The Psychology of Color in Marketing and Branding

The psychology of color and how it relates to persuasion is one of the most interesting and controversial aspects of marketing. This is because color has been known to have a powerful psychological impact on people’s behavior and decisions, and this knowledge has been harnessed all too well by designers and marketers alike.

Color is universal and is a source of information. People make up their minds within 90 seconds of their initial interactions with either people or products. Research shows that about 62‐90 percent of the assessment is based on colors alone.

Here are some ways in which the psychology of color impacts branding and marketing as a whole.

• Purchasing intent is greatly affected by colors due to the impact they have on how a brand is perceived.

• Color helps to create brand identity. Research has shown that there is a substantial connection between the use of colors and customers' perceptions of a brand's personality.

• Environmental and cultural perceptions play a strong role in dictating color appropriateness for different genders.
  

Keep this information in mind when choosing your brand's primary color palette. Given the utterly different taste preferences shown, it pays to appeal more to men or women depending on whom makes up a larger percentage of your ideal buyers.