COLOUR IN MARKETING: GOING GREEN

March 17, 2016 Branding, Design, Design tips

Colour coordinating with the masses donning a sea of green in cities far and wide to celebrate the festivities of St. Patrick’s Day, theroom follow suit with an appreciation post to the iconic green palette. Our Roomies dissect what colour can mean for your marketing, graphic design and brand identity.

Colours have long symbolised and conveyed a variety of feelings, connotations and physical effects for the consumer. An example? Your stomach may grumble when thoughts of McDonald’s red and golden arches come to mind. Alternatively, depending on lower appetite levels, red could potentially lead to associations of love and Valentine’s Day. More broadly referencing colour, statistics show 85% of shoppers rank colour as a leading factor influencing their purchase decision. From this, colour consideration is vital when considering the overall branding venture for a firm.

Borrowing examples from the compulsively addictive gaming console XBOX, to the music streaming platform Spotify, each have found a certain unique value and flexibility in the colour green, highlighting it is not limited by industry of work. Arguably one of the most easily recognised green branding, dependent on ones adoration levels for coffee of course, is Starbucks. The green here has come to convey a certain calmness and sophistication, quite unmatched in the coffee industry. It promotes peace, tranquillity and consistency in their brand and product portfolio. Quite dissimilar however, yet still managing to convey a strong meaning is BP’s humanitarian approach across their marketing messages. Foregrounding connotations of environment-consciousness through the deliverance of strong, cohesive branding and colour integration, the use of the green palette has been critical in solidifying this specific meaning for BP.

From this, the value of colour is irrefutable, further reinforced with data revealing as high as 67% of 2-3 year old children can match up a logo with a brand. For Starbucks, through consistent imagery and strong branding of the Starbucks dark green, a sense of comfort and security has been derived which can be swiftly recognised by consumers. With BP and Starbucks having completely distant relations, the defining feature of green across all brands opting for this colour palette is overall, a generally positive message and meaning. The only issue with this ‘generally’ positive message is that our Roomies think it is just that- general. The problematic issue with deducing colour to a certain feeling or emotion can be largely personal and based on individual perceptions and backgrounds. Research has, however, found 90% of impulse judgments about a product can be based on colour alone. From this, the importance of selecting a colour theme that suits your brand identity, marketing messages and rivals your competition is irrefutable. For example, if all your competitors are using green, you could potentially stand out in a positive way by utilising orange, granted this still coincides with your brand identity.

At theroom, we can deliver on all aspects of branding, including the complexity of colour. Learn about our process we have mastered over the years and contact us today to organise your free consultation for your brand.