Psychology of Color

Marketing

Warm-up 1. What are the three elements that make up the marketing concept?

a) b) c) d) Pricing, Planning, & Promoting Selling, Marketing, & Distributing Improved standard of living, more resources, & increased international trade Customer Orientation, company commitment, & company goals

Elements of the Marketing Concept



Customer orientation:



Do it their way.

Finding out what customers want and producing those products the way they want them  Door-to-Door sales versus a company surveying clients to see what they want 

Company commitment:

Do it better.

  Make/price the product better than the competition’s model.

Putting money into research & development so your products stays #1 

Company goals:

Do it with success in mind.

  Maintain your firm’s purpose while you apply the marketing concept.

Increase profits, be more socially responsible, increase market share, etc…

The interrelationships among marketing functions

 Can’t forget to

advertise

even if you have a great product  Can’t forget to have a sufficient

supply

products in stock of those great  Can’t forget to set

prices

customers that are competitive and attract  Forgetting any of these

functions

effort won’t be as effective.

means your marketing  Your competitors will have an advantage

Agenda

•

Psychology of Color Lesson

•

Choose your favorite color

•

Look at color chart to see if your favorite color relates to description given.

– 3-5 sentences. Include level of agreement.

– Are there any other colors that describe you?

Step One: Choose Favorite Color

Compare your color & description

•

List at least 2 ideas / emotions When you see orange, what do you think of?

•

List at least 1 Brand

Color Psychology

• 90% of an assessment for trying out a product is based on color alone • Color is the first thing a customer notices about a company’s logo • Most popular logo colors: – Blue (33%) – Red (29%) – Black/Gray (28%) – Yellow (13%)

Red in a Business

• Best when used as an accent color – Too much will overwhelm • Encourages customers to take action & make a purchase • Elicits a response – May be a positive or negative response – Response is dependent on the customer • Best used in businesses specializing in food & appetite, energy, passion, or speed

Orange

• Stimulates appetite & social conversation • Lighter shades of Orange & Red are seen as more feminine • Gives impression of affordability – Too much orange will come across as too cheap • Good for restaurants & food outlets – Important to the décor of a business • Combined with blue, purple, or aubergine for a contemporary / classy look – Phoenix Suns

Orange in Business

• Apply sparingly as it is disliked in the Western World • Suggests fun, affordability, reasonable quality, & adventure • Invaluable color in restaurants, cafes, bistros, and diners – Stimulates appetite & conversation • Social color that is frequently used in hotels & resorts and on travel websites • Sports teams pick orange a lot due to energy associated with it • Orange appeals to the youth market – Teens like its fun & affordability – Kids see it in toys a lot • Softer colors of orange such as peach are often used to represent upper class businesses – Example: Spas, Beauty Salons, Treatment Centers, Expensive Restaurants

Gold in Business…

• High perceived value • Promotes wisdom and wealth • Products that use gold are seen as expensive / exclusive • Best when combined with dark red, dark blue, or dark green

Yellow in Business

• Effective if combined with other bright primary colors – Combined with black will act as a warning • Great color for children’s products – Stimulates mind & creativity • Helps keep people moving because most people don’t like yellow for long periods of time – Popular in fast food • Good for leisure products – Enhance the promotion of any fun and entertainment business

Yellow in Business

• It is a good color to highlight but too much can cause anxiety, especially with older people – Subway & McDonalds remodeled • Use in Point-of-Sale purchases – Eyes follow yellow first • Avoid using yellow on expensive items – Men view it as cheap and unsophisticated • Dirty versions of yellow have negative connotations – Example: Mustard

Green in Business

• Green is a good color for health & healing • Promotes natural, safe, & organic products – Environmentally friendly • Suggests something new and fresh – Motivates people to join social groups – Helps people thing more clearly • Dark green is good for money & financial institutes • Lime Green suggests anticipation • Olive Green is negative unless used to emphasize nature / environment

Blue in Business

• Blue is the most universally well-liked color in the world – Safest to use – Helps build customer loyalty • Blue is best suited for the conservative, corporate world – Trust, honesty, dependability are important • Popular for companies dealing with air & water – Airlines, Boating Companies, Air Conditioning, etc… • Best if used for companies seeking one-on-one customer relationships versus mass communication – Insurance, accountants, banks, & other financial institutes • Reduces appetite and slows heart rate • Too much blue can encourage boredom, manipulation, or a rigid look

Blue / Green

Turquoise in Business

• Good for businesses focusing on communication – Teachers, trainers, public speakers, media communication, & computer technology – Aids in self-expression & clarity of thought – Has an innovative side that goes well with sports teams • Popular in health clinics & practitioners – Balances emotions & calms spirits • Good for products promoting water – Pool companies, water filtration, water sports, etc..

• Often used in cleaning products as it reflects cleanliness without being too sterile • Too much Turquoise creates indecision • Best if used with red, pink, magenta, or purple

Purple in Business

• More suitable for products & websites relating to women or children – Younger men are starting to see appeal – Kids like purple & bright colors – Lighter shades appeal to women • Craft items, antique stores, selling things like lace, etc..

• Academic institutes will frequently use a medium shade of purple – Inspire thought & achievement • Portrays wealth, extravagance when combined with gold – Gold is not a good color on websites – Gold is effective on packaging & print material

Pink in Business

• Pink is popular with charities & their marketing programs – Relates to hope, compassion, warmth, and understanding • Pink works well in businesses promoting women's products – Beauty salons, fashion businesses, & cosmeticians – Effective in candy stores & places selling sweet products • Brighter pinks are popular amongst the younger market – Promotes less expensive and trendy items • Dusty pink is popular in businesses focusing on older generations or sentimental services

White in Business

• White is probably the best color to use as the background color for websites – Exceptions are yellow & pastels – Helps clean up negative space • Suggests simplicity, cleanliness, & safety • Promotes hi-tech products, kitchen appliances, bathroom items, infant, and health related products • On its own white is viewed as cold and sterile

Black in Business….

• Black is beneficial for companies selling luxury, elegance, & sophistication – High quality professional products – Upper class car companies • Black packaging is viewed as heavier & more expensive – Creates classy, elegant look • Good color to promote to wealthy teens – Music companies – Seen as cutting edge, trendy, sophisticated, & rebellious • Can be seen as dramatic when combined with bright, rich, jewel colors such as red, emerald, yellow, or orange • Too much black is viewed as unfriendly and intimidating – People think of salesmen wearing a black suit, black shirt, or black pants

Silver in Business

• Reflects quality craftsmanship and artistry • Beneficial for businesses promoting quality modern appliances and equipment • Appropriate for high-tech, innovative computer market & scientific companies • Doesn’t work well on websites – Appears gray which is cold and impersonal • A good complimentary color not primary color

Assignment

• Pick your favorite color and compare it to definition • Complete the psychology of color worksheet • Choose 1 of 3 options to accentuate the use of color for a company

Option #1

• Create a female jersey for a Division II Humboldt State College – School lacks attendance for women's athletics. – Currently use Green, White, & Yellow.

– You would create something that attracts female fans or attracts interest period.

– If I were doing this I would choose pink or something neon. However, you can do whatever.

– You also need to turn the Lumberjack logo into a "less manly" mascot. Simply putting Lady Lumberjacks on a jersey would work too.

Option #2

• Rebrand the Washington Redskins Jersey.

• New colors & new mascot needed.

• You would get away from their current image and try to let people know that they are culturally sensitive & receptive to fans.

• You can only use one (or none) of their existing colors • If you look at what colors really stand for it should help you pick one for them.

Option #3

• Best Buy, Wendy's, Coca-Cola, Facebook, McDonalds, IKEA, FedEx, Ford, & KFC are all companies that typically attract an older audience.

• They are hiring you to create a new color scheme & employee uniform that appeals to a younger demographic.

• You do not need to alter their logo, just the colors it uses. Best Buy could be Black & White versus Blue & Yellow. Change geek squad outfit from white button up to black v-necks.