How to pick the right colour for your brand

Pick a colour, any colour!

Branding can be quite scary when you’re starting out in business or frankly any time if it’s not something you know much about. It might be tempting to think,‘well yellow is my son’s favourite colour so I want to use that’, but is your son your target audience?

Research by reboot online surveyed 2,648 consumers to identify brands based on their colour palette alone. The green of Starbucks was recognised by 80% of consumers and the blue and yellow combination of IKEA was recognised by 67%. Clearly, colour can trigger brand recognition, but how do you choose the right one?

The emotions of colour

Colours can evoke a range of emotions in us and researchers have long found links to behaviour and the colours around us.

For example, blue is a popular colour choice for banks, accountants and tech firms as the colour is often linked to trust, intelligence and dependability.

Red is a stimulating colour that’s associated with strength, energy, passion and excitement, so it’s no surprise that it’s popular with the car industry and Richard Branson.

Easyjet, B&Q and Sainsbury’s chose orange which conveys friendship and value. Part of the branding process has to be understanding what your business stands for and how you want to be perceived.

At THP we chose a combination of blue and orange precisely for the reasons listed above.

Does having an international business change things?

If you’re going to be doing business abroad then the colour you choose is even more important. Marketing your luxury brand with the colour black might seem like a good idea— and it would be in the UK — but in Chinese, the word for black is ‘hei’, which stands for bad luck, irregularity, and illegality.

In the UK, yellow is seen as a warm and friendly colour which can grab people’s attention. If you’re planning on doing business in France though, beware; yellow symbolises infidelity. In Germany, yellow is associated with envy and jealousy.

Now, they say you can’t please all of the people all of the time, but it’s important to consider how colour will impact your brand in other cultures if relevant.

What does your business do?

If your business is involved in the environment or health and well-being, you might want to think about green. The colour evokes feelings of relaxation, restoration and health.

If you’re selling a luxury product or service, then purple might be the way to go. It often represents luxury, authenticity and quality. Purple is also good for creatives as it represents imagination.

It’s time to pick a colour

When you’re choosing a colour for your brand, remember to think about:

• how people perceive different colours,
• what it is your business does, and
• whether you’ll be doing business abroad.

There are plenty of websites out there with free tools to help you with a logo and colour. Remember though, branding is more than just a logo, so if you can afford to, seek the advice and skills of a graphic designer.

They should ask you about your business, what you do and what it stands for. They’ll create a complete brand, including logos you can use online and on printed materials.

THP on brand colours

We don’t claim to be colour experts — although note the blue and orange in our brand — but we do love sitting down with people and having a good chat about their business and how we can help.

You can speak to a member of our team at your local THP office located in Sutton, Chelmsford, Wanstead, Saffron Walden and London City anytime.