Target – red and black.
Caterpillar – golden yellow.
Coca Cola – red.
Most of us know the colours of well known brands – just as we know their logo. And just like your logo, the colours chosen need to be simple, easy to recognize and memorable.
It’s pretty easy to memorize the colours of a brown and blue logo. On the other hand, the same logo design in….. tan and blue and green and teal and purple and red and black is not so easy to remember.
What Colour Should You Use In Your Branding?
Different colours have different meanings
- Green means ‘go’
- Red means ‘stop’
- Yellow means ‘speed up’
There are a few generally accepted principles of colour and the emotions they evoke, yet colour trends change all the time.
Your brand is here for the long haul, so the trick is to find the colour combination that doesn’t just work today but will maintain its appeal and meaning over time:
• Black: Seriousness, distinctiveness, boldness, power, sophistication, tradition.
• Blue: Authority, dignity, security, faithfulness, heritage, corporate stability, trust.
• Brown/gold: History, utility, earthiness, richness, tradition, conservative.
• Gray/silver: Sombreness, authority, practicality, corporate mentality, trust.
• Green: Tranquillity, health, freshness, stability, appetite.
• Orange: Fun, cheeriness, warm exuberance, appetite, speed.
• Pink: Femininity, innocence, softness, health, youth.
• Purple: Sophistication, spirituality, wealth, royalty, youth, mystery.
• Red: Aggressiveness, passion, strength, vitality, fear, speed, appetite.
• White/silver: Purity, truthfulness, faith, contemporary, refined, wealth.
• Yellow: Youth, positive feelings, sunshine, cowardice, refinement, caution, appetite.
Should your logo or branding be in your favourite colour?
Well, no not really! Its not about you and what you personally like, it’s about sending out a message about your business and all that it promises.
Blue won’t sell food, red doesn’t translate stability, and clear is not an option.
Colour choices are important. Certain colours (and combinations) work better than others for different types of businesses and products.
There’s tons of reference material out there and other companies have already paid for the research. Use it.
Things to Consider…
Will the colours work everywhere?
Besides choosing the right colour, you have to be sure you can reproduce the colours in a variety of mediums.
• Does the logo work in black and white?
• Can you accurately reproduce it in spot colour & four-color process?
• Do the colours work well against coloured backgrounds?
• Does the logo look as good on black as it does on white?
• Can the colours be embroidered on apparel?
• Do they translate accurately to video or a Web site?
• Do you have, in writing, the colour specifications that will allow you to communicate the precise colours as PMS colours, CMYK (four-color process) and RGB (web/video)?
Your designer will consider and collaborate with you to ensure your final colour choices are suitable for the job in hand and deliver a logo and branding to you that looks as good on the side of a truck as it does in a brochure, television commercial, business card, shirt, packaging or web site.
Thinking of getting a logo and branding for your business? Get in touch, lets chat
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