In the branding world, designers and clients alike love to talk about the psychology of color and how it relates to consumers’ purchasing habits. But because most conversations around color theory rely primarily on anecdotal evidence and “hunches,” it is also an incredibly controversial topic. Why don’t we have quantifiable, scientific data to back up what most of us inherently “know” about the unique powers of certain colors? It is our humanity itself that muddies the waters. It is our humanity itself that muddies the waters. The wide variety of personal experiences, cultural upbringings, preferences, biases, and contexts we all experience as unique human beings can have profound effect on how each individual will perceive certain colors. For example, even though we know there’s a reason nearly every clearance rack on planet earth is a blood-pumping bright red, it might not produce the same reaction in a customer who spent her childhood in a bedroom unwittingly painted the same shade by her colorblind parents. So, what does this mean for your brand, which desperately needs to pull the trigger on a color palette before entering the market? Luckily, despite the anomalies caused by our individual experiences of this crazy, colorful trip called life, broader patterns do exist in humanity’s collective perception of color. However, recent studies suggest that the color decisions we make to represent our brand should be chosen to reflect the actual function and characteristics of the product or service rather than to convince consumers that the brand embodies one personality trait or another. In extreme cases, this principle of authenticity is fairly self-evident. For example, The Home Depot might want to come across as a fun brand that people of all genders, ages, and background could find value in. Pink is a bright, fun color, and historically, it has been used to attract consumers of the fairer sex. But The Home Depot doesn’t use pink as their primary brand color, and they never will, because it just wouldn’t make sense in the context of what their brand offers. The friendly, somewhat earthy orange color The Home Depot uses is a more authentic and logical choice. Orange isn’t a distinctively masculine color, nor is it exclusively feminine. What it does communicate, however, is the brand’s approachable, down-to-earth personality that has empowered DIYers everywhere with the confidence, the materials, and the tools they need to replace a doorknob, repair a pipe, or build a treehouse. We’ve put together an introductory level course on color theory that we hope can help the decision makers at your company find alignment on a color palette that will both authentically represent your brand and resonate with your target audience. In each section, we’ll explain the broad ideas, emotional & behavioral triggers, and character traits that are most commonly associated with each color, along with some real world examples of brands that followed these unspoken “rules” to find success on the market. As with most things in life, these “rules” or guidelines are not set in stone, and many brands have deviated from the most common associations to own a color that may not be the most obvious choice. However, breaking the rules is usually more successful when it is done with a clear and strategic purpose, and to do that, you have to have a clear understanding of what those rules are.

Red:

Red is an emotionally-intense, highly visible primary color that is commonly associated with energy, strength, power, and even danger. This color has a visceral effect on human beings, raising our metabolism, our blood pressure, and our heart rate, which is why we see it used so frequently to create a sense of urgency to “Buy Now!” during a sale or in a call to action on a website. Companies like Coca Cola, Target, and Netflix have fully embraced this bold color to confidently represent their industry-leading brands.

Orange:

Combining the boldness of red and the cheerfulness of yellow, orange is a color typically associated with enthusiasm, friendliness, creativity, and stimulation. While it is not as aggressive as red, orange is still a warm, somewhat provocative color that increases oxygen flow to the brain and, in turn, produces an invigorating sensation. Brands like Nickelodeon, Fanta, and Hooters, who specialize in fun, off-kilter, or impulsive products & services have had success with orange as the primary color in their palettes. Brands that cater to rebellious and/or creative types, like The Home Depot and Harley-Davidson, have also adopted this shade.