The Role of Colour in Brand Identity: Chasing Rainbows?

Shallow as it may seem, looks really do count.

The generally accepted hierarchy of human senses suggests that we rely most heavily on sight. Up to 80% of all impressions are by means of our sight, and we’re able to communicate about vision more easily than taste and smell, for example.

If this isn’t enough motivation to ensure your brand looks good, need I remind you that first impressions last? Within just a few seconds of exposure, consumers will jump to a conclusion about your brand. And it takes a real disruption to achieve a second chance.

It makes sense then that we should delve into some of the key visual cues a brand has at its disposal; the most obvious being its use of colour.

A Golden Opportunity

Colour is important. It’s where first impressions are based. Yes, colour is a visual aid, helping your brand to stand out and be noticed. But it is important for branding more so because of how it evokes emotion and conveys meaning.

The bright red of a fireman’s hat and a bride’s pristine white dress; the green light that signals permission and the clarity we associate with black and white. Colour is able to convey important information almost instantaneously. The colour palette a brand uses is crucial in the development of its overall identity, and its ability to deliver meaning.

Colour Psychology

Colour psychology is the study of colours in relation to human behaviour. Think of how colour affects our day-to-day decisions, like what we buy and how we navigate a website: 

-does the colour of one product’s packaging grab my attention more than the other product on the same shelf?

- does the colour of a button make me more likely to click it over another option on that page?

Generally, yes. Colour does influence these choices. And many more. 

Referencing colour psychology can be helpful when making decisions about how to present a brand to the world – for the product itself, in its packaging and throughout its communications. In short: in every area of the brand’s visual identity.

No Grey Area

Two key factors which contribute to a brand’s success are its differentiation and its distinctiveness. Being differentiated means you stand out; being distinctive means a brand looks like itself. Colour can assist with both.

Financial services is typically a sea of blue: Discovery, Liberty Life, Standard Bank, VISA, PayPal. All these companies seem to be relying on the same research which suggests that blue represents trust, stability and strength.

Blue is favoured by many tech brands, too, presumably for similar reasons: HP, IBM and Dell all use varying shades of the same colour.

Thankfully, colour isn’t the only visual tool at a brand’s disposal, and differentiation is made possible through typeface, shape, symbols and iconography as well. Using the tech category as a reference point, consider how Apple’s icon has contributed to its differentiation (amongst other things): initially in its rainbow garb, and even the more recent chrome iteration.

And if we consider how some brand’s identities have evolved over time, colour is usually the one aspect that does remain consistent. Coca-Cola’s red and BP’s green are just two examples that come to mind; ensuring the brand remains distinctive while keeping up with the times.

Your True Colours

The most important take-out from this discussion on the use of colour in branding is to show your true colours: just be yourself. If you are a new brand making that first, critical decision about use of colour, or if you’re a well-established brand that needs to be refreshed – make your choice of colours work hard for your brand. Pick colours that project a message; that have some meaning. And whether you pick a colour because of its ability to deliver differentiation, or stick with what you’ve got because visual consistency that leads to distinctiveness – there’s a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow for brands that use colour wisely.

Colour has typically been the domain of creatives, but we believe it should be approached strategically to ensure greatest possible impact on brand performance. If your brand is bland, chat to us for guidance on how you can ensure your consumers take notice and take action.

Image credit: Alex Jackman on Unsplash