumers. We've all had a favorite color since the age of five, right? People gravitate towards colors. If you haven't already, check out this blog on color theory and the meaning behind colors to learn what could be a good move to your brand.

What is the key to color psychology?

If you haven’t already guessed it: consistency! Consistency is what makes brands recognizable. Find creative ways to showcase your branding and let your brand personality shine. Create a unique color palette and integrate it into every aspect of your branding to establish an image people immediately associate with your brand. Whether they see it on the shelf, in their social media feed, or hear your brand mentioned, this consistent visual identity will help you attract and maintain a loyal community.