Choosing a color for your logo can actually be more complex than you think. It goes way beyond just picking your favorite color, and the decision should be taken seriously with some thought behind it. Did you know that 80% of consumers believe that color increases brand recognition? Along with 85% say that color is the primary reason they decide to purchase a particular product, pretty amazing! It is even said that consumers may vividly recall the colors associated with your brand, but vaguely recall the actual logo itself. Therefore it is very important to consider the emotions certain colors evoke in order to get the right message across to your customer base. The psychology of colors is a science, where colors can send certain messages to the consumer without you even realizing it. Let’s take a look:

Red is a very powerful color, that attracts attention. It is often used for sales and discounts because it lends itself to a sense of urgency. It is often used for restaurants and fast food establishments because studies have shown that it stimulates appetite. Be wary though when using red, depending on the shade and your company, red can come off as aggressive, and if that is not the message you want to portray then you may want to use a lighter shade or stay away altogether.

Yellow denotes feelings of happiness and cheer. It has strong ties to sunshine, and everyone feels a certain sense of joy on a sunny day! Yellow is very noticeable and eye-catching. Yellow is a great secondary color due to this fact, for instance McDonald’s, John Deere, and Subway use it in this manner.

It is no surprise that orange pulls some of the same emotions that red and yellow do, since it is a combination of the two. Orange is eye-catching, and evokes a cheery feeling. Orange encourages one to take action, that is why it is often times used on sites as the primary color for call to action buttons.

Green lends itself to nature, since it is associated to grass and trees. It is also a very wholesome color and is often used to denote health. Companies that have strong ties to nature and a healthy lifestyle use green in their logos. Green is also the color money which could be why Land Rover uses it in their logo.

Blue is a very popular color to use, and it often denotes masculinity. It also is a color that people tend to trust, the reason why Visa, Chase, and other financial institutions use it. Another interesting fact about blue is that it is linked to increased productivity.

Purple is an interesting color, it lends itself to money and success because of it’s ties to royalty. There are numerous beauty and anti-aging products that use purple as their primary color. It is often times listed as a favorite color of women, but never with men, which could be a main contributing factor as why Lifetime would use it in their logo.

Black is a color that is not cheery or happy, but it is a powerful color and it lends itself to luxury. It even has a certain sense of mystery. There are many high end jewelry and purse companies that use black as their primary color.

White can be a tricky color, it basically appears like there is nothing there, and not many people want that. However white along with light grays lend themselves to balance and a sense of calmness. Apple one of the largest and most successful companies has made white their calling card. The contemporary design of their website has been mimicked by many with their use of white and light grays. I had a difficult time finding any primary white logos besides Apple, Ghost was fitting because of their name, and the others you just can’t see!

So there you have it, hopefully this helps you if you are faced with the challenge of picking a color for your brand.