LEADERSHIP NOW

WHAT YOUR LOGO'S COLOR SAYSABOUT YOUR COMPANY(INFOGRAPHIC)UNDERSTANDING THE SCIENCE BEHIND COLOR COULD

INCREASE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOUR COMPANY'S

BRANDING METHODS.

BY RACHEL GILLETT

When it comes to identifying your brand, your logo is

probably the first thing your customers will think of.

While honing the narrative and message behind your

logo should of course be your primary concern,

research suggests that your logo’s design—and

specifically its colors—have more bearing on your

customers’ opinions than you might think.

Neuroscientist Bevil Conway, who has focused his

recent research almost entirely on the neural machinery

behind color, believes the science behind color

processing to be very powerful and completely

underexploited.

"Knowing that humans might ... be hardwired for certain

hues could be a gateway into understanding the neural

properties of emotion," he told Co.Design earlier this

month.

The implications of color’s effect on people’s emotions

are far reaching, and understanding your customers’

connections to certain colors could increase the

effectiveness of your company’s branding methods.

According to research complied by web design and

marketing company WebPageFX, people make a

subconscious judgment about a product in less than 90

seconds of viewing, and a majority of these people base

that assessment on color alone. In fact, almost 85% of

consumers cite color as the primary reason they buy a

particular product, and 80% of people believe color

particular product, and 80% of people believe color

increases brand recognition.

Take a look at WebPageFX's infographic about the

psychology of color to see what each color says to your

customers:

RED

Red is often associated with the heat of sun and fire and

is considered a high-arousal color, often stimulating

people to take risks, according to color think tank,

Pantone. It has also been shown to stimulate the senses

and raise blood pressure, and it may arouse feelings of

power, energy, passion, love, aggression, or danger.

YELLOW

Yellow is often associated with the heat of sun and fire

and is considered a high-arousal color. It may stimulate

feelings of optimism and hope or cowardice and

betrayal.

BLUE

Blue is often associated with the coolness of the sea and

sky. It has been shown to calm the senses and lower

blood pressure. It may stimulate feelings of trust,

security, order, and cleanliness.

ORANGE

Orange is often associated with the heat of sun and fire

and is considered a high-arousal color. It may stimulate

feelings of energy, balance, and warmth.

GREEN

Green is often associated with the coolness of leaves.

People often associate it with nature, health, good luck,

and jealousy.

PURPLE

Purple is generally considered a low-arousal color. It

may stimulate feelings of spirituality, mystery, royalty, or

arrogance.

[Image: Flickr user John Morgan]

R A C H E L G I L L E T T

Rachel Gillett is a former editorial assistant forFastCompany.com’s Leadership section. Her workhas been featured on PopPhoto.com, AOL.com, andelsewhere.CONTINUE

March 31, 2014 | 5:54AM

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3 COMMENTS

R A C H E L G I L L E T T A MONTH AGO

Hello, I made a logo for my pharmaceutical

company which contains 3 circles interlaced, I am

confused which colors should I use for those 3

circles and for the company name HELP!

A M R M E T W A L L I

Link Reply

R A C H E L G I L L E T T A MONTH AGO

Makes you think when a company logo combines

two colors...

D I G I T E L L , I N C .

Link Reply

D I G I T E L L , I N C . A MONTH AGO

Hello, I made a logo for my pharmaceutical

company which contains 3 circles interlaced,

I am confused which colors should I use for

those 3 circles and for the company name

HELP!

A M R M E T W A L L I

Link Reply